Eze 46:1

Vv 1-8: Worship on the sabbath and new moon days 46:1-8

V 1: The Lord specified that the gate in the inner east gate complex should be open only on sabbath days and on the new moon days (ie, the first of each month). All other days it was to remain closed. (An exception to this rule follows in v 12.) Observance of the sabbath day will remind the Israelites of God’s creation of the cosmos, His creation of their nation, and His coming provision of rest (in the Messiah). The new moon (month) celebrations may be periodic reminders of God’s providential control of nature and His faithful provision of His people’s needs.

THE GATES OF THE INNER COURT FACING EAST IS TO BE SHUT ON THE SIX WORKING DAYS, BUT ON THE SABBATH DAY AND ON THE DAY OF THE NEW MOON IT IS TO BE OPENED: Ct this with Isa 60:11: “Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations — their kings led in triumphal procession.” In the Kingdom Age, the gates will be open continually.

Eze 46:2

On these special days, the prince would lead the people in worship. He would enter the inner east gate complex and stand in its vestibule. Evidently he will not be able to enter the inner court because he will not be a priest (cf Num 29:38), but he will be able to view the inner court and the altar from the doorway at the western end of the gate complex. The vestibule would be the site of his worship as he presented his burnt and peace offerings (symbolizing his personal dedication and his gratitude for God’s fellowship respectively). After he finished worshipping, he would depart from that gate into the outer court, but the gate would remain open until the evening.

It looks as though the “prince” here is NOT a “priest”, in contrast with the age to come — where, of course, Jesus will be King AND Priest!

Eze 46:3

The other worshippers would also worship at the same gate during those special days, but they too would not enter the inner court. Only priests could enter that court.

Eze 46:4

Vv 4,5: On the sabbath days, the prince’s burnt offering would consist of six lambs and a ram without blemish. Grain offerings were to accompany them: an ephah with the ram, and as much as he was able to provide with the lambs. He was also to offer a hin of oil with each ephah of grain. This is a variation of what the Mosaic Law prescribed (Num. 28:9,10). These grain and oil offerings evidently symbolized the Lord’s rich provisions for His people.

Eze 46:6

Vv 6,7: On the new moon days, the prince was to offer the same offerings as he did on the sabbath days plus a young bull and an ephah of flour and a hin of oil with it. This too is somewhat different from the Mosaic requirement (Num 28:11-15).

Eze 46:8

The prince would enter the inner gate complex and leave it using the vestibule, which faced the outer court (Eze 40:31). Undoubtedly the priests would use the tables in the vestibule of this gate complex and the tables in the outer court near it to prepare these offerings (Eze 40:39-43).

Eze 46:9

Vv 9-15: Worship during the annual feasts 46:9-15.

V 9: When the people living in the Promised Land came to worship on the appointed feasts (Passover and Tabernacles: Eze 45:21-25), they were to enter the outer court by either the north or south outer gate complexes. There was no gate on the west side, and the east gate would be sealed (Eze 44:1-2). When they finished worshipping, they should depart from the opposite gate from which they entered, not the same one. This would result in an orderly traffic pattern during these crowded times — so that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1Co 14:40).

WHOEVER ENTERS BY THE NORTH GATE TO WORSHIP IS TO GO OUT THE SOUTH GATE; AND WHOEVER ENTERS BY THE SOUTH GATE IS TO GO OUT THE NORTH GATE. NO ONE IS TO RETURN THROUGH THE GATE BY WHICH HE ENTERED, BUT EACH IS TO GO OUT THE OPPOSITE GATE: “A man may enter either by the north door or the south. There is perfect liberty here. But there is no liberty as to what he shall do after that. He shall go right through. He shall make for the [opposite side]. Has not this a very plain meaning for us — that we should not sit still at that side of religion which first attracted us, not keep going back over the old ground, but strive to go through the whole breadth of religion. There is a north and a south in religion. There is a bright, sunny side. It is always warm and genial there. And there is a cold, dark side, which only gets the sun on the longest days. Some come in by the one side, and some by the other. Some come with grief and tears, driven by bitter cold or wild beasts. Others come in by the door of hope and joy, drawn by bright promises. They come calm, easy, and radiant, as to an old home which they had never lost. Religion has many opposites, though no contradictions. The Bible is continually speaking of the importance of joining opposites together, such as prayer and praise, working and waiting… resting and running, weeping and rejoicing, past and future, time and eternity… We should go on to the opposite good of that which we possess, not simply further than where we are, but that we should strive to reach and embrace the directly opposite attainment, not leaving or undervaluing what is possessed, but uniting to it that which may seem contrary or which may possibly have been considered by us as wholly antagonistic and incompatible. We shall find that it is these opposites which not only preserve from exaggeration and caricature, but that they are needful even for proper rooting and strength. When one finds out how opposites coalesce and help each other, need each other, claim each other, and are only themselves when they find each other, he is fortified against moral scepticism and against religious unrest. What I contend for is not a compromise, but a junction in which each remains to strengthen and develop the other” (BI).

Eze 46:10

The prince should accompany the people on those occasions, entering and exiting the court with them. He would worship God as one of the people then, not as someone set apart and special.

Eze 46:11

The offerings on these special occasions were to be the same as on the sabbath days and the new moon days (cp vv 4-7).

Eze 46:12

When the prince brought a voluntary offering to the temple on other days, either a burnt or peace offering, the priests should open the east inner gate for him to use and close it after he departed this gate complex.

Eze 46:13

Vv 13-15: The priests were also to offer a daily sacrifice to the Lord every morning, namely one lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering. One-sixth of an ephah of grain with one-third of a hin of oil mixed into it should accompany this continual daily burnt offering. Its purpose is probably to demonstrate the daily rededication of the people to the Lord, the meaning of the daily burnt offering under the Mosaic system. Under the Mosaic Law, there was a daily morning and evening sacrifice (Num 28:3,4).

Eze 46:16

Vv 16-18: The prince’s gifts 46:16-18.

Vv 16,17: The prince could give a gift to any of his sons out of his own inheritance from the Lord. This gift was theirs forever. However, if he gave such a gift to one of his servants, it would revert back to him on the year of liberty. This year would evidently be similar to the year of jubilee (every fiftieth year) under the Mosaic Covenant (Lev 25:10; 27:24). Its purpose was to remind God’s people that He owns everything and that they only occupy and possess what He has entrusted to them.

Eze 46:18

The prince was not to give gifts from the inheritances of the other people of the land, but only from his own inheritance. Israel’s leaders and people in the past had appropriated other people’s property as their own (cp Eze 45:89; 2Sa 24:24; 1Ki 21:19; Mic 2:1,2). This ordinance would also result in the prince’s sons remaining in his allotment of land rather than being scattered among the other tribal allotments.

THE PRINCE MUST NOT TAKE ANY OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE PEOPLE…: These are warnings to a MORTAL “prince”, not for an immortal one!

HE IS TO GIVE HIS SONS THEIR INHERITANCE: Another indication that this “prince” is mortal. Since this prince would have sons it seems clear that he will not be the Messiah.

Eze 46:19

Vv 19-24: The priests’ kitchens.

Vv 19-20: The LORD, or Ezekiel’s guide, then took him into the structure that housed the priests’ rooms that were beside the south inner gate complex that faced north (Eze 40:44,46). This was evidently one of the two three-story structures in which the priests eat the sacrifices and changed their clothes (Eze 42:1-14). At the west side of this building there were kitchen facilities where the priests could boil the guilt and sin offerings and bake the grain offerings. They were to prepare these offerings there so they would not have to enter the outer court and so transmit holiness to the people.

Eze 46:21

Vv 21-24: The same person then took Ezekiel out to the outer court and showed him the four corners of that court. In each of the four corners there was a courtyard 40 cubits by 30 cubits. Within each of these enclosures there were ledges with fireplaces underneath that created cooking areas where the priests were to boil the sacrifices that the people brought to the temple. Since the people would eat some of the sacrifices they brought, the outer court would be a place of both spiritual worship and social interaction. There they would enjoy fellowship with other worshippers as well as fellowship with God.

Eze 46:22

Vv 22-24: In each corner of the court there is a “kitchen”, for the sacrifices, “forty cubits long, and thirty wide”.

HAW comments: “But in this volume [the book of HSul] the dimensions already adopted for the outer court will not allow of anything so small. So (perhaps permissibly) the cubits are turned into reeds. Another difficulty is that the courts formed at the corners of this square frame must themselves necessarily be square, and not 40 by 30. So the word for ‘long’ is turned into ‘high’, although in 37 other places in these nine chapters the same word plainly means ‘long’. The result is four ‘monster towers… 360 feet square and 480 feet high’ for the boiling of sacrifices! ‘Such a building defies description.’ Here, at least, one is inclined to agree” (FLET).

Eze 32:2

MONSTER: Reading “tannin” (or “dragon”) for MsTx “tannim” (or “jackals”) (see Lesson, Leviathan — “OT History”).

Eze 32:15

THEN THEY WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD: “The oracles against the nations in Eze 25 — 32 were originally delivered to the people of Judah. Although the words written seem to be solely for those particular nations, they are foremost for the people of Judah in Jerusalem and Babylon and serve at least three purposes. First, these oracles reveal God’s judgment against the nations that either mocked or aided in Jerusalem’s fall [cf Gen 12:3: “whoever curses you I will curse”]. Second, as with both the king of Tyre and the Pharaoh of Egypt, God would throw them down from their self-elevated positions of power — there is no room for such arrogance and pride in God’s creation. Third, the oracles are essentially a dismantling of the gods of the nations, which is in turn a dismantling of the gods Judah had begun to rely wrongly upon, and the proclamation that Yahweh is the one and only true God for all nations… the phrase ‘know I am the LORD’ occurs nineteen times. The primary purpose of these oracles is that everyone should come to ‘know the LORD’ ” (David Cooper, cited in Const).

Eze 32:19

ARE YOU MORE FAVORED THAN OTHERS?: Yet again pride is the great stumblingblock. They felt they were of great “beauty”, but now they are to be treated the same way as the rest by God. Abasing the proud is a regular feature of God’s dealings with men. How often this particular side of human nature works against God; man must order his life not in pride, but in humility — confessing always his unworthiness and leaning on God’s mercy: “Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud” (Pro 16:19).

“Let us remember, as we read of God’s judgements on these nations, that pride is not just the puffing up of self, but also the despising of others. Whilst we may be happy that we do not do the former, I wonder how sure we could be of the latter. The very idea of being called of God gives us the very greatest potential to consider ourselves to be above others. Let us not fall into this trap. Judgement is God’s, not ours” (PC).

Eze 33:1

Eze 33–39: Sectional outline:

• Ezekiel the watchman (Eze 33:1-20);
• Vindication of his prophecies (Eze 33:21-33);
• the Good Shepherd (Eze 34);
• Against Mt Seir (Eze 35);
• A transformed Land (Eze 36:1-15);
• A transformed people (Eze 36:16-38);
• A transformed nation (Eze 37:1-14);
• A transformed government (Eze 37:15-28);
• Gog and Magog (Eze 38); and
• Flesh humbled and God exalted (Eze 39).

Eze 33:1-20: Ezekiel is commissioned as a watchman for Israel. “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins” (Isa 58:1). “Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” (1Co 14:8).

Eze 33:2

SPEAK TO YOUR COUNTRYMEN: Which Ezekiel had been forbidden to do since Eze 24:26,27. But now the “escaped one” (v 21) has arrived.

SWORD: The Babylonian captivity, brought by God.

WATCHMAN: In ancient Israel, each town and city had a person positioned upon the wall in order to call out a warning about the approach of unexpected and possibly hostile people. This watchman had to “sound the trumpet” if an enemy was approaching, so that the townspeople could get ready for an attack. Prophets in Israel took on the function of spiritual “watchmen” (eg Eze 3:17; Jer 6:17), warning the people of impending punishment by God unless the nation changed its ways.

The word itself is from a Heb root signifying “to lean forward, to peek” (cp Isa 21:6-10; Hos 9:8; Hab 2:1). Thus the spiritual watchman was a “shepherd”, his manner of life characterized by constant vigilance, with his eyes on the future for potential threats, as well as potential blessings, and an overriding concern for the spiritual wellbeing of others. “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb 13:17).

“But not only do people need to be saved from the immediate threat of death; they need also to be saved from eternal death, from the consequences of sin. Now here are the searching questions that accompany that fact. Has God placed watchmen in strategic places in the world to warn the people of the threat of eternal death? Are you one of those people? Who have you warned?

“Just as with Ezekiel, whom God especially sent as a watchman to the house of Israel, there will be some people who will listen and some who will not. But whether we think they will listen or not, they must be warned. God said that Ezekiel would be surprised at which ones took his warnings. Some who thought they were righteous would ignore him, and others who were wicked would change their lives. We never know who will respond to the gospel message; like Ezekiel, we may be surprised at the results — I have been!

“So let us warn all the people in our part of our world so that they can repent and live for God and be saved” (RP).

Eze 33:3

TRUMPET: See Lesson, Trumpet, the.

Eze 33:5

The watchman’s obligation is discharged when the message is delivered. How can we fail to take warning from this verse? Exo 9:19-21; 2Ki 6:10; Acts 2:37-41; Heb 2:1-3; 11:7.

Eze 33:8

“Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Act 20:26,27).

Eze 33:11

I TAKE NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED: Cp Eze 18:28,32; Jer 29:11. “This verse is frequently used to support the view that God wants to save all men and it is only their refusal to turn to Him which prevents this, for does not Peter say, ‘The Lord is… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance’ (2Pe 3:9)?

“A moment’s reflection is enough to cast doubts on this conclusion. That God is merciful, gracious and a God of love, goes without saying; but to argue that He is so to all men, meaning every individual, contradicts the fundamental teaching of Scripture that God’s purpose is being worked out ‘according to ELECTION’ (Rom 9:11).

“The words of Jesus indicate a selection process: ‘No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW him’ (John 6:44). It is because of this that Paul writes to the Thessalonians: ‘We give thanks to God… knowing, brethren beloved, your ELECTION of God’ (1Th 1:2,4)….

“God is all-powerful and able to do as He wills in His universe. If He will indeed have all mankind to be saved, why is it that so many never get to hear the gospel message? The words of the apostle in 1Ti 2:4 — in which he says that ‘[God] will have all men to be saved’ — cannot mean that it is His desire to save every member of the human race. To interpret it thus would contradict the fundamental principle that God’s purpose is being worked out on the basis of election. In these words the apostle, who had been divinely appointed as a preacher to the Gentiles, is simply saying that it was no longer the case that ‘salvation is of the Jews’. God is now working with the Gentiles (all mankind) and it was His will that salvation be offered to ‘all men’ (ie, all nationalities) and not just to Jews.

“In 2Pe the apostle is writing to the brethren in the Ecclesias of Asia Minor. It is to these, troubled by the Judaizers and in danger of grave apostasy from the Truth, that he writes: ‘The Lord… is longsuffering to us-ward (RV, youward), not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance’ (2Pe 3:9). These to whom Peter writes had been called by the Father but were in danger of failing to ‘make [their] calling and election sure’ (2Pe 1:10). The same applies to these verses from Ezekiel. They are not addressed to the individuals of the pagan world but to the Covenant People.

“The vast majority of the Gentile world, then and now, comprise that great crowd of mankind that ‘is in honour, and understandeth not’ and who are, by God’s appointment, ‘like the beasts that perish’ (Psa 49:20). Being left by God to wander ‘out of the way of understanding’, they will by His divine decree ‘remain in the congregation of the dead’ (Pro 21:16). That this sad fact does not give God pleasure, we would agree. Let us not, however, go to the extreme of emphasizing this to the point where we deny that God’s purpose is ‘according to election’ ” (AEz 186,187).

Eze 33:12

WHEN HE TURNS FROM IT: Mercy may be extended to all who really seek it: Zec 1:3; Jer 3:14.

Eze 33:20

BUT I WILL JUDGE EACH OF YOU ACCORDING TO HIS OWN WAYS: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecc 12:14). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2Co 5:10).

Eze 33:21

Vv 21-33: A message from a smitten city. A man brings news of complete fall and destruction of Jerusalem after a 2-year siege. Though tragic, such judgments confirm the words of the LORD through the prophet.

Eze 33:23

Vv 23-29: The remnant who still remained in the Land (2Ki 25:12,22; Jer 52:16) continued to rebel against God and Babylon (2Ki 25:22,26; Jer 40:4-16; Jer 41-43). This led to the murder of Gedaliah and the flight to Egypt.

Eze 33:24

BUT WE ARE MANY: However, the inheritance was for a singular “seed” (Gal 3:16).

Eze 34:1

Eze 34: The promise of a coming Shepherd King: cp Psa 23; John 10. King David was looked upon as a shepherd of the nation of Israel (2Sa 5:2; Psa 78:70-72). But, above all, Yahweh Himself is the Shepherd of Israel (Psa 80:1).

Eze 34:2

SHEPHERDS: The Heb “raah” is related to the word for “friend”; it pictures an overseer who feeds (by leading into good pastures), who guides, who cares for, who protects, and who associates closely with his flock.

WOE TO THE SHEPHERDS OF ISRAEL: Similar indictments in Jer 23:1; Zec 11:17; Mat 23:14.

WHO ONLY TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES: Lit, they “shepherd” themselves! Looking out for their own selfish interests first.

Eze 34:3

YOU EAT THE CURDS: The LXX and Vulgate read “milk” instead of “fat” (as KJV), following a different reading: “chalab” (milk) instead of “cheleb” (fat). Either way, the shepherds were living off the flock instead of tending it: “They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain” (Isa 56:11).

Eze 34:4

Generally, Peter seems to be referring to this v and this ch: “Not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1Pe 5:3).

YOU HAVE NOT STRENGTHENED THE WEAK OR HEALED THE SICK OR BOUND UP THE INJURED: These are all things which Yahweh the Great Shepherd does for His people: Psa 147:3; Isa 61:1. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (Isa 40:11).

YOU HAVE NOT BROUGHT BACK THE STRAYS OR SEARCHED FOR THE LOST: Echoed in the parable of the lost sheep (Luk 15:4-7). Cp Mat 18:12-4; ct Acts 20:28-31.

Eze 34:5

SO THEY WERE SCATTERED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SHEPHERD, AND WHEN THEY WERE SCATTERED THEY BECAME FOOD FOR ALL THE WILD ANIMALS: Driven away by their shepherds, Israel wandered like silly sheep, without purpose or true leadership. They wandered aimlessly as sheep will, following whichever sheep might take the lead, and fell — as might be expected — into danger and death.

BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SHEPHERD: “Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd” (Zec 10:2). “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mat 9:36).

Eze 34:8

FOOD FOR ALL THE WILD ANIMALS: “Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away” (Deu 28:26).

Eze 34:10

I AM AGAINST THE SHEPHERDS AND WILL HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR MY FLOCK: It was the shepherd’s responsibility to make good any loss that resulted from his negligence — this was alluded to by Jacob in talking with his father-in-law Laban: “I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself” (Gen 31:38,39).

In the spiritual realm, a similar responsibility rests upon the spiritual shepherds of God’s flock — who are to warn their charges of imminent danger, so as to save their lives (Eze 3:18). So believers are exhorted: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account” (Heb 13:17). Those who serve in such a selfless way will ultimately receive the commendation of the Chief Shepherd when he appears: “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1Pe 5:1-4).

As the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus accounted for the entire flock placed in his charge: “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled” (John 17:12). A tremendous responsibility rests upon those who assume the authority over the ecclesial flock — for surely they walk in the footsteps of the Master. Such duty should never be undertaken lightly.

Eze 34:12

A DAY OF CLOUDS AND DARKNESS: Times of storm and darkness might be particularly dangerous, as times when the sheep would be much more likely to stray or run away from the protection of the shepherd. Symbolically, such expressions have been used to describe times of trouble for the nation of Israel: Eze 30:3; 38:9; Zep 1:15.

Eze 34:16

BUT THE SLEEK AND THE STRONG I WILL DESTROY: Those who prospered by bullying and denying their fellow sheep.

Eze 34:17

I WILL JUDGE BETWEEN ONE SHEEP AND ANOTHER: As in v 16.

AND BETWEEN RAMS AND GOATS: Cp the judgment parable of Mat 25:32,33: “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” Cp Zec 10:3; 13:7; Amo 9:9.

Eze 34:19

It is a graphic picture of the selfish attitude of those who may seem to have advanced further in their knowledge of the Word of God — but what good has it done them, if their feelings of pride and superiority lead them to despise others? “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself” (Rom 15:1-3).

Eze 34:23

I WILL PLACE OVER THEM ONE SHEPHERD, MY SERVANT DAVID, AND HE WILL TEND THEM: The Lord promised to set over His sheep one shepherd, His servant David, who would personally feed them (cf John 10:9; 14:6; Acts 4:12). Yahweh would be their God, and His servant David would be prince among them.

“David” sig “beloved”, and this surely points to Christ the well-beloved Son of God (Mat 3:17), who is also called “My servant the beloved” in Isa 42:1. Since he is also the son of David (Isa 9:6,7; Luk 1:32; cp 2Sa 7:12-16; Isa 55:3,4; Jer 30:9; Hos 3:5), it is reasonable to refer to him as “David”.

Eze 34:24

I THE LORD WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND MY SERVANT DAVID WILL BE PRINCE AMONG THEM: The Heb “nasi” may be intended as a contrast with the “wicked prince” of Eze 21:25.

I THE LORD HAVE SPOKEN: This the Lord assuredly promised (cf Eze 37:22-26).

Eze 34:25

I WILL MAKE A COVENANT OF PEACE WITH THEM…: That is, a covenant resulting in peace with Israel (cf Eze 16:60; 37:26-28; 38:11-13; 39:25-29; Isa 54:10). This is probably a reference to the New Covenant that God promised to make with Israel in the future (Jer 31:31-34). In the NT this is seen to be a covenant of oneness with Christ (John 14:27) which leads to peace with God (John 17:21).

The word peace (Heb “shalom”) is used to describe the harmony that exists when covenant obligations are being fulfilled and the relationship is sound. It is not a negative concept, implying absence of conflict or worry or noise, as we use it, but a thoroughly positive state in which all is functioning well.

AND RID THE LAND OF WILD BEASTS SO THAT THEY MAY LIVE IN… SAFETY: The provisions of this covenant that Ezekiel mentioned here included, first, removing threats to the Israelites’ safety from the land so they could even live at peace in its formerly dangerous parts, the wilderness and woods (cf John 10:27-29).

WILD BEASTS: Which sym the Gentile nations that oppress Israel (Dan 7:3).

Eze 34:26

SHOWERS IN SEASON… SHOWERS OF BLESSING: Showers of divine blessings (Lev 26:4; Deu 32:2; ct Amo 8:11,12). God’s seasonal blessings on Israel, both people and land, would be like the rain, and He would send His blessings down in showers (cf Acts 3:19,20).

Eze 34:27

THE TREES OF THE FIELD WILL YIELD THEIR FRUIT: Fruit trees would bear abundantly, and fruits and vegetables and flowers would proliferate in the land (cf Hos 2:22; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13,14; Zec 8:12).

AND THE GROUND WILL YIELD ITS CROPS: Even the plants would be secure. A full increase: Psa 67:6. The curse (Gen 3:17,18) will be lifted. This takes place in the Kingdom Age: vv 23-25; Isa 51:3.

WHEN I BREAK THE BARS OF THEIR YOKE AND RESCUE THEM FROM THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO ENSLAVED THEM: As the deliverance from Egypt is pictured as a breaking of the yoke upon the shoulders of God’s people (Jer 2:20), and is symbolic of the coming complete deliverance of the nation, once again, from their Gentile enemies (Jer 16:14,15; 32:37).

Eze 34:29

A LAND RENOWNED FOR ITS CROPS: Israel itself will be the “crops” of God: “Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor” (Isa 60:21).

Eze 35:2

MOUNT SEIR: A mountainous land inhabited by the Edomites. The etymology suggests something hairy or shaggy and may be descriptive of the former wooded nature of the landscape. Gen 36:8,9,30 connects the name with Edom (“red”) and Esau (“hairy”). The mountainous region is southwest of the Dead Sea. One of the highest points of Seir was Mount Hor where Aaron was buried (Num 20:27,28). Apparently the name Seir was later applied to the entire territory of Edom both se and sw of the Dead Sea.

The earliest inhabitants of the area known to the OT were the Horites (Gen 14:6; Deu 2:12). Seir is listed as grandfather of the Horites (Gen 36:20,21; 1Ch 1:38). The children of Esau replaced them (Gen 32:3; 33:14,16; Deu 2:4,5,8,29; Jos 24:4). The Edomites (Num 24:18) were Israel’s neighbors in this area until about the middle of the 5th century BC when they were overcome by Arabian tribesmen, later known as the Nabataeans.

Seir is significant in the OT as a synonym for Edom and Esau. The people to whom all three names apply stood in a unique relation to Israel. The three terms are related in the genealogy of Esau (Gen 36). The ambivalent attitudes of brotherhood and competitive enmity are reflected in the cycle of the Jacob narratives in Gen 25-36. The same tension is revealed when Moses and the Israelites were forced to detour around Edom (Num 20; Deu 2:4-8).

David brutally subjugated Edom (2Sa 8:14), and successive generations of Judean kings struggled in vain to maintain this subjection (2Ki 8:20-22; 14:7-10; 2Ch 20). The tension continued through the centuries. Lam 4:21,22 and Psa 137:7 accuse Edom of hateful collaboration with the common enemy during the sack of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Seir (= Edom) also stands in the prophetic denunciations of this people (Eze 25:8; 35:1-15). No other people except Philistia is mentioned so often in the prophecies against the nations (Amos 1:11,12; Isa 21:11,12; 34; 63:1-6; Jer 49:7-22; Eze 32; Oba; Joel 3:19; Mal 1:2-5; Zec 9:5…; Psa 60).

Why is Edom introduced here, separate from the Ezekiel section of prophecies about the Gentile nations (Eze 25-32)? Perhaps because, in this instance, Edom was representative of all the enemies of Israel who wanted to take over her land — Edom was selected because of her long history of land squabbles with Israel (cf Gen 25:22-34; 27; 36:1; Num 20:14-21; 24:15-19; 1Sa 14:47; 1Ki 11:14-22; 2Ki 8:21; 2Ch 20:1-23; 28:17; Psa 137:7; Isa 1:11-16; Lam 4:21,22; Amos 2:1; Oba 1:10-14; Mal 1:2-5). Edom was the nation that had longest and most consistently resisted Israel’s occupation of the Promised Land. Therefore, if God was going to give Israel her land in the future, as He promised in Eze 34, He would have to deal with Edom and all other nations that opposed Israel’s possession of it. This section assures the readers, both ancient and modern, that He will deal with opponents to Israel occupying her land by prophesying the destruction of Israel’s greatest antagonist viewed as a representative of all such powers. Edomite invasions of Israel following the Babylonian decimation of Judah also made Edom a major topic of interest.

“Edom was the prototype of all Israel’s later foes. The destruction of Edom would signal the beginning of God’s judgment on the whole earth based on that nation’s treatment of Israel (cf Gen 12:3)” (Const).

Eze 35:3

A DESOLATE WASTE: Not necessarily true literally in the future, because the desert (where Edom is) will blossom: Isa 42:11; 43:20.

Eze 35:5

YOU HARBORED AN ANCIENT HOSTILITY AND DELIVERED THE ISRAELITES OVER TO THE SWORD AT THE TIME OF THEIR CALAMITY: He would do this because the Edomites had been enemies of the Israelites throughout their history (cf Eze 25:12; Gen 12:3). Furthermore, they had not helped their brethren Israelites in the time of their calamity, the time when God was punishing Israel, but had turned them over to their enemy, the Babylonians (cf 2Ch 20:10; Psa 137:7; Lam 4:21,22).

THE TIME THEIR PUNISHMENT REACHED ITS CLIMAX: Or, “the time of the iniquity of the end” (RV). Perhaps meaning the time of Jacob’s final trouble (Jer 30:7), the last great crisis of the ages — when Israel will be punished a final time, but the real wrath of God will fall on the enemies of Israel because of their abominable treatment of His people.

Eze 35:7

I WILL MAKE MOUNT SEIR A DESOLATE WASTE: As regards the nation of Edom, this was literally fulfilled. When the Jews were taken into captivity in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, the Nabateans, an Arab tribe, drove the Edomites out of their possessions and forced them westwards. The Edomites settled in southern Judea, but were ultimately conquered and converted by the Maccabees.

Eze 35:10

THESE TWO NATIONS: Meaning Israel and Judah. And to this very day, “Edom” — meaning the Arab nations near Israel — have been seeking to dispossess the people of Israel from their ancestral land.

Eze 35:14

WHILE THE WHOLE EARTH REJOICES, I WILL MAKE YOU DESOLATE: The LORD would cause all the earth to rejoice when He made Edom a laughingstock in the world just as it had rejoiced when Israel became desolate (cf Eze 36:5). Mount Seir and all of Edom would become absolutely desolate (cf Eze 36:10). It would not exist when the LORD restored His people to their land. Then the Edomites would learn that Yahweh is God.

Eze 35:15

YOU WILL BE DESOLATE, O MOUNT SEIR, YOU AND ALL OF EDOM: “The prediction has been literally fulfilled. Edom was first subjugated by Babylon, then Medo-Persia, and then in 126 BC by John Hyrcanus the Hasmonean, who compelled them to become Jews. There is no trace of the Edomites now, although their desolate cities can still be identified, as predicted by Obadiah (Oba 1:18) and Jeremiah (Jer 49:13)” (Feinberg, cited by Const).

Eze 36:1

PROPHESY TO THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL: Yahweh commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the mountains of Israel (in contrast to Mount Seir: Eze 35:1-15; cp Eze 6:1-14). The reason was threefold. First, Israel’s enemy had cursed her (ie, Gen 12:3) by rejoicing that the everlasting heights (mountains) of the land had come into their possession (cf Eze 6:3; 20:29). Second, the enemy of Israel had destroyed her for good reason, namely her sinfulness. Third, now she was the possession of the nations of the world and the subject of their scorn (v 3; cf Deu 28:37; Jer 24:9).

The “mountains” of Israel are also significant, in view of the prophecy of Isa 2:2,3: “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’S temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

Eze 36:2

THE ANCIENT HEIGHTS: The “high places” of the land were the sites of worship. And particularly this may refer to the GREATEST “high place” from ancient times: the Temple Mount at Jerusalem — the site of the Muslim mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

The “ancient” heights here echoes the ref to the “ancient” hostility of Edom (Eze 35:5) — and that that hostility was (and will be) directed against the GREAT mountain Holy Place of Jerusalem.

Eze 36:3

RAVAGED: Or “made you desolate” (AV). Cp Dan 9:26,27; 11:31; 12:11; cp Mat 24:15; Mar 13:14; Luk 19:43; 21:20: “Desolations have been decreed… an abomination that causes desolation.” “Not one stone… left on another” (Mar 13:2).

THE OBJECT OF PEOPLE’S MALICIOUS TALK AND SLANDER: They talked publicly and privately about her fate.

Eze 36:4

NATIONS AROUND YOU: See Lesson, Nations “round about”.

Eze 36:5

MY BURNING ZEAL: The fire of God’s “jealousy” (AV) is His burning anger. The “zeal” or “jealousy” will cause Him to act to preserve His remnant (Isa 37:32), will cause Him to arm His warrior (Isa 59:17), to fight against the enemy (Isa 42:13; Zec 8:2), to gather them for judgment (Zep 3:8), and ultimately to restore the throne of David in glory (Isa 9:7).

FOR WITH GLEE AND WITH MALICE IN THEIR HEARTS THEY MADE MY LAND THEIR OWN POSSESSION…: Because Edom and the other nations had taken over the Lord’s land joyfully and had scorned the Israelites, He would pronounce judgment on them in his hot jealousy. Israel’s enemies had dealt with her in their anger and envy (Eze 35:11), but now Yahweh would deal with them in His fierce jealousy over Israel’s welfare.

Eze 36:7

I SWEAR WITH UPLIFTED HAND: The gesture made in confirming an oath. God has made two great oaths: (1) the first to confirm the promises to Abraham (Gen 22:16), and (2) the second to confirm the promises to David (Psa 132:11). Both these oaths concern the future of His land and people Israel: (1) To Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:2,3). (2) To David, “I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning” (2Sa 7:10). These promises are confirmed by oaths, and are therefore immutable, or unchangeable (Heb 6:18). Thus the hope of the righteous and faithful, and the hope of the future, is the “hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20).

THAT THE NATIONS AROUND YOU WILL ALSO SUFFER SCORN: Ezekiel was to announce to the whole Promised Land that Yahweh had spoken in His jealousy and wrath because Israel had suffered the insults of the nations (cf Gen 12:3). The nations round about Israel would surely have to endure the consequences of their insults against Israel.

Eze 36:10

I WILL MULTIPLY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE UPON YOU, EVEN THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL: Not just the two tribes of Judah, but the whole of the ten tribes of Israel as well (cp Eze 37:21,22). “And so ALL Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:26).

Eze 36:11

I WILL SETTLE PEOPLE ON YOU AS IN THE PAST AND WILL MAKE YOU PROSPER MORE THAN BEFORE: Israel is to be restored “as in the days of old”, or “as it used to be” (Amo 9:11) — so that the golden era of David and Solomon will be typical of the restored glory of God’s Kingdom. The past (the history of David and Solomon) and future (God’s coming Kingdom) are thus compared: (a) Jerusalem the throne of Yahweh (1Ch 29:23; Jer 3:17). (b) One king over a united nation (1Ki 4:20; Eze 37:22). (c) Israel a multitudinous, powerful nation (1Ki 4:20; Mic 4:7). (d) Israel the chief among the nations (1Ki 4:21; Mic 4:8). (e) Gentile wealth flowing to Jerusalem (2Ch 9:23,24; Isa 60:11). (f) A greatly fertile land (1Ki 4:22-28; Isa 35:1,2). (g) The nations under submission to Israel (1Ki 4:21; Psa 72:8). (h) Israel secure and at peace (1Ki 4:25; Eze 34:28). (i) Jerusalem the center of wisdom (1Ki 4:34; Isa 2:2-4). (j) Jerusalem the center of worship (2Ch 9:23; Zec 14:16). (k) A temple erected under royal supervision (1Ki 6; Zec 6:13). (l) The work of building assisted by Gentile laborers and materials (2Ch 2:2,17; Isa 60:10,13). (m) Zadok the high priest officiates (1Ki 1:34; Heb 7:11,12). (n) Great building activity (1Ki 9; Isa 65:21,22). (o) “Satan bound” (1Ki 5:4; Rev 20:2). (p) Israel a blessing in the midst of the land (2Ch 9:26; Isa 19:25). (q) The king noted for his piercing, unerring judgment (1Ki 4:29; Isa 11:3).

Eze 36:12

I WILL CAUSE PEOPLE, MY PEOPLE ISRAEL, TO WALK UPON YOU. THEY WILL POSSESS YOU, AND YOU WILL BE THEIR INHERITANCE: The Lord would cause the people of Israel to take possession of these mountains — and perhaps especially the GREAT mountain (the Temple mount, as in v 2) — as their inheritance; and they shall never leave them again (cf Gen 12:7). The Edomites had formerly purposed to possess these mountains (Eze 35:10).

Eze 36:15

THE TAUNTS OF THE NATIONS: Cp Deu 28; 29; Lam 2:15,16.

Eze 36:17

WHEN THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WERE LIVING IN THEIR OWN LAND, THEY DEFILED IT BY THEIR CONDUCT AND THEIR ACTIONS: Esp as regards worship of idols (cp v 18; Psa 106:35,36), and in general through lack of knowledge (Hos 4:6).

A WOMAN’S MONTHLY UNCLEANNESS: They resembled a woman during her menstrual period — who was thereby excluded from the worship of the Temple — and who defiled everything she touched (cf Lev 15:19-23; Isa 64:6).

Eze 36:19

// Deu 29:1–30:10.

Eze 36:20

THEY PROFANED MY HOLY NAME: Their dispersion made Yahweh look impotent since the nations concluded that He could not keep them safe in His land. The Lord had risked His reputation by driving Israel out of the land, but He cared about His reputation, which the Israelites had made common. We need to remember that how Christians represent God by our words and deeds likewise concerns Him (cf Mat 6:9; Luk 11:2).

Eze 36:21

MY HOLY NAME: The name of Yahweh is a strong tower of defense (Pro 18:10), a protection (Psa 124:8), a heritage (Psa 61:5,8; 69:36), a source of confidence (Psa 9:10); a means of rescue (Psa 91:14). It is a Name never to be despised (Mal 1:6), but to be exalted (Psa 34:3,4), extolled (Psa 68:4), remembered (Psa 20:7; 45:17), feared (Psa 86:11,12), praised (Psa 113:1-3; 145:1,2), loved (Psa 119:132; Isa 56:6), blessed (Psa 96:2; 100:4), understood (Isa 52:6), proclaimed (Deu 32:3; Exo 9:16; Isa 12:4), sung about (Psa 61:8; 66:2-4), expressed in prayer (Psa 140:13; 116:4; 80:18). “Extol him by his name of Yah” (Psa 68:4).

Eze 36:22

Vv 22-38: “In analyzing Ezekiel’s doctrine of the salvation of Israel, the salient factors are as follows: (1) The preeminent motive in their redemption is the glory of God (vv 22, 32). (2) Israel will know ultimately that their God is the Lord (v 38). (3) There will be an abhorrence of their sins (vv 31,32). (4) Forgiveness of their sins will be realized (v 25). (5) Regeneration will be effected (Eze 11:19; 18:31; 36:26,27). (6) The gift of the Holy Spirit will be granted (v 27; Eze 37:14)… (7) Included is obedience to God’s laws (v 27; Eze 11:20)” (Feinberg, cited in Const).

Eze 36:23

THEN THE NATIONS WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD: It was not for Israel, but in spite of Israel that Yahweh would act for them; He would deliver them for the sake of His own reputation that they had profaned (cf Eze 20:39). He would vindicate His reputation as being a holy God when He proved Himself such in the sight of the nations (cf Exo 5:2; 9:16; 32:11-18; Lev 18:21; 20:3; 22:31-33; Num 14:13-19; Deu 29:1 — 30:10).

Eze 36:24

I WILL TAKE YOU OUT OF THE NATIONS; I WILL GATHER YOU FROM ALL THE COUNTRIES AND BRING YOU BACK INTO YOUR OWN LAND: The same Israel which was scattered will be regathered to their own Land. This Land to be cultivated after laying desolate (v 34). See also Eze 37-39; Jer 30:1-24; 31:1-14,27-34; 32:36-44.

Eze 36:25

I WILL SPRINKLE CLEAN WATER ON YOU, AND YOU WILL BE CLEAN: God will purify His people and cleanse them from all their former uncleanness (cp v 17; Eze 11:18; Exo 12:22; Lev 14:4-7; Psa 51:7; Jer 31:31-34; 1Co 6:11). Under the LM, the “water of separation” was sprinkled on a person to be cleansed from defilement by contact with a dead body (Num 19:17-19). It was also used to sanctify the Levites at their consecration (Num 8:7,21), and to separate and consecrate the whole nation to Yahweh (Heb 9:19). All these aspects have a future fulfillment: Israel is to be first of all justified by faith in the blood of their crucified and resurrected Messiah; then they will be set apart as God’s special people once again; finally, they will become a true nation of priests, serving God in righteousness and holiness.

Eze 36:26

I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT IN YOU: God will give Israel new heart and spirit, and will remove their hardness of heart and give them soft hearts (ie, pliable minds: cp Eze 11:19; 18:31; 2Co 3:3-6). The heart stands for the whole person — mind, will, and emotions (cp Eze 2:4; 3:7) — and the spirit describes the motivation that drives thought and conduct.

The temptation to find the fulfillment of the “new heart” and “new spirit” of Eze 36:25-27 exclusively in Christian conversion in this age should be resisted. NT conversion is only a preview of the massive spiritual revival God has in store for all of true Israel in the near future.

Eze 36:28

YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD: First spoken by God to Abraham (Gen 17:7), this becomes one of the fundamental promises of God for all time: Lev 26:12; Eze 11:20; 37:23,27; Song 6:3; Jer 7:23; 30:22,23; 31:1,33; 32:38; Eze 11:20; 37:27; Hos 1:10; 2:23; Zec 2:11; 8:8; 13:9; Mat 22:32; 2Co 6:16-18; 7:1; Heb 8:10; 11:16; Rev 21:3,7.

Eze 36:29

I WILL SAVE YOU FROM ALL YOUR UNCLEANNESS: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins’ ” (Rom 11:26,27; cit Isa 59;20,21; 27:9; Jer 31:33,34).

Eze 36:30

I WILL INCREASE THE FRUIT OF THE TREES AND THE CROPS OF THE FIELD, SO THAT YOU WILL NO LONGER SUFFER DISGRACE AMONG THE NATIONS BECAUSE OF FAMINE: Cp Eze 34:29. Removing the curse of Deu 29:22-28.

Eze 36:31

Cp Eze 6:9; 20:43. This will happen at the time of restoration: vv 24,28. Israel to be cleansed, forgiven: vv 25-27. Note: true restoration to divine favor is not possible without Christ: Rom 11:25-27.

Eze 36:32

Cp v 22n. This present announcement of God’s gracious dealings with His people should shame them and bring them to their knees in repentance. “This context and that of similar accounts of God’s restoration of Israel to her land, along with the historical perspective, make it clear that the return mentioned in this passage does not refer to the return to Canaan under Zerubbabel but to a final and complete restoration under the Messiah in the end times. The details of Israel’s reestablishment on her land set forth above simply did not occur in the returns under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah” (Alexander, cited in Const).

Eze 36:33

ON THE DAY I CLEANSE YOU FROM ALL YOUR SINS, I WILL RESETTLE YOUR TOWNS, AND THE RUINS WILL BE REBUILT: Future cleansing from sin and restoration of the Jews to the land and restoration of the land to fruitfulness would all occur at the same time. This shows that the Jews’ present occupation of the Promised Land is preliminary, and does not truly fulfill these promises; they have not yet experienced God’s cleansing for their sins, which comes with regeneration (Rom 11).

Eze 36:34

Vv 34,35: The desolate land = the land of Palestine: v 24. This will only be possible when the curse of Gen 3:17,18 is lifted. The earth to yield her full increase: Psa 67:6; Eze 34:26,27.

Plainly, the renewal of the Land of Israel is parallel with the renewal of the People of Israel: the one is a lovely picture of the other.

Eze 36:36

THEN THE NATIONS AROUND YOU THAT REMAIN WILL KNOW THAT I THE LORD HAVE REBUILT WHAT WAS DESTROYED AND HAVE REPLANTED WHAT WAS DESOLATE: People would marvel at the lushness of the formerly desolate land and at the strength of the formerly ruined cities of Israel (cf Isa 11:6-9; 51:3; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13-15; Rom 8:19-22; 2Pe 3:13; Rev 21:1-4, 23-27). The other nations of the world would recognize that Israel’s God was responsible for this transformation.

Eze 36:37

ONCE AGAIN I WILL YIELD TO THE PLEA OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL: The Lord also promised to respond to the prayers of the Israelites to increase their population.

Vv 37,38: I WILL MAKE THEIR PEOPLE AS NUMEROUS AS SHEEP, AS NUMEROUS AS THE FLOCKS FOR OFFERING AT JERUSALEM DURING HER APPOINTED FEASTS: The Jews would fill the cities like the sheep used to fill Jerusalem during the feasts when the people offered large numbers of them as sacrifices to the Lord. These would not be sheep for slaughter but living sacrifices in God’s service. This increase in the population in the Promised Land would also convince people of Yahweh’s unique power and Godhead.

Eze 37:1

The order of events in Eze 37: (1) The graves where Israel is buried are opened (v 12). (2) The skeletons are brought into the valley of vision (in the land of Israel), and are left scattered there (vv 2,12). (3) They say, ‘Our bones are dried, our hope is lost’ (v 11). (4) They confess their own unworthiness (v 11). (5) Ezekiel prophesies upon them. (6) There is a noise like thunder, and an earthquake. (7) The bones come together and re-form into skeletons. (8) Flesh and sinews grow on them; they are now corpses. (9) The call to the four winds (spirits) brings the breath (spirit) of life into them. (10) They stand on their feet as a very great power.

“The parable is a prophecy of Israel being brought, in a spiritually dead condition, from their Gentile dispersion back to the land of their fathers. There they become disintegrated and helpless. It is a process which takes place in the Land. This part of the prophecy has not yet happened. It would seem to correspond to the prophecies in Zec 14:1,2; Eze 35:5; 36:13-15; Joel 2; 3; Psa 83; and esp Ezekiel 20:34-37” (TofE).

The New Covenant is deeply rooted in history and land. The promise to Abraham was unconditional and included in its benefits a geographical inheritance — indeed, not just any territory but specifically the land of Canaan (Gen 12:1,7; 13:15-17; 15:18,19; 17:8). It is that land that is in view throughout Ezekiel’s prophecy, whether in immediate fulfillment or Last Days fulfillment, for unless that land is the focus of God’s covenant the ancient promises to the patriarchs lose their intended significance.

Eze 37:4

DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD!: A call to the “dry bones” of Israel to hear God’s Word and repent! Thus, the “dry bones” are, literally, alive — whilst being “dead” spiritually.

Eze 37:5

I WILL MAKE BREATH [OR SPIRIT] ENTER YOU, AND YOU WILL COME TO LIFE: It is the Spirit of God believed, and that alone, which came bring “life” back to the people of Israel (Eze 36:26). Cp Hosea’s vision of a national “resurrection” for Israel (Hos 6:1-3).

Eze 37:7

A RATTLING SOUND: Heb “ra’ash”: a vibration, or shaking: sometimes translated “earthquake”: cp Eze 38:19 (sw); Zec 14:5 (sw); Rev 16:18.

Eze 37:10

SO I PROPHESIED AS HE COMMANDED ME, AND BREATH ENTERED THEM; THEY CAME TO LIFE AND STOOD UP ON THEIR FEET — A VAST ARMY: “When Ezekiel prophesies to the four spirits of the heavens, the Spirit of God comes into this corpse-like Israel so that the spiritually dead come to life and stand up on their feet ‘an exceeding great company’ (the Heb here is very emphatic). These four winds or spirits are the manifestation of divine power in the fourfold cherubim chariot, with its fourfold symbol of Israel, which Ezekiel saw: ‘whither the spirit (wind) was to go, they went… the spirit of life was in the wheels’ (Eze 1:20; cp also Zec 6:1-8). Interpreted in this way, the vision harmonizes very readily with the various other prophecies of Israel’s experiences in the Last Days” (TofE).

“There is no finer illustration of the life-changing power of the preached word than what the prophet saw in his vision. It has the power to transform those who are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1-22) and make them new, living creatures in Christ (2Co 5:17)” (Cooper, cited in Const).

This verse is referred to in regard the two witnesses of Rev 11: “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them” (Rev 11:11).

Eze 37:11

WE ARE CUT OFF: KJV has: “we are cut off for our parts” — ie, it is for our sins that we are being cut off. Here is a picture of national repentance: “It is a noteworthy principle of Bible teaching that only when a man honestly acknowledges his own unworthiness and sin before God can he be forgiven. Concerning Israel this truth is enunciated over and over again: ‘When thou art in tribulation, and all these things come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice: (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them’: Deu 4:30,31 (cp also Psa 81:13,14; Jer 3:14-18; 4:1,2; Deu 30:1-3; Lev 26: 41; Zec 6:15; there are many others” (TofE).

Eze 37:16

Vv 16-22: “It has to be borne in mind that the political split between Israel and Judah had become final and complete about 150 years before the time of Ezekiel, in the days when Shalmanezer V destroyed Samaria and took the northern people captive. Since that time Israel (as distinct from Judah) ceased to be identifiable. It would seem, then, that with reference to the Last Days one must look for a meaning of the joining of the two sticks into one other than that of the re-uniting of the northern and southern kingdoms. [Various] possibilities present themselves: (1) The uniting of Jewry into one community — the Dispersion actively and wholeheartedly joining with the ‘Yishuv’, those who have returned. Hos 1:11 supports this suggestion. (2) The union of the saints in Christ with that section of the Jews who turn to God in faith in the time of their calamity, thus themselves becoming saints in the higher sense of the term (cp John 10:16). (3) The uniting of Israel to Christ (note the introduction of the name Joseph, the great prototype). (4) The extension of the State of Israel to include all the territory of the ancient kingdom.

The second and third of these are very close in idea, and for this reason one of these is probably to be preferred. But there seems to be little in the context which is decisive” (TofE).

Eze 37:18

WON’T YOU TELL US WHAT YOU MEAN BY THIS?: Cf Eze 4:1; 5:1; 12:9; 17:12; 20:49; 24:19.

Eze 37:19

The LORD would combine the two parts of Israel into one whole nation (cf Isa 11:12,13; Jer 3:18; Hos 1:11). The two parts, in a modern context, may sig (1) the Jews still in dispersion, and the Jews in the Land, or (2) the whole of the territory of ancient Israel and Judah.

Eze 37:21

I WILL TAKE THE ISRAELITES OUT OF THE NATIONS WHERE THEY HAVE GONE. I WILL GATHER THEM FROM ALL AROUND AND BRING THEM BACK INTO THEIR OWN LAND: Most specifically, from the land of Babylon/Iraq and from the land of Egypt (cp Isa 11:11-16; 27:12,13).

Eze 37:22

THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL: Most esp identified with Jerusalem (cp Isa 2:2-4).

Eze 37:23

I WILL CLEANSE THEM. THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD: These Jews would no longer defile themselves with idols, other detestable things, or transgressions of the Lord’s (Mosaic) covenant. The Lord promised to deliver them from the many places where they had gone and sinned and to cleanse them (cf Jer 31:31-34). Then they would enter into a proper relationship with Him. In the present State of Israel only a very small percentage of the population is actively religious, and Christ is more firmly rejected there than almost anywhere else. (Cp Hos 2:23; Zec 13:9.)

Eze 37:24

MY SERVANT DAVID: God’s servant David would rule over them and be their king (Eze 34:24; 2Sa 7:13,16; Jer 30:9; Hos 3:5). They would have only one king who would shepherd them so that they would follow the Lord faithfully (cf Exo 19:5,6; Lev 26:12; Deu 7:6; 14:2,21; 26:18,19; 27:9; Jer 30:22; 31:33; 32:38). They would live in the Promised Land forever, and the Lord’s servant David would be their appointed ruler forever. In view of God’s promise to David in 2Sa 7:12,13, this must refer to the Son of David, Jesus the Messiah. “David” sig “the Beloved” (cp Mat 3:17: God’s words to his Son upon his baptism).

Eze 37:25

THEY WILL LIVE IN THE LAND I GAVE TO MY SERVANT JACOB, THE LAND WHERE YOUR FATHERS LIVED: This land was promised to Jacob when he was at Bethel (Gen 28:13-15).

Eze 37:26

I WILL MAKE A COVENANT OF PEACE WITH THEM: Cp Eze 16:62; 20:37; 34:25.

I WILL ESTABLISH THEM AND INCREASE THEIR NUMBERS: Cp Gen 22:17,18).

Eze 37:27

MY DWELLING PLACE WILL BE WITH THEM: He would also set His sanctuary in their midst forever (cf Eze 20:40; 40:5–43:9; Zec 6:12,13), not temporarily as He had done with the tabernacle and temple, but forever.

Eze 37:28

THEN THE NATIONS WILL KNOW THAT I THE LORD MAKE ISRAEL HOLY, WHEN MY SANCTUARY IS AMONG THEM FOREVER: His dwelling place would be with them forever, and He would also establish an intimate relationship with them. The people of the world would know that He is Yahweh who sets aside Israel as sacred for His glory and special purpose in the earth when He would set up His sanctuary in Israel’s midst forever (cf Exo 19:5,6).

Eze 38:1

Eze 38, 39 will be fulfilled after Christ has returned and begun his reign as King of the Holy Land: (1) Eze 37, 38, and 39 are to be read as one prophecy. Eze 37 begins with the dry bones of Israel scattered in Gentile lands (Eze 37: 21), and Eze 39:11 speaks of Gentile bones scattered in Israel’s Land. If this is accepted, then what of the fine picture presented in Eze 37 of God’s tabernacle planted in the midst of a sanctified Israel, and “my servant David being their prince for ever” (Eze 37: 25,27)? The northern invasion follows on after this. (2) Repeatedly Israel is described as “dwelling safely” or “securely” (Eze 38:8,11; 39:26). This is a phrase which, in the prophets, is always associated with the Kingdom; eg, Eze 34:25,27,28; Hos 2:18; Zec 14: 11. Israel is plainly NOT “dwelling safely” today. (3) “Dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates” (Eze 38:11) does not describe the Israel of today, which spends a higher percentage of its national income on armaments than any other nation. But, if these words are applied to Israel dwelling in peace under its Messiah, there is no difficulty. On the other hand Zec 2:4,5 uses very similar language about Jerusalem in its Kingdom Glory. (4) The invader is intent on carrying away “silver and gold, cattle and goods — a great spoil” (Eze 38:13). This scarcely applies to the Israel of today. (5) Eze 38 is // Psa 2: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Anointed… Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psa 2:2,6). The experience of David AFTER his capture of Jerusalem, and enthronement there (2Sa 8) makes an impressive prototype; so this is a prophecy of a time AFTER the Kingdom is established.

Eze 38:2

Ezekiel’s “confederacy of 10”: Omitting “rosh”, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Togarmah, Sheba(!), Dedan(!), and Tarshish(!) (WRev 226). The forces of Eze 38 are related to Japheth (see Gen 10), whereas the forces of Psa 83 are related to Shem.

See Lesson, Russia in the Bible?.

GOG: A Scythian king mentioned in an Assyrian inscription. Scythia = area near Black Sea.

“The identification of Gog with Russia appears to be fairly secure. That this is an allusion to Gugu, a Scythian king mentioned in a Babylonian inscription, seems reasonable; and the Scythians most likely inhabited all the area round the Black Sea. But a safer means of identification is the expression in Eze 38:15: ‘thou shalt come forth from thy place out of the uttermost parts of the NORTH’ (RV). From the standpoint of one in Palestine this expression most obviously refers to Turkey or Russia, yet even this conclusion loses some of its inevitability when one encounters the same expression in Isa 14:13 (RV) regarding the king of Babylon!” (TofE ch 18).

OF THE LAND OF MAGOG: “The suggestion, once very popular, that Magog is Germany, is a pure guess, completely devoid of all Biblical support. The obvious meaning in Ezekiel would seem to be that Magog is the land the great leader, Gog, comes from” (TofE ch 18).

CHIEF: Heb “rosh”. The term’s normal meaning — hundreds and hundreds of times — is “head” or “chief”. (Grammatically, the words “chief” and “prince” may easily both relate to “Meshech” — ie the “chief prince of Meshech”: EBC.) Some understand the word as a proper noun, the name of a geographical area, eg “Rosh” (so translated by Roth, YLT, and WEB). Such a country is unknown elsewhere in Biblical or extra-biblical literature. Meshech and Tubal, normally mentioned together in the Bible (cp Eze 27:13; 32:26) and the two geographical place names immediately associated with the term “rosh”, do not occur in connection with a country by the name of Rosh either inside or outside Scripture. There is no evidence from the ancient Near East that a country named Rosh ever existed.

Some understand “rosh” as modern Russia; proponents of this view usually appeal to etymology based on similar sounds (to the hearing) between the two words. Such etymological procedures are not linguistically sound, nor is etymology alone a sound expositional basis on which to interpret a word. The word “Russia” is a late eleventh-century-AD term — and thus not known until 1600 years after Ezekiel.

MESHECH AND TUBAL: Meshech and Tubal — which so often are paired (Gen 10:2; 1Ch 1:5; Eze 32:26) — are Turkey and possibly Armenia. In Eze 27:13 they are listed among the many nations trading with Tyre, a merchant power in the eastern Mediterranean which traded only with its near neighbors and with those who could be reached by sea.

Those who link Rosh with Meshech and Tubal [ie Moscow and Tobolski] cannot explain why these two countries already warrant a mention twice in Ezekiel (Eze 27:13; 32:26) as nations that traded with Tyre and are later destroyed for their sins.

“Meschech and Tubal quite demonstrably are not Moscow and Tobolsk. In Eze 27:13 they are listed among the many nations and peoples trading with Tyre. But that city of commerce traded only with the peoples of its own hinterland, like Damascus, Sheba, and Dedan, which had caravan routes reaching to the sea, and with those regions overseas which could be reached by their intrepid sailors — Javan, Carthage, Tarshish, and the isles of Elishah. But Moscow and Tobolsk fall into neither category. It is difficult to envisage in what way those remote places could maintain a trade with Tyre in slaves and vessels of brass. This identification rests solely on similarity of sound — a precarious foundation! By such a method it would be as reasonable to equate Gomer with Wales (Cymri)” (TofE ch 18).

Eze 38:5

CUSH: “The Ethiopia [KJV] mentioned in the Gogian confederacy is not necessarily modern Abyssinia. The Hebrew name is ‘Cush’, which is the ordinary word for ‘black’. As a geographical name it has more than one application. It may refer to an eastern Cush, the land of the black mountains (Gen 10:6-8); or to Midian, the land of black tents (Hab 3:7); or to the Sudan, the land of black people. From the context in Eze 38 it is difficult to say with confidence which of the three is intended” (TofE ch 18).

Eze 38:6

FROM THE FAR NORTH: Lit, “sides of the north” When describing Gentile nations in other places in Scripture this always means either Babylon or Assyria, or Persia which were In almost the same geographical area: Isa 14:13; Jer 6:22; 50;41. All the nations which attack Israel and can be identified with any degree of confidence are middle eastern Moslem nations.

Eze 38:8

ALL OF THEM LIVE IN SAFETY: The phrase “to dwell securely” (AV) occurs three times (vv 8,11,14). The Hebrew word betach means “to dwell safely or confidently” and, when used with reference to Israel, invariably refers to Divine protection or peace in the Kingdom. Thus the Gogian invasion must take place after Christ is back on the earth, providing safety to his people Israel. See v 11n.

Eze 38:11

A PEACEFUL AND UNSUSPECTING PEOPLE: “The quiet people who dwell securely” (RSV). “Under the protection of the rainbowed angel” (Eur 2:557). See LD 5,6. Cp same phrase, Eze 34:25,28; Zec 14:11. Also, Eze 28:25,26; Jer 23:5,6. The Heb for “safely” or “securely” is “betach”, and lit means “confidence”. “Betach” occurs about 42 times in the OT; setting aside the 3 occurrences under consideration here (vv 8,11,14), fully 32 of the remaining 39 describe either the Kingdom Age or other Divine protection afforded God’s people. All of these 32 refer to the nation of Israel or to individual faithful Jews. The seven other instances do not describe a true safety but merely a false confidence: they refer to Midian (Jdg 8:11), the Gentiles of Laish (Jdg 18:7), Babylon (Isa 47:8; Jer 49:31), Ethiopia (Eze 30:9), the “isles” of the Gentiles (Eze 39:6), and Nineveh (Zep 2:15). This evidence confirms that the three usages in Eze 38:8,11,14 are describing a Divine safety for Israel, which can logically be explained only by the presence of Christ and the saints in their midst.

A simple repointing of “betach” yields “batach”, a very common word (about 120 times) which almost invariably means “to trust (in God)”. So when God’s people dwell “confidently”, ie, trusting in their God, then their safety is assured. But when the Gentiles such as Midian and Babylon and Nineveh dwell “confidently”, ie, trusting in their own “gods”, then their safety is by no means so sure!

WITHOUT WALLS AND WITHOUT GATES AND BARS: At the time of the invasion, Israel is described as a “land of unwalled villages”, and a land “having neither bars nor gates” (Eze 38:11). Surely “walls” and “bars” and “gates” mean — in modern vernacular — defensive weapons. These words have never shown the least sign of being true from 1948 (when Israel became a nation) to the present day — and least of all now! How can modern Israel ever abandon the thought of defense so long as it is ringed about by murderously hostile and merciless Arab nations? However, with the returned Christ as their defense, the faithful remnant in Israel will dwell securely.

Eze 37 through 39 is all of one piece: it begins with Jewish bones scattered in Gentile lands, and ends with Gentile bones scattered in the land of Israel!

As to the time of this prophecy: the detailed parallel between Eze 34 and Eze 37/38, both prophecies of the restoration, is unmistakable:

Eze 34 compared with Eze 37,38:

Eze 30:4

Vv 4,5: An enemy would invade Egypt, slay many of her people, take away her wealth, and tear down her national foundations. Her neighbor Ethiopia (Cush, Nubia) would despair when this happened because Ethiopia had strong ties to Egypt. Egypt’s other allies would also fall: Put (on the African coast of the southern Red Sea), Lud (Lydia in Anatolia), Arabia, and Libya (farther west on the Mediterranean coast of Africa).

Eze 30:5

ARABIA: “Arabia” (Heb ha’arab) translates one pointing of the Hebrew text while “mixed people” (Heb ha’ereb) renders another. Men from Put, Lud, Arabia, and other countries served Egypt as mercenary soldiers (cf. 27:10; Jer. 25:20, 24; 46:9, 21), and they may be the “mixed people” in view, if that is the correct reading. The Judeans who had fled to Egypt from the Babylonians would have suffered too, and they would have been part of this “mixed people.”

Eze 31:2

WHO CAN BE COMPARED WITH YOU…?: Egypt is like Assyria.

Eze 31:3

CONSIDER ASSYRIA, ONCE A CEDAR IN LEBANON: Assyria is compared to a cedar of Lebanon, which is an emblem of earthly magnificence. It is the favorite tree in Bible imagery to express splendor. In this respect it could be taken as a symbol of a great triumphant empire such as that of Assyria. There is a “splendor” of this world; we should not be surprised when we see the wicked flourishing like green trees (Psa 37:35). They may even attain to the proportions of the cedar of Lebanon.

The cedar was known for its: (a) Size: Assyria was a big empire; its worldly success was immense. (b) Altitude: the cedar is not only broad-spreading, but it also towers high. There was an unchecked pride in its worldly success. (c) Persistence: the cedar is green in winter. By clever devices unscrupulous people may escape many of the troubles of the true servants of God. (d) Fragrance: it cannot be denied that there is a certain fascination in worldly splendor.

There are points in which worldly magnificence surpasses the visible excellence of spiritual goodness — “no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty” (v 8). The cedar appears huge before the eye of an observer, while the vine seems to cower feebly among the rocks. Yet it is the vine that yields refreshing fruit.

There is a striking aspect in worldly success. Spiritual achievements do not arrest attention in the same way, because they are spiritual. Yet God looks not to worldly greatness, but to spiritual success.

Also, the cedar is unpruned. It grows in wild, rank luxuriance upon the slopes of Lebanon. But the trees in the “garden of the Lord” are carefully pruned, “because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Heb 12:6; cp Pro 3:11,12). Life for the “vines”, now, may be far more restrictive and difficult than life for the “cedars” — but in the end, it will be infinitely more rewarding.

Eze 31:5

Vv 5,6: The same language is used by Jesus in Luke 13:19, being applied to the Kingdom of God — which will rise above all other kingdoms.

Eze 31:11

RULER OF THE NATIONS: Heb “el goyim” = the mighty one of the Gentiles, ref king Nebuchadnezzar.