Ezekiel 13 - 18

Judgment and Parables

Today's reading continues the prophecies of judgment and contains several parables concerning Jerusalem and the leadership of Israel.  Chapter 13 is a clear judgment against false prophets.  Prophets who claim to have heard from the Lord but have not.  The Lord was not pleased with the prophets who predicted peace in Jerusalem after the Lord had already had Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophecy the destruction of that city.

Chapter 14 is a judgment against the hypocritical leaders who came to Ezekiel beseeching him to intercede with the Lord.  The Lord tells Ezekiel that the leaders are idol worshipers and not worthy of a blessing from God.  The second half of chapter 14 (starting with verse 12) tells of what will happen to the people of a country who sin against God.  The Bible employs repetitive rhetorical that answers rhetorical questions.  "Suppose I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending famine..." (v. 13)  "Suppose I were to send wild animals" (v. 15). "Suppose I were to bring war..." (v. 17). "Suppose I send an epidemic..." (v. 19).  In answer, the Lord states each time that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they would not be able to save the people. Only they would be saved by their righteousness.  

Notice that the four judgments match the four judgments of the forth seal: famine, wild animals, war, epidemic. This ties the judgment of apostate Jerusalem to the judgment of the apostate church in the last days.  The three prophets mentioned, Noah, Daniel, Job.  It is interesting to note that Daniel was probably not living at the time Ezekiel recorded this prophecy.  To me, it is possible that Noah represents the believers carried through the tribulation.  Job represented the man perfect in God's eyes, i.e. the Gentile bride, and Daniel represents the future prophet of the end-time.  This is just speculation on my part at this time, and thus needs to be examined more closely.

The remaining chapters in today's reading contain parables that all pertain to unbelieving and apostate Jerusalem.  Chapter 16 is quite descriptive describing Jerusalem as one born and abandon and saved and raised up by God only to become a vile prostitute.  The prostitute Jerusalem is immoral to the point that she no longer even charges for her activity and willingly seeks out and commits adultery and fornication. Only a slight ray of hope is proffered in 16:53, "Someday I will restore [...] you too.!"

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.