Ezekiel 40
KingCommentsEzekiel 40:1
Introduction
This chapter is closely related to Ezekiel 1. Here we again find the chariot carrying the throne. Some details are repeated and new details are also added. The main idea of this chapter is that God controls all the instruments of judgment that He uses.
The Man in Linen Must Scatter Fire
What Ezekiel was only able to refer to as “living beings” in Ezekiel 1, he now recognizes as cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). What he sees above the expanse that is over the heads of the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:1), he has also seen in Ezekiel 1 (Ezekiel 1:26). Here he sees the appearance of what looks like a throne. In Ezekiel 1 he also sees something sitting on the throne that looks like a Man. That is not the case here.
The LORD instructs the Man in linen to take coals of fire from between the whirling wheels under the cherubim, fill both His hands with them, and scatter them over the city (Ezekiel 10:2; cf. Luke 12:49; Revelation 8:5). This means that not only will judgment come upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but the city itself will be burned with fire. This means that the city will undergo the same judgment that once came upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24; cf. Revelation 11:8a).
Ezekiel sees the Man enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim. The place where the cherubim stand when the Man enters is to the right of the house, which is the south side of the temple (Ezekiel 10:3). The cloud that fills the inner court is the cloud of the glory of the LORD.
Then the glory of the LORD rises from the cherub (singular) and goes to the threshold of the house (Ezekiel 10:4). One last time, before the glory leaves the temple, the cloud of glory fills the house. It is as if the LORD is impressively showing one last time that the temple is His house.
The sound of the wings of the cherubim indicates that they are moving (Ezekiel 10:5; cf. Ezekiel 1:24). They are going to leave the house. This sound is heard as far as the outer court, where Jews may be performing their religious duties at that moment. The sound is reminiscent of the voice of God Almighty when He speaks, possibly thunder (cf. John 12:28-29; Psalms 29:3-4). They are, as it were, His farewell words that He speaks full of threat to the people He is about to leave.
Then the gaze is turned again to the Man clothed in linen Who has been instructed to take fire from between the wheels, which is the space between the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:6). The Man takes a stand next to a wheel. The fire, a picture of judgment, is taken from the space between the cherubim by the cherub who is in the space between the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:7). The fire that he has taken in his hand, he puts into the hands of the Man in linen. He takes it and goes out. This concludes the description. The scattering of the fire, which is commanded (Ezekiel 10:3), is not described. Ezekiel’s attention is first of all captivated by the appearance of the Man and of the cherubim.
The Man in linen Who is to take the coals of fire is the same as the Man with the writing case from the previous chapter. There He receives the command to put a mark on the faithful believers so that judgment will pass them by. This Man is now commanded by God to bring judgment on the city. In the book of Revelation we see the same picture. The same Angel Who is to take fire from the altar to cast it on the earth in judgment, has just before dealt with the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3-5). The Man in Ezekiel and the Angel in Revelation are both the Person of the Lord Jesus. In Him we see that God is both love and light.
Ezekiel 40:2
Introduction
This chapter is closely related to Ezekiel 1. Here we again find the chariot carrying the throne. Some details are repeated and new details are also added. The main idea of this chapter is that God controls all the instruments of judgment that He uses.
The Man in Linen Must Scatter Fire
What Ezekiel was only able to refer to as “living beings” in Ezekiel 1, he now recognizes as cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). What he sees above the expanse that is over the heads of the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:1), he has also seen in Ezekiel 1 (Ezekiel 1:26). Here he sees the appearance of what looks like a throne. In Ezekiel 1 he also sees something sitting on the throne that looks like a Man. That is not the case here.
The LORD instructs the Man in linen to take coals of fire from between the whirling wheels under the cherubim, fill both His hands with them, and scatter them over the city (Ezekiel 10:2; cf. Luke 12:49; Revelation 8:5). This means that not only will judgment come upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but the city itself will be burned with fire. This means that the city will undergo the same judgment that once came upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24; cf. Revelation 11:8a).
Ezekiel sees the Man enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim. The place where the cherubim stand when the Man enters is to the right of the house, which is the south side of the temple (Ezekiel 10:3). The cloud that fills the inner court is the cloud of the glory of the LORD.
Then the glory of the LORD rises from the cherub (singular) and goes to the threshold of the house (Ezekiel 10:4). One last time, before the glory leaves the temple, the cloud of glory fills the house. It is as if the LORD is impressively showing one last time that the temple is His house.
The sound of the wings of the cherubim indicates that they are moving (Ezekiel 10:5; cf. Ezekiel 1:24). They are going to leave the house. This sound is heard as far as the outer court, where Jews may be performing their religious duties at that moment. The sound is reminiscent of the voice of God Almighty when He speaks, possibly thunder (cf. John 12:28-29; Psalms 29:3-4). They are, as it were, His farewell words that He speaks full of threat to the people He is about to leave.
Then the gaze is turned again to the Man clothed in linen Who has been instructed to take fire from between the wheels, which is the space between the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:6). The Man takes a stand next to a wheel. The fire, a picture of judgment, is taken from the space between the cherubim by the cherub who is in the space between the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:7). The fire that he has taken in his hand, he puts into the hands of the Man in linen. He takes it and goes out. This concludes the description. The scattering of the fire, which is commanded (Ezekiel 10:3), is not described. Ezekiel’s attention is first of all captivated by the appearance of the Man and of the cherubim.
The Man in linen Who is to take the coals of fire is the same as the Man with the writing case from the previous chapter. There He receives the command to put a mark on the faithful believers so that judgment will pass them by. This Man is now commanded by God to bring judgment on the city. In the book of Revelation we see the same picture. The same Angel Who is to take fire from the altar to cast it on the earth in judgment, has just before dealt with the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3-5). The Man in Ezekiel and the Angel in Revelation are both the Person of the Lord Jesus. In Him we see that God is both love and light.
Ezekiel 40:3
Introduction
This chapter is closely related to Ezekiel 1. Here we again find the chariot carrying the throne. Some details are repeated and new details are also added. The main idea of this chapter is that God controls all the instruments of judgment that He uses.
The Man in Linen Must Scatter Fire
What Ezekiel was only able to refer to as “living beings” in Ezekiel 1, he now recognizes as cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). What he sees above the expanse that is over the heads of the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:1), he has also seen in Ezekiel 1 (Ezekiel 1:26). Here he sees the appearance of what looks like a throne. In Ezekiel 1 he also sees something sitting on the throne that looks like a Man. That is not the case here.
The LORD instructs the Man in linen to take coals of fire from between the whirling wheels under the cherubim, fill both His hands with them, and scatter them over the city (Ezekiel 10:2; cf. Luke 12:49; Revelation 8:5). This means that not only will judgment come upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but the city itself will be burned with fire. This means that the city will undergo the same judgment that once came upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24; cf. Revelation 11:8a).
Ezekiel sees the Man enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim. The place where the cherubim stand when the Man enters is to the right of the house, which is the south side of the temple (Ezekiel 10:3). The cloud that fills the inner court is the cloud of the glory of the LORD.
Then the glory of the LORD rises from the cherub (singular) and goes to the threshold of the house (Ezekiel 10:4). One last time, before the glory leaves the temple, the cloud of glory fills the house. It is as if the LORD is impressively showing one last time that the temple is His house.
The sound of the wings of the cherubim indicates that they are moving (Ezekiel 10:5; cf. Ezekiel 1:24). They are going to leave the house. This sound is heard as far as the outer court, where Jews may be performing their religious duties at that moment. The sound is reminiscent of the voice of God Almighty when He speaks, possibly thunder (cf. John 12:28-29; Psalms 29:3-4). They are, as it were, His farewell words that He speaks full of threat to the people He is about to leave.
Then the gaze is turned again to the Man clothed in linen Who has been instructed to take fire from between the wheels, which is the space between the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:6). The Man takes a stand next to a wheel. The fire, a picture of judgment, is taken from the space between the cherubim by the cherub who is in the space between the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:7). The fire that he has taken in his hand, he puts into the hands of the Man in linen. He takes it and goes out. This concludes the description. The scattering of the fire, which is commanded (Ezekiel 10:3), is not described. Ezekiel’s attention is first of all captivated by the appearance of the Man and of the cherubim.
The Man in linen Who is to take the coals of fire is the same as the Man with the writing case from the previous chapter. There He receives the command to put a mark on the faithful believers so that judgment will pass them by. This Man is now commanded by God to bring judgment on the city. In the book of Revelation we see the same picture. The same Angel Who is to take fire from the altar to cast it on the earth in judgment, has just before dealt with the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3-5). The Man in Ezekiel and the Angel in Revelation are both the Person of the Lord Jesus. In Him we see that God is both love and light.
Ezekiel 40:4
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:5
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:6
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:7
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:8
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:9
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:10
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:11
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:12
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:13
The Cherubim
The description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 10:8-14 largely corresponds to that in Ezekiel 1 (see comments there). We see here also with the cherubim under their wings something that has the form of a man’s hand (Ezekiel 10:8). In the exercise of their government, the cherubim are oriented toward men; they act in a manner befitting men. The wings give rise to the idea that judgments come from above. The four wheels show that God’s government is exercised on earth (Ezekiel 10:9). Each of the four cherubim has a wheel beside them. The wheels shine like a Tarshish stone (see comments on Ezekiel 1:16).
The wheels all look the same, “all four of them had the same likeness” (Ezekiel 10:10). This indicates that there is complete unity in God’s government, that God always acts in a perfectly consistent manner. That it appears as if one wheel is within another wheel means that all of God’s acts of government are perfectly interlocked. With Him, events never stand alone; they are never separate. The one is always related to the other.
The way He is going in His governmental ways is irreversible (Ezekiel 10:11). His goal is determined. He is moving toward His goal, even though in doing so He often goes down roads that we cannot understand. Just as the wheels do not turn as they go, so He never has to return to a road He has gone. He never goes a wrong way, He never makes a mistake. That may be a great comfort to us when we do not understand certain things in our lives, why they have gone the way they have gone.
In Ezekiel 1 we saw that the rims of the cherubim are full of eyes. Here we see that their whole body, “their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels” are “full of eyes all around” (Ezekiel 10:12). This shows us in an even more emphatic way that God is the Omniscient One Who acts with perfect insight.
“Their back” refers to the past. God has forgotten nothing of the past. He has perfect knowledge and understanding of the past. His actions in the present are consistent with that. Those actions are past tomorrow, but their effects are not. They work on, they are active (“their hands”) in the present. The hands contribute to the realization of the future, the achievement of the goal that God has in mind and that He always has in mind. This is symbolized by “their wings and the wheels”. The four wheels of the cherubim take Him where He wants to go. The wings indicate that He controls everything on earth from heaven.
The wheels also have a name, “the whirling wheels” (Ezekiel 10:13; cf. Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10; Isaiah 5:28; Jeremiah 47:3). “Whirling” refers to the speed of the movement, and “wheel” refers to the organic unity of the throne chariot.
Next, the faces of the cherubim are described (Ezekiel 10:14), which is also what happens in Ezekiel 1. Each cherub, like the description in Ezekiel 1, has four faces. Three faces are similar to those in Ezekiel 1. However, the first face mentioned here, “the face of a cherub”, differs from the description in Ezekiel 1, where instead we have the face of a bull or an ox. This means that the face of a cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox (Ezekiel 10:22).
The living beings from Ezekiel 1 that Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15). The prophet sees this at the moment when the cherubim exalt themselves. He sees again the unity between the cherubim and their wings and wheels (Ezekiel 10:16-17; Ezekiel 1:19-21). This unity involves both their movement and their standing still (Ezekiel 10:17). This is because the spirit of the living beings is also in the wheels. What the living beings determine, the wheels do.
Ezekiel 40:14
The Glory of the LORD Departs
In Ezekiel 1, Ezekiel saw the throne chariot in Babylon. Here he sees the throne chariot in Jerusalem. It is as if the throne chariot is coming to pick up the glory of the LORD so that He can take a seat on it and depart.
Then the glory of the LORD moves away from above the threshold of the house and takes its place above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18). He takes His place on His throne seat again to be escorted by the cherubim to the next stop (Ezekiel 10:19). Ezekiel sees how the cherubim raise their wings to depart from the earth. He also sees how the wheels do the same.
They do not leave directly for heaven. They first stop at the entrance to the east gate of the house of the LORD. There, “the glory of the God of Israel”, which is above them, hovers over them. It is as if there is reluctance on God’s part to leave His house.
What we have seen so far of the LORD’s departure and will yet see shows that this departure occurs in stages. 1. Ezekiel first sees the glory of the LORD in the inner court (Ezekiel 8:3-4). The LORD has then left the most holy place. 2. Then the LORD goes to the threshold of the house (Ezekiel 9:3), where He fills the whole court with His glory (Ezekiel 10:3-4). 3. From the threshold He moves up above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18), to go with them toward the east gate (Ezekiel 10:19). 4. From there the glory of the LORD departs through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and then disappears completely (Ezekiel 11:22-23).
When the glory of the God of Israel has departed, the people are no longer God’s people, but “Lo-Ammi”, which is “not My people” (Hosea 1:9). When the Jews rebuild the temple after returning from the Babylonian exile, God’s glory does not return to it. In the Lord Jesus, His glory returns to His temple for a short time (Malachi 3:1; Luke 2:22), but He is rejected and goes to heaven from the same Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12) as from whence the glory of the LORD now departs before the eyes of Ezekiel, 600 years earlier. At the beginning of the realm of peace, God’s glory will return to His temple (Ezekiel 43:1-6).
After Ezekiel has seen everything, he knows that the living beings he has seen are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). He is a good observer with a desire to understand what the LORD is showing him. Such a desire He rewards with insight into His Word and His ways. Ezekiel confirms what each cherub looks like individually (Ezekiel 10:21). They are the same faces he saw by the river Chebar. This concerns both their appearance and their being and the straight way they go (Ezekiel 10:22).
Ezekiel 40:15
The Glory of the LORD Departs
In Ezekiel 1, Ezekiel saw the throne chariot in Babylon. Here he sees the throne chariot in Jerusalem. It is as if the throne chariot is coming to pick up the glory of the LORD so that He can take a seat on it and depart.
Then the glory of the LORD moves away from above the threshold of the house and takes its place above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18). He takes His place on His throne seat again to be escorted by the cherubim to the next stop (Ezekiel 10:19). Ezekiel sees how the cherubim raise their wings to depart from the earth. He also sees how the wheels do the same.
They do not leave directly for heaven. They first stop at the entrance to the east gate of the house of the LORD. There, “the glory of the God of Israel”, which is above them, hovers over them. It is as if there is reluctance on God’s part to leave His house.
What we have seen so far of the LORD’s departure and will yet see shows that this departure occurs in stages. 1. Ezekiel first sees the glory of the LORD in the inner court (Ezekiel 8:3-4). The LORD has then left the most holy place. 2. Then the LORD goes to the threshold of the house (Ezekiel 9:3), where He fills the whole court with His glory (Ezekiel 10:3-4). 3. From the threshold He moves up above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18), to go with them toward the east gate (Ezekiel 10:19). 4. From there the glory of the LORD departs through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and then disappears completely (Ezekiel 11:22-23).
When the glory of the God of Israel has departed, the people are no longer God’s people, but “Lo-Ammi”, which is “not My people” (Hosea 1:9). When the Jews rebuild the temple after returning from the Babylonian exile, God’s glory does not return to it. In the Lord Jesus, His glory returns to His temple for a short time (Malachi 3:1; Luke 2:22), but He is rejected and goes to heaven from the same Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12) as from whence the glory of the LORD now departs before the eyes of Ezekiel, 600 years earlier. At the beginning of the realm of peace, God’s glory will return to His temple (Ezekiel 43:1-6).
After Ezekiel has seen everything, he knows that the living beings he has seen are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). He is a good observer with a desire to understand what the LORD is showing him. Such a desire He rewards with insight into His Word and His ways. Ezekiel confirms what each cherub looks like individually (Ezekiel 10:21). They are the same faces he saw by the river Chebar. This concerns both their appearance and their being and the straight way they go (Ezekiel 10:22).
Ezekiel 40:16
The Glory of the LORD Departs
In Ezekiel 1, Ezekiel saw the throne chariot in Babylon. Here he sees the throne chariot in Jerusalem. It is as if the throne chariot is coming to pick up the glory of the LORD so that He can take a seat on it and depart.
Then the glory of the LORD moves away from above the threshold of the house and takes its place above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18). He takes His place on His throne seat again to be escorted by the cherubim to the next stop (Ezekiel 10:19). Ezekiel sees how the cherubim raise their wings to depart from the earth. He also sees how the wheels do the same.
They do not leave directly for heaven. They first stop at the entrance to the east gate of the house of the LORD. There, “the glory of the God of Israel”, which is above them, hovers over them. It is as if there is reluctance on God’s part to leave His house.
What we have seen so far of the LORD’s departure and will yet see shows that this departure occurs in stages. 1. Ezekiel first sees the glory of the LORD in the inner court (Ezekiel 8:3-4). The LORD has then left the most holy place. 2. Then the LORD goes to the threshold of the house (Ezekiel 9:3), where He fills the whole court with His glory (Ezekiel 10:3-4). 3. From the threshold He moves up above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18), to go with them toward the east gate (Ezekiel 10:19). 4. From there the glory of the LORD departs through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and then disappears completely (Ezekiel 11:22-23).
When the glory of the God of Israel has departed, the people are no longer God’s people, but “Lo-Ammi”, which is “not My people” (Hosea 1:9). When the Jews rebuild the temple after returning from the Babylonian exile, God’s glory does not return to it. In the Lord Jesus, His glory returns to His temple for a short time (Malachi 3:1; Luke 2:22), but He is rejected and goes to heaven from the same Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12) as from whence the glory of the LORD now departs before the eyes of Ezekiel, 600 years earlier. At the beginning of the realm of peace, God’s glory will return to His temple (Ezekiel 43:1-6).
After Ezekiel has seen everything, he knows that the living beings he has seen are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). He is a good observer with a desire to understand what the LORD is showing him. Such a desire He rewards with insight into His Word and His ways. Ezekiel confirms what each cherub looks like individually (Ezekiel 10:21). They are the same faces he saw by the river Chebar. This concerns both their appearance and their being and the straight way they go (Ezekiel 10:22).
Ezekiel 40:17
The Glory of the LORD Departs
In Ezekiel 1, Ezekiel saw the throne chariot in Babylon. Here he sees the throne chariot in Jerusalem. It is as if the throne chariot is coming to pick up the glory of the LORD so that He can take a seat on it and depart.
Then the glory of the LORD moves away from above the threshold of the house and takes its place above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18). He takes His place on His throne seat again to be escorted by the cherubim to the next stop (Ezekiel 10:19). Ezekiel sees how the cherubim raise their wings to depart from the earth. He also sees how the wheels do the same.
They do not leave directly for heaven. They first stop at the entrance to the east gate of the house of the LORD. There, “the glory of the God of Israel”, which is above them, hovers over them. It is as if there is reluctance on God’s part to leave His house.
What we have seen so far of the LORD’s departure and will yet see shows that this departure occurs in stages. 1. Ezekiel first sees the glory of the LORD in the inner court (Ezekiel 8:3-4). The LORD has then left the most holy place. 2. Then the LORD goes to the threshold of the house (Ezekiel 9:3), where He fills the whole court with His glory (Ezekiel 10:3-4). 3. From the threshold He moves up above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18), to go with them toward the east gate (Ezekiel 10:19). 4. From there the glory of the LORD departs through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and then disappears completely (Ezekiel 11:22-23).
When the glory of the God of Israel has departed, the people are no longer God’s people, but “Lo-Ammi”, which is “not My people” (Hosea 1:9). When the Jews rebuild the temple after returning from the Babylonian exile, God’s glory does not return to it. In the Lord Jesus, His glory returns to His temple for a short time (Malachi 3:1; Luke 2:22), but He is rejected and goes to heaven from the same Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12) as from whence the glory of the LORD now departs before the eyes of Ezekiel, 600 years earlier. At the beginning of the realm of peace, God’s glory will return to His temple (Ezekiel 43:1-6).
After Ezekiel has seen everything, he knows that the living beings he has seen are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). He is a good observer with a desire to understand what the LORD is showing him. Such a desire He rewards with insight into His Word and His ways. Ezekiel confirms what each cherub looks like individually (Ezekiel 10:21). They are the same faces he saw by the river Chebar. This concerns both their appearance and their being and the straight way they go (Ezekiel 10:22).
Ezekiel 40:18
The Glory of the LORD Departs
In Ezekiel 1, Ezekiel saw the throne chariot in Babylon. Here he sees the throne chariot in Jerusalem. It is as if the throne chariot is coming to pick up the glory of the LORD so that He can take a seat on it and depart.
Then the glory of the LORD moves away from above the threshold of the house and takes its place above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18). He takes His place on His throne seat again to be escorted by the cherubim to the next stop (Ezekiel 10:19). Ezekiel sees how the cherubim raise their wings to depart from the earth. He also sees how the wheels do the same.
They do not leave directly for heaven. They first stop at the entrance to the east gate of the house of the LORD. There, “the glory of the God of Israel”, which is above them, hovers over them. It is as if there is reluctance on God’s part to leave His house.
What we have seen so far of the LORD’s departure and will yet see shows that this departure occurs in stages. 1. Ezekiel first sees the glory of the LORD in the inner court (Ezekiel 8:3-4). The LORD has then left the most holy place. 2. Then the LORD goes to the threshold of the house (Ezekiel 9:3), where He fills the whole court with His glory (Ezekiel 10:3-4). 3. From the threshold He moves up above the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18), to go with them toward the east gate (Ezekiel 10:19). 4. From there the glory of the LORD departs through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and then disappears completely (Ezekiel 11:22-23).
When the glory of the God of Israel has departed, the people are no longer God’s people, but “Lo-Ammi”, which is “not My people” (Hosea 1:9). When the Jews rebuild the temple after returning from the Babylonian exile, God’s glory does not return to it. In the Lord Jesus, His glory returns to His temple for a short time (Malachi 3:1; Luke 2:22), but He is rejected and goes to heaven from the same Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12) as from whence the glory of the LORD now departs before the eyes of Ezekiel, 600 years earlier. At the beginning of the realm of peace, God’s glory will return to His temple (Ezekiel 43:1-6).
After Ezekiel has seen everything, he knows that the living beings he has seen are cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). He is a good observer with a desire to understand what the LORD is showing him. Such a desire He rewards with insight into His Word and His ways. Ezekiel confirms what each cherub looks like individually (Ezekiel 10:21). They are the same faces he saw by the river Chebar. This concerns both their appearance and their being and the straight way they go (Ezekiel 10:22).
Ezekiel 40:20
The Leaders Devise Iniquity
The vision that began in Ezekiel 8 continues here. The Spirit brings Ezekiel to the east gate of the house of the LORD (Ezekiel 11:1), where the throne chariot of the LORD stood still (Ezekiel 10:19). At the entrance of the gate are twenty-five men, the political leaders of the people. Attached to the gate is the idea that it is the place where justice is spoken by the leaders of a city (Rth 4:1; 11; Job 5:4; Proverbs 8:3). It is also where the people gather to listen to the judges (Jeremiah 26:10-11).
Of the leaders, two are mentioned by name, while it is emphatically stated that they are “leaders of the people”. The LORD tells Ezekiel what these leaders devise and what advice they give in the city (Ezekiel 11:2). He knows their thoughts and their words through and through. Their deepest hidden thoughts are an open book to Him. He also sees the hidden deliberations of the heart (1 Corinthians 4:5).
The advice they give goes head-on against what God has said (Ezekiel 11:3). Not only are they themselves wicked and faithless, but they are leading God’s people down sinful paths and moving them to go against the words of God which He had proclaimed to them through His prophets. This is the most obvious thought here because what they are saying recalls what God had Jeremiah say about the exiles building houses in Babylon. Indeed, God said that the exiles did have to build houses in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:4-5), indicating thereby that the exiles should prepare for a long stay in Babylon.
This word of Jeremiah is ridiculed here by the authorities in Jerusalem. They say that for them building a house in Babylon is out of the question. Jerusalem may be surrounded by the armies of the king of Babylon, but of course the city will not fall into the hands of those armies. On the contrary, they appease the people with the imagery of a pot and the flesh. Jerusalem, they say, is the pot, and we, the inhabitants, are the flesh. As an iron pot protects the flesh from the fire, so the city protects its inhabitants.
Perhaps they also refer to what Jeremiah saw and said about “a boiling pot” with which God symbolizes judgment on Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1:13-14). We might expect this from these scoffers. Someone who mocks God knows no limit, but ridicules everything.
Because of their great disobedience, Ezekiel must prophesy “against them” (Ezekiel 11:4). The word “prophesy” is twice used and indicates the seriousness of the task. God wants them to know that He hears their blatant words and that He will punish them for them.
Ezekiel 40:21
The Leaders Devise Iniquity
The vision that began in Ezekiel 8 continues here. The Spirit brings Ezekiel to the east gate of the house of the LORD (Ezekiel 11:1), where the throne chariot of the LORD stood still (Ezekiel 10:19). At the entrance of the gate are twenty-five men, the political leaders of the people. Attached to the gate is the idea that it is the place where justice is spoken by the leaders of a city (Rth 4:1; 11; Job 5:4; Proverbs 8:3). It is also where the people gather to listen to the judges (Jeremiah 26:10-11).
Of the leaders, two are mentioned by name, while it is emphatically stated that they are “leaders of the people”. The LORD tells Ezekiel what these leaders devise and what advice they give in the city (Ezekiel 11:2). He knows their thoughts and their words through and through. Their deepest hidden thoughts are an open book to Him. He also sees the hidden deliberations of the heart (1 Corinthians 4:5).
The advice they give goes head-on against what God has said (Ezekiel 11:3). Not only are they themselves wicked and faithless, but they are leading God’s people down sinful paths and moving them to go against the words of God which He had proclaimed to them through His prophets. This is the most obvious thought here because what they are saying recalls what God had Jeremiah say about the exiles building houses in Babylon. Indeed, God said that the exiles did have to build houses in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:4-5), indicating thereby that the exiles should prepare for a long stay in Babylon.
This word of Jeremiah is ridiculed here by the authorities in Jerusalem. They say that for them building a house in Babylon is out of the question. Jerusalem may be surrounded by the armies of the king of Babylon, but of course the city will not fall into the hands of those armies. On the contrary, they appease the people with the imagery of a pot and the flesh. Jerusalem, they say, is the pot, and we, the inhabitants, are the flesh. As an iron pot protects the flesh from the fire, so the city protects its inhabitants.
Perhaps they also refer to what Jeremiah saw and said about “a boiling pot” with which God symbolizes judgment on Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1:13-14). We might expect this from these scoffers. Someone who mocks God knows no limit, but ridicules everything.
Because of their great disobedience, Ezekiel must prophesy “against them” (Ezekiel 11:4). The word “prophesy” is twice used and indicates the seriousness of the task. God wants them to know that He hears their blatant words and that He will punish them for them.
Ezekiel 40:22
The Leaders Devise Iniquity
The vision that began in Ezekiel 8 continues here. The Spirit brings Ezekiel to the east gate of the house of the LORD (Ezekiel 11:1), where the throne chariot of the LORD stood still (Ezekiel 10:19). At the entrance of the gate are twenty-five men, the political leaders of the people. Attached to the gate is the idea that it is the place where justice is spoken by the leaders of a city (Rth 4:1; 11; Job 5:4; Proverbs 8:3). It is also where the people gather to listen to the judges (Jeremiah 26:10-11).
Of the leaders, two are mentioned by name, while it is emphatically stated that they are “leaders of the people”. The LORD tells Ezekiel what these leaders devise and what advice they give in the city (Ezekiel 11:2). He knows their thoughts and their words through and through. Their deepest hidden thoughts are an open book to Him. He also sees the hidden deliberations of the heart (1 Corinthians 4:5).
The advice they give goes head-on against what God has said (Ezekiel 11:3). Not only are they themselves wicked and faithless, but they are leading God’s people down sinful paths and moving them to go against the words of God which He had proclaimed to them through His prophets. This is the most obvious thought here because what they are saying recalls what God had Jeremiah say about the exiles building houses in Babylon. Indeed, God said that the exiles did have to build houses in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:4-5), indicating thereby that the exiles should prepare for a long stay in Babylon.
This word of Jeremiah is ridiculed here by the authorities in Jerusalem. They say that for them building a house in Babylon is out of the question. Jerusalem may be surrounded by the armies of the king of Babylon, but of course the city will not fall into the hands of those armies. On the contrary, they appease the people with the imagery of a pot and the flesh. Jerusalem, they say, is the pot, and we, the inhabitants, are the flesh. As an iron pot protects the flesh from the fire, so the city protects its inhabitants.
Perhaps they also refer to what Jeremiah saw and said about “a boiling pot” with which God symbolizes judgment on Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1:13-14). We might expect this from these scoffers. Someone who mocks God knows no limit, but ridicules everything.
Because of their great disobedience, Ezekiel must prophesy “against them” (Ezekiel 11:4). The word “prophesy” is twice used and indicates the seriousness of the task. God wants them to know that He hears their blatant words and that He will punish them for them.
Ezekiel 40:23
The Leaders Devise Iniquity
The vision that began in Ezekiel 8 continues here. The Spirit brings Ezekiel to the east gate of the house of the LORD (Ezekiel 11:1), where the throne chariot of the LORD stood still (Ezekiel 10:19). At the entrance of the gate are twenty-five men, the political leaders of the people. Attached to the gate is the idea that it is the place where justice is spoken by the leaders of a city (Rth 4:1; 11; Job 5:4; Proverbs 8:3). It is also where the people gather to listen to the judges (Jeremiah 26:10-11).
Of the leaders, two are mentioned by name, while it is emphatically stated that they are “leaders of the people”. The LORD tells Ezekiel what these leaders devise and what advice they give in the city (Ezekiel 11:2). He knows their thoughts and their words through and through. Their deepest hidden thoughts are an open book to Him. He also sees the hidden deliberations of the heart (1 Corinthians 4:5).
The advice they give goes head-on against what God has said (Ezekiel 11:3). Not only are they themselves wicked and faithless, but they are leading God’s people down sinful paths and moving them to go against the words of God which He had proclaimed to them through His prophets. This is the most obvious thought here because what they are saying recalls what God had Jeremiah say about the exiles building houses in Babylon. Indeed, God said that the exiles did have to build houses in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:4-5), indicating thereby that the exiles should prepare for a long stay in Babylon.
This word of Jeremiah is ridiculed here by the authorities in Jerusalem. They say that for them building a house in Babylon is out of the question. Jerusalem may be surrounded by the armies of the king of Babylon, but of course the city will not fall into the hands of those armies. On the contrary, they appease the people with the imagery of a pot and the flesh. Jerusalem, they say, is the pot, and we, the inhabitants, are the flesh. As an iron pot protects the flesh from the fire, so the city protects its inhabitants.
Perhaps they also refer to what Jeremiah saw and said about “a boiling pot” with which God symbolizes judgment on Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1:13-14). We might expect this from these scoffers. Someone who mocks God knows no limit, but ridicules everything.
Because of their great disobedience, Ezekiel must prophesy “against them” (Ezekiel 11:4). The word “prophesy” is twice used and indicates the seriousness of the task. God wants them to know that He hears their blatant words and that He will punish them for them.
Ezekiel 40:24
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:25
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:26
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:27
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:28
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:29
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:30
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:31
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:32
The Leaders of Jerusalem Punished
After the command to prophesy, the Spirit of the LORD falls on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:5). Prophesying what God says can only be done by the Spirit. Ezekiel is also told by the LORD what to prophesy. Prophets may only pass on the Word of God. Here we see the close connection between the Spirit and the Word. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of the hearts of the hearers (1 Corinthians 14:25). The LORD knows what comes up in the minds of these people. To His eyes all things are open and laid bare (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10a; Psalms 139:1-4).
The LORD adopts the picture they use and says that the city is indeed the pot and they are the flesh, but He gives it a different meaning (Ezekiel 11:6-7). Certainly, Jerusalem is the pot, but a pot filled with the flesh of the slain. Those slain are laid there by themselves, they are “your slain”, for they lie there as a result of their evil advice. The leaders will not find the supposed protection in “the pot” but will be taken out of it. The LORD Himself will see to that.
The LORD will do this by bringing the sword, which the leaders are so afraid of, upon them (Ezekiel 11:8). Here we see that these leaders, despite their boasting, are themselves afraid. That He will do what He says is underscored by the words “the Lord GOD declares”. Their fear is justified. The LORD will give them into the hand of “strangers”, the Babylonians, and cause them to depart from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 7:21). Through these “strangers” He will execute His judgments against these leaders (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-9; Jeremiah 52:9-10; 24-27). Where they feel safe, they will be judged by the LORD and receive their deserved punishment (Ezekiel 11:10). As a result, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 6:7).
Jerusalem will not be a pot for them to protect them from judgment (Ezekiel 11:11). Nor are they the flesh that will be saved. The punishment will be meted out by the Babylonians, but it is because the LORD uses them. Thus, they will know that He is the LORD (Ezekiel 11:12). He makes Himself known in the judgment He must execute because the leaders have not walked in His statutes. On the contrary, they have done according to the ordinances of the nations around them. In doing so, they have taunted Him to the extreme. He is a jealous God Who is not mocked.
God impressively confirms His word through the sudden death of one of the leaders, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah (Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 11:1). Through this He also demonstrates vividly the fate that will befall all. This is a reality in the vision. The men in Jerusalem have not heard the words of God that Ezekiel has prophesied. This sudden judgment confirms the words of God. Later when Ezekiel delivers his message to the exiles, he can refer to this event.
God’s judgment on Pelatiah and his own announcement of judgment again elicit a vehement reaction from the prophet (cf. Ezekiel 9:7-8). Again he acts very emotional as an intercessor for his people. If the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem is destroyed, it means the absolute end of Israel. Surely this cannot be so, can it? Perhaps in this complaint there is also an allusion to the name Pelatiah, which means ‘Yahweh delivers’.
Ezekiel 40:33
The Brothers of the Prophet
The LORD responds to Ezekiel’s complaint (Ezekiel 11:14). The prophet made intercession, first for the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:8b) and then for the leaders (Ezekiel 11:13b). He asked God if He would destroy all the remnant of Israel. God now answers (Ezekiel 11:15) that his brethren, in whom he has so much interest, are not these inhabitants of Jerusalem and these leaders, but the Israelites who have been led into exile.
The exiles are considered by these inhabitants of Jerusalem to be cut off from the people of God. The repetition of “your brothers” [“your relatives” is literally also “your brothers”] serves to assure Ezekiel that they are his real, true brothers, as opposed to the Israelites, who only have the name of Israel and boast of it, but do not live up to it. His brethren have the right of redemption (Leviticus 25:25; Rth 2:20b).
“Your fellow exiles” is in Hebrew “the men of your redemption” by which the LORD refers to the right of redemption, which means that these “brothers” have the inalienable right to the land from which they were taken. This already contains a promise of restoration. The core of the people are the exiles, to whom new exiles will soon join. God recognizes them as His people. From them He will form a remnant that will again possess the land according to the law. They have not lost it forever, which is what the inhabitants of Jerusalem in their haughtiness think and say of them.
Also, the words “whole” and “all” in the phrase “the whole house of Israel, all of them” emphasize the totality of what God sees as His people. With this totality, “the inhabitants of Jerusalem” form a contrast. For the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who claim the right to the land, the reverse is true. Them God no longer sees as His people. They look with contempt upon the expelled exiles of whom they think are far from God. For these people in Jerusalem, the expulsion from the land means the removal from God’s presence.
In their unbelieving posturing, they believe that the exiles are away from the God of Israel, Who after all dwells in Jerusalem. Thus, after the custom of idolatry around them, they make God a local god. At the same time, they claim the land of the exiles for themselves. They are blind to the fact that the glory of God is about to leave them.
Ezekiel 40:34
The Brothers of the Prophet
The LORD responds to Ezekiel’s complaint (Ezekiel 11:14). The prophet made intercession, first for the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:8b) and then for the leaders (Ezekiel 11:13b). He asked God if He would destroy all the remnant of Israel. God now answers (Ezekiel 11:15) that his brethren, in whom he has so much interest, are not these inhabitants of Jerusalem and these leaders, but the Israelites who have been led into exile.
The exiles are considered by these inhabitants of Jerusalem to be cut off from the people of God. The repetition of “your brothers” [“your relatives” is literally also “your brothers”] serves to assure Ezekiel that they are his real, true brothers, as opposed to the Israelites, who only have the name of Israel and boast of it, but do not live up to it. His brethren have the right of redemption (Leviticus 25:25; Rth 2:20b).
“Your fellow exiles” is in Hebrew “the men of your redemption” by which the LORD refers to the right of redemption, which means that these “brothers” have the inalienable right to the land from which they were taken. This already contains a promise of restoration. The core of the people are the exiles, to whom new exiles will soon join. God recognizes them as His people. From them He will form a remnant that will again possess the land according to the law. They have not lost it forever, which is what the inhabitants of Jerusalem in their haughtiness think and say of them.
Also, the words “whole” and “all” in the phrase “the whole house of Israel, all of them” emphasize the totality of what God sees as His people. With this totality, “the inhabitants of Jerusalem” form a contrast. For the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who claim the right to the land, the reverse is true. Them God no longer sees as His people. They look with contempt upon the expelled exiles of whom they think are far from God. For these people in Jerusalem, the expulsion from the land means the removal from God’s presence.
In their unbelieving posturing, they believe that the exiles are away from the God of Israel, Who after all dwells in Jerusalem. Thus, after the custom of idolatry around them, they make God a local god. At the same time, they claim the land of the exiles for themselves. They are blind to the fact that the glory of God is about to leave them.
Ezekiel 40:35
Promise of Restoration
The inhabitants of Jerusalem see the removed ones as rejected by God, while they consider themselves the faithful Jews. To their presumption, God responds with promises for those who are carried away into exile (Ezekiel 11:16). These are the first promises of restoration in this book. God may have removed them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, but there He will be with them. They may be deprived of the beautiful temple and the service therein, but He Himself will be a sanctuary for them in the foreign land (cf. Isaiah 57:15a).
They will experience His presence in a special way. For them, the presence of God is no longer connected to a particular building (cf. John 4:21; 24). In the time in which we live, a time in which the children of God are also scattered (cf. John 11:52), it is a great encouragement for us to know and experience that the Lord Jesus wants to be a sanctuary for us, even if we are only a few (Matthew 18:20).
For the exiles, He will be a sanctuary only for a little while. “Little while” can also mean “limited”. That He is a limited sanctuary for them in Babylon, then, should be understood to mean that they have no temple and cannot perform temple service and have no place to go during the feasts of the LORD. As a result, they are limited in the expressions of their service to God. But God Himself is their sanctuary and that, of course, cannot be limited. For those who put their trust in Him, He does not limit Himself to a building and statutes.
That He will be their sanctuary for a little while, in the sense of for a short time, in the countries to which they are scattered, implies that the exile will come to an end. To this thought connects the next verse, in which the promise of return to their land is given (Ezekiel 11:17). He will gather them out of all the countries to which they have been driven, and will give them the land of Israel.
Here the LORD gives this promise even before the whole people are removed out of the land. A first, provisional fulfillment, on a very small scale, is the return of a remnant in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. In our days, we experience in the return of the Jews to their land the beginning of the final fulfillment of this promise in the end time.
When the final fulfillment takes place, the Jews will remove idols and idolatry from the land (Ezekiel 11:18). Those abominable idols and abominations are the things that the antichrist will introduce. This situation will arise in Israel after the rapture of the church.
That they return and remove idolatry is the result of the new heart the LORD gives them (Ezekiel 11:19; cf. Deuteronomy 30:5-6). He gives that new heart in place of their heart of stone. The giving of new life and a new spirit is His work. Only God can change a sinner. A heart of stone is stolid and hard. A fleshly heart is one that responds to the Word of God with faith and obedience.
Because of that new heart, they will live from a different spirit. They will have one heart. This means that all double-mindedness and hypocrisy are gone (Psalms 86:11). It also means that they will live in unity, that they will serve the LORD one in mind and one in feeling.
God is foretelling a spiritual renewal here (Ezekiel 36:24-26). Then they will obey Him and respond to His desires (Ezekiel 11:20). The connection between them as His people and Him as their God (Jeremiah 11:4; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 30:22; Jeremiah 31:1; 33; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 36:28; Ezekiel 37:23; 27) will then be fully restored to the great joy of God and also of His people. This will become a reality in the realm of peace.
Exiles who do not repent and those who have not been taken away and remain in Jerusalem persist in their idolatry (Ezekiel 11:21). They go with their hearts “after their detestable things and abominations”. Literally it says: “And to the heart of their detestable things and their abomination their heart goes.” Gods of silver and gold have no heart, no life. Demons do. The hearts of the demons and the hearts of the idol worshipers connect. The LORD will cause them to perish in their own abominable acts.
Ezekiel 40:36
Promise of Restoration
The inhabitants of Jerusalem see the removed ones as rejected by God, while they consider themselves the faithful Jews. To their presumption, God responds with promises for those who are carried away into exile (Ezekiel 11:16). These are the first promises of restoration in this book. God may have removed them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, but there He will be with them. They may be deprived of the beautiful temple and the service therein, but He Himself will be a sanctuary for them in the foreign land (cf. Isaiah 57:15a).
They will experience His presence in a special way. For them, the presence of God is no longer connected to a particular building (cf. John 4:21; 24). In the time in which we live, a time in which the children of God are also scattered (cf. John 11:52), it is a great encouragement for us to know and experience that the Lord Jesus wants to be a sanctuary for us, even if we are only a few (Matthew 18:20).
For the exiles, He will be a sanctuary only for a little while. “Little while” can also mean “limited”. That He is a limited sanctuary for them in Babylon, then, should be understood to mean that they have no temple and cannot perform temple service and have no place to go during the feasts of the LORD. As a result, they are limited in the expressions of their service to God. But God Himself is their sanctuary and that, of course, cannot be limited. For those who put their trust in Him, He does not limit Himself to a building and statutes.
That He will be their sanctuary for a little while, in the sense of for a short time, in the countries to which they are scattered, implies that the exile will come to an end. To this thought connects the next verse, in which the promise of return to their land is given (Ezekiel 11:17). He will gather them out of all the countries to which they have been driven, and will give them the land of Israel.
Here the LORD gives this promise even before the whole people are removed out of the land. A first, provisional fulfillment, on a very small scale, is the return of a remnant in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. In our days, we experience in the return of the Jews to their land the beginning of the final fulfillment of this promise in the end time.
When the final fulfillment takes place, the Jews will remove idols and idolatry from the land (Ezekiel 11:18). Those abominable idols and abominations are the things that the antichrist will introduce. This situation will arise in Israel after the rapture of the church.
That they return and remove idolatry is the result of the new heart the LORD gives them (Ezekiel 11:19; cf. Deuteronomy 30:5-6). He gives that new heart in place of their heart of stone. The giving of new life and a new spirit is His work. Only God can change a sinner. A heart of stone is stolid and hard. A fleshly heart is one that responds to the Word of God with faith and obedience.
Because of that new heart, they will live from a different spirit. They will have one heart. This means that all double-mindedness and hypocrisy are gone (Psalms 86:11). It also means that they will live in unity, that they will serve the LORD one in mind and one in feeling.
God is foretelling a spiritual renewal here (Ezekiel 36:24-26). Then they will obey Him and respond to His desires (Ezekiel 11:20). The connection between them as His people and Him as their God (Jeremiah 11:4; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 30:22; Jeremiah 31:1; 33; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 36:28; Ezekiel 37:23; 27) will then be fully restored to the great joy of God and also of His people. This will become a reality in the realm of peace.
Exiles who do not repent and those who have not been taken away and remain in Jerusalem persist in their idolatry (Ezekiel 11:21). They go with their hearts “after their detestable things and abominations”. Literally it says: “And to the heart of their detestable things and their abomination their heart goes.” Gods of silver and gold have no heart, no life. Demons do. The hearts of the demons and the hearts of the idol worshipers connect. The LORD will cause them to perish in their own abominable acts.
Ezekiel 40:37
Promise of Restoration
The inhabitants of Jerusalem see the removed ones as rejected by God, while they consider themselves the faithful Jews. To their presumption, God responds with promises for those who are carried away into exile (Ezekiel 11:16). These are the first promises of restoration in this book. God may have removed them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, but there He will be with them. They may be deprived of the beautiful temple and the service therein, but He Himself will be a sanctuary for them in the foreign land (cf. Isaiah 57:15a).
They will experience His presence in a special way. For them, the presence of God is no longer connected to a particular building (cf. John 4:21; 24). In the time in which we live, a time in which the children of God are also scattered (cf. John 11:52), it is a great encouragement for us to know and experience that the Lord Jesus wants to be a sanctuary for us, even if we are only a few (Matthew 18:20).
For the exiles, He will be a sanctuary only for a little while. “Little while” can also mean “limited”. That He is a limited sanctuary for them in Babylon, then, should be understood to mean that they have no temple and cannot perform temple service and have no place to go during the feasts of the LORD. As a result, they are limited in the expressions of their service to God. But God Himself is their sanctuary and that, of course, cannot be limited. For those who put their trust in Him, He does not limit Himself to a building and statutes.
That He will be their sanctuary for a little while, in the sense of for a short time, in the countries to which they are scattered, implies that the exile will come to an end. To this thought connects the next verse, in which the promise of return to their land is given (Ezekiel 11:17). He will gather them out of all the countries to which they have been driven, and will give them the land of Israel.
Here the LORD gives this promise even before the whole people are removed out of the land. A first, provisional fulfillment, on a very small scale, is the return of a remnant in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. In our days, we experience in the return of the Jews to their land the beginning of the final fulfillment of this promise in the end time.
When the final fulfillment takes place, the Jews will remove idols and idolatry from the land (Ezekiel 11:18). Those abominable idols and abominations are the things that the antichrist will introduce. This situation will arise in Israel after the rapture of the church.
That they return and remove idolatry is the result of the new heart the LORD gives them (Ezekiel 11:19; cf. Deuteronomy 30:5-6). He gives that new heart in place of their heart of stone. The giving of new life and a new spirit is His work. Only God can change a sinner. A heart of stone is stolid and hard. A fleshly heart is one that responds to the Word of God with faith and obedience.
Because of that new heart, they will live from a different spirit. They will have one heart. This means that all double-mindedness and hypocrisy are gone (Psalms 86:11). It also means that they will live in unity, that they will serve the LORD one in mind and one in feeling.
God is foretelling a spiritual renewal here (Ezekiel 36:24-26). Then they will obey Him and respond to His desires (Ezekiel 11:20). The connection between them as His people and Him as their God (Jeremiah 11:4; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 30:22; Jeremiah 31:1; 33; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 36:28; Ezekiel 37:23; 27) will then be fully restored to the great joy of God and also of His people. This will become a reality in the realm of peace.
Exiles who do not repent and those who have not been taken away and remain in Jerusalem persist in their idolatry (Ezekiel 11:21). They go with their hearts “after their detestable things and abominations”. Literally it says: “And to the heart of their detestable things and their abomination their heart goes.” Gods of silver and gold have no heart, no life. Demons do. The hearts of the demons and the hearts of the idol worshipers connect. The LORD will cause them to perish in their own abominable acts.
Ezekiel 40:38
Promise of Restoration
The inhabitants of Jerusalem see the removed ones as rejected by God, while they consider themselves the faithful Jews. To their presumption, God responds with promises for those who are carried away into exile (Ezekiel 11:16). These are the first promises of restoration in this book. God may have removed them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, but there He will be with them. They may be deprived of the beautiful temple and the service therein, but He Himself will be a sanctuary for them in the foreign land (cf. Isaiah 57:15a).
They will experience His presence in a special way. For them, the presence of God is no longer connected to a particular building (cf. John 4:21; 24). In the time in which we live, a time in which the children of God are also scattered (cf. John 11:52), it is a great encouragement for us to know and experience that the Lord Jesus wants to be a sanctuary for us, even if we are only a few (Matthew 18:20).
For the exiles, He will be a sanctuary only for a little while. “Little while” can also mean “limited”. That He is a limited sanctuary for them in Babylon, then, should be understood to mean that they have no temple and cannot perform temple service and have no place to go during the feasts of the LORD. As a result, they are limited in the expressions of their service to God. But God Himself is their sanctuary and that, of course, cannot be limited. For those who put their trust in Him, He does not limit Himself to a building and statutes.
That He will be their sanctuary for a little while, in the sense of for a short time, in the countries to which they are scattered, implies that the exile will come to an end. To this thought connects the next verse, in which the promise of return to their land is given (Ezekiel 11:17). He will gather them out of all the countries to which they have been driven, and will give them the land of Israel.
Here the LORD gives this promise even before the whole people are removed out of the land. A first, provisional fulfillment, on a very small scale, is the return of a remnant in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. In our days, we experience in the return of the Jews to their land the beginning of the final fulfillment of this promise in the end time.
When the final fulfillment takes place, the Jews will remove idols and idolatry from the land (Ezekiel 11:18). Those abominable idols and abominations are the things that the antichrist will introduce. This situation will arise in Israel after the rapture of the church.
That they return and remove idolatry is the result of the new heart the LORD gives them (Ezekiel 11:19; cf. Deuteronomy 30:5-6). He gives that new heart in place of their heart of stone. The giving of new life and a new spirit is His work. Only God can change a sinner. A heart of stone is stolid and hard. A fleshly heart is one that responds to the Word of God with faith and obedience.
Because of that new heart, they will live from a different spirit. They will have one heart. This means that all double-mindedness and hypocrisy are gone (Psalms 86:11). It also means that they will live in unity, that they will serve the LORD one in mind and one in feeling.
God is foretelling a spiritual renewal here (Ezekiel 36:24-26). Then they will obey Him and respond to His desires (Ezekiel 11:20). The connection between them as His people and Him as their God (Jeremiah 11:4; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 30:22; Jeremiah 31:1; 33; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 36:28; Ezekiel 37:23; 27) will then be fully restored to the great joy of God and also of His people. This will become a reality in the realm of peace.
Exiles who do not repent and those who have not been taken away and remain in Jerusalem persist in their idolatry (Ezekiel 11:21). They go with their hearts “after their detestable things and abominations”. Literally it says: “And to the heart of their detestable things and their abomination their heart goes.” Gods of silver and gold have no heart, no life. Demons do. The hearts of the demons and the hearts of the idol worshipers connect. The LORD will cause them to perish in their own abominable acts.
Ezekiel 40:39
Promise of Restoration
The inhabitants of Jerusalem see the removed ones as rejected by God, while they consider themselves the faithful Jews. To their presumption, God responds with promises for those who are carried away into exile (Ezekiel 11:16). These are the first promises of restoration in this book. God may have removed them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, but there He will be with them. They may be deprived of the beautiful temple and the service therein, but He Himself will be a sanctuary for them in the foreign land (cf. Isaiah 57:15a).
They will experience His presence in a special way. For them, the presence of God is no longer connected to a particular building (cf. John 4:21; 24). In the time in which we live, a time in which the children of God are also scattered (cf. John 11:52), it is a great encouragement for us to know and experience that the Lord Jesus wants to be a sanctuary for us, even if we are only a few (Matthew 18:20).
For the exiles, He will be a sanctuary only for a little while. “Little while” can also mean “limited”. That He is a limited sanctuary for them in Babylon, then, should be understood to mean that they have no temple and cannot perform temple service and have no place to go during the feasts of the LORD. As a result, they are limited in the expressions of their service to God. But God Himself is their sanctuary and that, of course, cannot be limited. For those who put their trust in Him, He does not limit Himself to a building and statutes.
That He will be their sanctuary for a little while, in the sense of for a short time, in the countries to which they are scattered, implies that the exile will come to an end. To this thought connects the next verse, in which the promise of return to their land is given (Ezekiel 11:17). He will gather them out of all the countries to which they have been driven, and will give them the land of Israel.
Here the LORD gives this promise even before the whole people are removed out of the land. A first, provisional fulfillment, on a very small scale, is the return of a remnant in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. In our days, we experience in the return of the Jews to their land the beginning of the final fulfillment of this promise in the end time.
When the final fulfillment takes place, the Jews will remove idols and idolatry from the land (Ezekiel 11:18). Those abominable idols and abominations are the things that the antichrist will introduce. This situation will arise in Israel after the rapture of the church.
That they return and remove idolatry is the result of the new heart the LORD gives them (Ezekiel 11:19; cf. Deuteronomy 30:5-6). He gives that new heart in place of their heart of stone. The giving of new life and a new spirit is His work. Only God can change a sinner. A heart of stone is stolid and hard. A fleshly heart is one that responds to the Word of God with faith and obedience.
Because of that new heart, they will live from a different spirit. They will have one heart. This means that all double-mindedness and hypocrisy are gone (Psalms 86:11). It also means that they will live in unity, that they will serve the LORD one in mind and one in feeling.
God is foretelling a spiritual renewal here (Ezekiel 36:24-26). Then they will obey Him and respond to His desires (Ezekiel 11:20). The connection between them as His people and Him as their God (Jeremiah 11:4; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 30:22; Jeremiah 31:1; 33; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 36:28; Ezekiel 37:23; 27) will then be fully restored to the great joy of God and also of His people. This will become a reality in the realm of peace.
Exiles who do not repent and those who have not been taken away and remain in Jerusalem persist in their idolatry (Ezekiel 11:21). They go with their hearts “after their detestable things and abominations”. Literally it says: “And to the heart of their detestable things and their abomination their heart goes.” Gods of silver and gold have no heart, no life. Demons do. The hearts of the demons and the hearts of the idol worshipers connect. The LORD will cause them to perish in their own abominable acts.
Ezekiel 40:40
Promise of Restoration
The inhabitants of Jerusalem see the removed ones as rejected by God, while they consider themselves the faithful Jews. To their presumption, God responds with promises for those who are carried away into exile (Ezekiel 11:16). These are the first promises of restoration in this book. God may have removed them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, but there He will be with them. They may be deprived of the beautiful temple and the service therein, but He Himself will be a sanctuary for them in the foreign land (cf. Isaiah 57:15a).
They will experience His presence in a special way. For them, the presence of God is no longer connected to a particular building (cf. John 4:21; 24). In the time in which we live, a time in which the children of God are also scattered (cf. John 11:52), it is a great encouragement for us to know and experience that the Lord Jesus wants to be a sanctuary for us, even if we are only a few (Matthew 18:20).
For the exiles, He will be a sanctuary only for a little while. “Little while” can also mean “limited”. That He is a limited sanctuary for them in Babylon, then, should be understood to mean that they have no temple and cannot perform temple service and have no place to go during the feasts of the LORD. As a result, they are limited in the expressions of their service to God. But God Himself is their sanctuary and that, of course, cannot be limited. For those who put their trust in Him, He does not limit Himself to a building and statutes.
That He will be their sanctuary for a little while, in the sense of for a short time, in the countries to which they are scattered, implies that the exile will come to an end. To this thought connects the next verse, in which the promise of return to their land is given (Ezekiel 11:17). He will gather them out of all the countries to which they have been driven, and will give them the land of Israel.
Here the LORD gives this promise even before the whole people are removed out of the land. A first, provisional fulfillment, on a very small scale, is the return of a remnant in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. In our days, we experience in the return of the Jews to their land the beginning of the final fulfillment of this promise in the end time.
When the final fulfillment takes place, the Jews will remove idols and idolatry from the land (Ezekiel 11:18). Those abominable idols and abominations are the things that the antichrist will introduce. This situation will arise in Israel after the rapture of the church.
That they return and remove idolatry is the result of the new heart the LORD gives them (Ezekiel 11:19; cf. Deuteronomy 30:5-6). He gives that new heart in place of their heart of stone. The giving of new life and a new spirit is His work. Only God can change a sinner. A heart of stone is stolid and hard. A fleshly heart is one that responds to the Word of God with faith and obedience.
Because of that new heart, they will live from a different spirit. They will have one heart. This means that all double-mindedness and hypocrisy are gone (Psalms 86:11). It also means that they will live in unity, that they will serve the LORD one in mind and one in feeling.
God is foretelling a spiritual renewal here (Ezekiel 36:24-26). Then they will obey Him and respond to His desires (Ezekiel 11:20). The connection between them as His people and Him as their God (Jeremiah 11:4; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 30:22; Jeremiah 31:1; 33; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 36:28; Ezekiel 37:23; 27) will then be fully restored to the great joy of God and also of His people. This will become a reality in the realm of peace.
Exiles who do not repent and those who have not been taken away and remain in Jerusalem persist in their idolatry (Ezekiel 11:21). They go with their hearts “after their detestable things and abominations”. Literally it says: “And to the heart of their detestable things and their abomination their heart goes.” Gods of silver and gold have no heart, no life. Demons do. The hearts of the demons and the hearts of the idol worshipers connect. The LORD will cause them to perish in their own abominable acts.
Ezekiel 40:41
The Departure of Glory
Ezekiel’s vision is nearing its end. In these verses Ezekiel sees the departure of “the glory of the God of Israel” from Jerusalem. God, however, departs only after first giving comforting promises of the restoration of a remnant in the preceding verses. Then He withdraws, leaving city and land to their fate.
As a final stop, He stands over the mountain that lies east of Jerusalem, which is the Mount of Olives. This determines us that the glory of God will also return to the city over the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4a; Acts 1:9-12) to fulfill the promises of the previous verses. The glory will again take up its residence in the new temple in the realm of peace (Ezekiel 43:1-5).
Ezekiel 40:42
The Departure of Glory
Ezekiel’s vision is nearing its end. In these verses Ezekiel sees the departure of “the glory of the God of Israel” from Jerusalem. God, however, departs only after first giving comforting promises of the restoration of a remnant in the preceding verses. Then He withdraws, leaving city and land to their fate.
As a final stop, He stands over the mountain that lies east of Jerusalem, which is the Mount of Olives. This determines us that the glory of God will also return to the city over the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4a; Acts 1:9-12) to fulfill the promises of the previous verses. The glory will again take up its residence in the new temple in the realm of peace (Ezekiel 43:1-5).
Ezekiel 40:43
Ezekiel Back With the Exiles
The vision ends with Ezekiel seeing himself lifted up by the Spirit of God Who gave him the vision and brought back to the exiles (Ezekiel 11:24). All this time he has been physically with the elders (Ezekiel 8:1). As a faithful witness, as a watchman, Ezekiel communicates to the exiles all that the LORD has shown him in the vision (Ezekiel 11:25).
Ezekiel 40:44
Ezekiel Back With the Exiles
The vision ends with Ezekiel seeing himself lifted up by the Spirit of God Who gave him the vision and brought back to the exiles (Ezekiel 11:24). All this time he has been physically with the elders (Ezekiel 8:1). As a faithful witness, as a watchman, Ezekiel communicates to the exiles all that the LORD has shown him in the vision (Ezekiel 11:25).
Ezekiel 40:46
Introduction
With this chapter begins the third section of the great second section. This section, which covers Ezekiel 12-17, exposes the sins of the leaders. This chapter addresses the false prophecies that are circulating that the deliverance of Jerusalem will happen soon and that the exiles will return soon. The teaching of these chapters counters this false optimism.
The Exile Depicted
From the beginning, the LORD has prepared Ezekiel that the carried away into exile of His people as a whole will not listen to His Word (Ezekiel 2:3-8; Ezekiel 3:7-9). Here He confirms that again (Ezekiel 12:1-2). As a whole, they are “the rebellious house”. Their eyes are blind to their sins and their ears are closed to God’s Word. The cause of this is their rebellion; they are “a rebellious house.”
Yet Ezekiel must convey to them God’s message. He must do so by visible sign acts and an audible declaration of them. He must depict an exile (Ezekiel 12:3). This might “perhaps” lead them to “understand though they are a rebellious house”. The word “perhaps” gives room for a glimmer of hope that there will be some who will listen after all.
The LORD’s command for this action of Ezekiel shows His great lovingkindness that He uses such means to get the attention of the rebellious people. He tells Ezekiel what to take, what to do with it, and to go to another place. Ezekiel is to do everything “in their sight”, an expression that appears seven times in Ezekiel 12:3-7.
Ezekiel is to perform the play in two acts, one act by day and the other by night. The first act, during the day, consists of his having to bring out from the house before their eyes the “baggage for exile”, that is, no more than the very essentials (Ezekiel 12:4a; cf. Jeremiah 46:19). The performance of the second act takes place at night (Ezekiel 12:4b). While the exiles stand by and watch, he himself must come out in the evening and move away, as exiles move away.
To make it look like a real run, he must break through the wall to make an escape route and through it bring out everything (Ezekiel 12:5). To do this, he must carry everything on his shoulder, as exiles do (Ezekiel 12:6). It must be done at night. He must also cover his face, as people do who do not want to be recognized. Also, it is a sign that he will not see the land, because he is leaving it. Likewise, those who are still living in Jerusalem today will not see the land from which they will be carried away as exiles.
The LORD has given Ezekiel as a sign. In this sign, not only the future is announced, but it also shows what it looks like. In and during Ezekiel’s performance, the future becomes present. What is going to happen is seen in reality in the sign.
Ezekiel does exactly what the LORD has commanded him (Ezekiel 12:7), although he himself may not yet have understood what it means. It proves the utter obedience of the prophet. He literally does what the LORD has told him to do. All his actions are described again, except for covering his face. So he stands there waiting for further instructions. These come in the morning. The LORD gives him the explanation in the following verses, which he is also to pass on.
Ezekiel 40:47
Introduction
With this chapter begins the third section of the great second section. This section, which covers Ezekiel 12-17, exposes the sins of the leaders. This chapter addresses the false prophecies that are circulating that the deliverance of Jerusalem will happen soon and that the exiles will return soon. The teaching of these chapters counters this false optimism.
The Exile Depicted
From the beginning, the LORD has prepared Ezekiel that the carried away into exile of His people as a whole will not listen to His Word (Ezekiel 2:3-8; Ezekiel 3:7-9). Here He confirms that again (Ezekiel 12:1-2). As a whole, they are “the rebellious house”. Their eyes are blind to their sins and their ears are closed to God’s Word. The cause of this is their rebellion; they are “a rebellious house.”
Yet Ezekiel must convey to them God’s message. He must do so by visible sign acts and an audible declaration of them. He must depict an exile (Ezekiel 12:3). This might “perhaps” lead them to “understand though they are a rebellious house”. The word “perhaps” gives room for a glimmer of hope that there will be some who will listen after all.
The LORD’s command for this action of Ezekiel shows His great lovingkindness that He uses such means to get the attention of the rebellious people. He tells Ezekiel what to take, what to do with it, and to go to another place. Ezekiel is to do everything “in their sight”, an expression that appears seven times in Ezekiel 12:3-7.
Ezekiel is to perform the play in two acts, one act by day and the other by night. The first act, during the day, consists of his having to bring out from the house before their eyes the “baggage for exile”, that is, no more than the very essentials (Ezekiel 12:4a; cf. Jeremiah 46:19). The performance of the second act takes place at night (Ezekiel 12:4b). While the exiles stand by and watch, he himself must come out in the evening and move away, as exiles move away.
To make it look like a real run, he must break through the wall to make an escape route and through it bring out everything (Ezekiel 12:5). To do this, he must carry everything on his shoulder, as exiles do (Ezekiel 12:6). It must be done at night. He must also cover his face, as people do who do not want to be recognized. Also, it is a sign that he will not see the land, because he is leaving it. Likewise, those who are still living in Jerusalem today will not see the land from which they will be carried away as exiles.
The LORD has given Ezekiel as a sign. In this sign, not only the future is announced, but it also shows what it looks like. In and during Ezekiel’s performance, the future becomes present. What is going to happen is seen in reality in the sign.
Ezekiel does exactly what the LORD has commanded him (Ezekiel 12:7), although he himself may not yet have understood what it means. It proves the utter obedience of the prophet. He literally does what the LORD has told him to do. All his actions are described again, except for covering his face. So he stands there waiting for further instructions. These come in the morning. The LORD gives him the explanation in the following verses, which he is also to pass on.
Ezekiel 40:48
Introduction
With this chapter begins the third section of the great second section. This section, which covers Ezekiel 12-17, exposes the sins of the leaders. This chapter addresses the false prophecies that are circulating that the deliverance of Jerusalem will happen soon and that the exiles will return soon. The teaching of these chapters counters this false optimism.
The Exile Depicted
From the beginning, the LORD has prepared Ezekiel that the carried away into exile of His people as a whole will not listen to His Word (Ezekiel 2:3-8; Ezekiel 3:7-9). Here He confirms that again (Ezekiel 12:1-2). As a whole, they are “the rebellious house”. Their eyes are blind to their sins and their ears are closed to God’s Word. The cause of this is their rebellion; they are “a rebellious house.”
Yet Ezekiel must convey to them God’s message. He must do so by visible sign acts and an audible declaration of them. He must depict an exile (Ezekiel 12:3). This might “perhaps” lead them to “understand though they are a rebellious house”. The word “perhaps” gives room for a glimmer of hope that there will be some who will listen after all.
The LORD’s command for this action of Ezekiel shows His great lovingkindness that He uses such means to get the attention of the rebellious people. He tells Ezekiel what to take, what to do with it, and to go to another place. Ezekiel is to do everything “in their sight”, an expression that appears seven times in Ezekiel 12:3-7.
Ezekiel is to perform the play in two acts, one act by day and the other by night. The first act, during the day, consists of his having to bring out from the house before their eyes the “baggage for exile”, that is, no more than the very essentials (Ezekiel 12:4a; cf. Jeremiah 46:19). The performance of the second act takes place at night (Ezekiel 12:4b). While the exiles stand by and watch, he himself must come out in the evening and move away, as exiles move away.
To make it look like a real run, he must break through the wall to make an escape route and through it bring out everything (Ezekiel 12:5). To do this, he must carry everything on his shoulder, as exiles do (Ezekiel 12:6). It must be done at night. He must also cover his face, as people do who do not want to be recognized. Also, it is a sign that he will not see the land, because he is leaving it. Likewise, those who are still living in Jerusalem today will not see the land from which they will be carried away as exiles.
The LORD has given Ezekiel as a sign. In this sign, not only the future is announced, but it also shows what it looks like. In and during Ezekiel’s performance, the future becomes present. What is going to happen is seen in reality in the sign.
Ezekiel does exactly what the LORD has commanded him (Ezekiel 12:7), although he himself may not yet have understood what it means. It proves the utter obedience of the prophet. He literally does what the LORD has told him to do. All his actions are described again, except for covering his face. So he stands there waiting for further instructions. These come in the morning. The LORD gives him the explanation in the following verses, which he is also to pass on.
Ezekiel 40:49
Introduction
With this chapter begins the third section of the great second section. This section, which covers Ezekiel 12-17, exposes the sins of the leaders. This chapter addresses the false prophecies that are circulating that the deliverance of Jerusalem will happen soon and that the exiles will return soon. The teaching of these chapters counters this false optimism.
The Exile Depicted
From the beginning, the LORD has prepared Ezekiel that the carried away into exile of His people as a whole will not listen to His Word (Ezekiel 2:3-8; Ezekiel 3:7-9). Here He confirms that again (Ezekiel 12:1-2). As a whole, they are “the rebellious house”. Their eyes are blind to their sins and their ears are closed to God’s Word. The cause of this is their rebellion; they are “a rebellious house.”
Yet Ezekiel must convey to them God’s message. He must do so by visible sign acts and an audible declaration of them. He must depict an exile (Ezekiel 12:3). This might “perhaps” lead them to “understand though they are a rebellious house”. The word “perhaps” gives room for a glimmer of hope that there will be some who will listen after all.
The LORD’s command for this action of Ezekiel shows His great lovingkindness that He uses such means to get the attention of the rebellious people. He tells Ezekiel what to take, what to do with it, and to go to another place. Ezekiel is to do everything “in their sight”, an expression that appears seven times in Ezekiel 12:3-7.
Ezekiel is to perform the play in two acts, one act by day and the other by night. The first act, during the day, consists of his having to bring out from the house before their eyes the “baggage for exile”, that is, no more than the very essentials (Ezekiel 12:4a; cf. Jeremiah 46:19). The performance of the second act takes place at night (Ezekiel 12:4b). While the exiles stand by and watch, he himself must come out in the evening and move away, as exiles move away.
To make it look like a real run, he must break through the wall to make an escape route and through it bring out everything (Ezekiel 12:5). To do this, he must carry everything on his shoulder, as exiles do (Ezekiel 12:6). It must be done at night. He must also cover his face, as people do who do not want to be recognized. Also, it is a sign that he will not see the land, because he is leaving it. Likewise, those who are still living in Jerusalem today will not see the land from which they will be carried away as exiles.
The LORD has given Ezekiel as a sign. In this sign, not only the future is announced, but it also shows what it looks like. In and during Ezekiel’s performance, the future becomes present. What is going to happen is seen in reality in the sign.
Ezekiel does exactly what the LORD has commanded him (Ezekiel 12:7), although he himself may not yet have understood what it means. It proves the utter obedience of the prophet. He literally does what the LORD has told him to do. All his actions are described again, except for covering his face. So he stands there waiting for further instructions. These come in the morning. The LORD gives him the explanation in the following verses, which he is also to pass on.