Ezekiel (Ch 13-14)
We have established that this Ezekiel’s prophecy that he delivered was meant for many years to come; its timing was a great distance into the future (Ezekiel 12:27), into our time and the message is primarily for the United States of America and secondarily its European allies.
The phrase ye or they “shall know that I am the Lord” expressed 4 times in chapter 13 alone (v9,14,21,23) and once in chapter 14 (v8; and 57 times in all in the book of Ezekiel). In other chapters the phase could sometimes be applied to Gentile nations, but for chapter 13 and 14, they apply to both the house of Judah and the house of Israel;
Second, this phase ye or they “shall know that I am the Lord” implies that neither those teaching in the synagogues nor those in their numerous churches know God today!!!
Ezekiel 13
1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the Targum renders it, the word of prophecy from the Lord. If Ezra sees it as a prophecy, it is a reference to our time.
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts: ‘Hear ye the word of the Lord! — Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel; who called themselves so; though they are rightly call the false prophets; and are like foxes among the ruins;
— that prophesy; that is, smooth things to the people; promising a speedy return from captivity; or that Jerusalem should not be taken by the Chaldeans, and the inhabitants of it, and of the land, be carried captive.
3 Thus saith the Lord God: Woe unto the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! — false prophecies came into their own spirits and was agreeable to their fancies and carnal imaginations, pretending to be the spirit of prophecy.
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” saith the Lord. Jeremiah 23:28
— any dream is the chaff; it is of no value; it is as wood, hay and stubble. Only God’s Word is the wheat – in parallel with gold, silver, and precious stones.
4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. — these false prophets, as the Targum says; they are comparable to foxes, for their craftiness and cunning, and lying in wait to deceive, as these seduced the Lord’s people;
— like the foxes; hungry and ravening, crafty and guileful, and living off their wits.
5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps [or breaches], neither made up the hedge [or a “fence” a fortification] for the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the Lord. — ye, the princes or to the prophet of the house of Israel, have not gone up into the gaps [or breaches as the Targum says];
— the allusion is to breaches made in the walls of a city when besieged; at which time those within gather together in great numbers to meet the enemy, and prevent his entrance by the breaches;
— these words are either spoken to the princes of Israel, governors or the civil magistrates, or to the prophets, who seeing the sins of the people, like a mighty torrent, opening a breach for the wrath and judgements of God to pour in upon them, should have put up their prayers, and made intercession to God for them; neither of which they did, and therefore are blamed here.
6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, “The Lord saith,” but the Lord hath not sent them; and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. — in many of the churches in the house of Israel, they have seen vanity, and lying divination;
— the visions of going to heavens, for example, the false prophets pretend to see were nothing but the fruit of their own fancies and imaginations, and had nothing real in them; and what they divined or foretold should be were all lies, and never came to pass, and never would.
7 Have ye not seen a vain vision and have ye not spoken a lying divination, wherein ye say, “The Lord saith it,” albeit I have not spoken? — a lying divination; delivered out a known lie, saying they had it from the Lord, when they had it not; or a prophecy that will deceive, and be without effect, and in the issue prove a falsehood;
— prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy; these false prophets and teachers preach in the name of the Lord, where the Lord has not sent them;
8 “‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because ye have spoken vanity and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God. — the whole verse speaks the dreadful anger of God against those false prophets; it is unspeakable wrath, and we are left to guess at it by the manner of speech here used;
— expressing a threat, as in Ezekiel 21:3 “and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.”
9 And Mine hand shall be upon the prophets who see vanity and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.
— Gill: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, shall have no place in the church of God, nor fellowship with the saints; they shall not join with them in religious worship here;
— Fred R. Coulter, Frank W. Nelte and John W. Ritenbaugh are all liars; will the above verse applies to them, “who see vanity and who divine lies” that being lying and deceitful “they shall not be in the assembly of My people?”
— Matthew Poole’s Commentary: Mine hand; my power striking them; so that it shall be evident they fall under Divine revenge, as Pelatiah, Ezekiel 11:13, and Hananiah, Jeremiah 28:15,16; and Shemaiah, Jeremiah 29:31; or Ahab, son of Kolaiah (and even Zedekiah), Jeremiah 29:21;
— the phrase ye or they “shall know that I am the Lord” implying that those teaching in their numerous churches now don’t know God today!!!
— and it should appear that their names were never written in the Lamb’s book of life; or that they ever were among the number of God’s elect; so the Targum says, “and in the writing of eternal life, which is written for the righteous of the house of Israel, they shall not be written;”
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. Psalm 25:14
10 “‘Because, even because they have seduced My people, saying, “Peace,” and there was no peace, and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar, — “Because, even because” the repetition heightens the emphasis.
11 say unto those who daub it with untempered mortar that it shall fall. There shall be an overflowing shower, and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall, and a stormy wind shall rend it. — great hailstones; hail is unusual in Palestine, but its destructive effects were well known; this is another way of saying building a house upon the sands, loose sands;
— a stormy wind; a whirlwind, to shake the tumbling stones, which without much shaking would ere long drop down; but, to hasten the downfall, soaking showers, storms of hail and violent winds, shall meet; so shall your crazy state, O deceived shepherds, come down to ruin;
— the vast majority which would be no less than 99.99 percent of today’s professing Christianity make this fundamental error. This porous foundation differs greatly from the original Nazarenes where they understood what the Oracles as given to the Jews (Romans 3:1-4) would mean. Unless trained in Judaism, they wouldn’t be able to read the Sacred Text, which only had consonants written. This means our modern version of Christianity is primarily built on sands, loose sands. For a more in-depth study here.
12 Lo, when the wall has fallen, shall it not be said unto you, “Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?” — daubing or untempered morter or whited plaster; that is, only good for appearance;
— from MSG:
“The fact is that they’ve lied to my people. They’ve said, ‘No problem; everything’s just fine,’ when things are not at all fine. When people build a wall, they’re right behind them slapping on whitewash. Tell those who are slapping on the whitewash, ‘When a torrent of rain comes and the hailstones crash down and the hurricane sweeps in and the wall collapses, what’s the good of the whitewash that you slapped on so liberally, making it look so good?’ The Message Bible
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: I will even rend it with a stormy wind in My fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in Mine anger and great hailstones in My fury to consume it. — the whole is paraphrased by the Targum thus, “and I will bring a mighty king with the force of tempests; and a destroying people as a prevailing rain in my fury shall come; and kings, who were powerful as hailstones, in wrath to consume.”
14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered, and it shall fall and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. — God will even rend it with a stormy wind in his fury; stormy winds sometimes rend rocks asunder;
— so says the Targum, “and I will destroy the city in which ye have prophesied false prophecies; and I will cause it to fall to the ground, and its foundations shall be discovered.”
15 Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon the wall and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you: “The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it, — my wrath upon the wall; will pour out all his indignation, and inflict just punishment upon the city and its inhabitants.
16 to wit, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her and there is no peace, saith the Lord God.”’ — it says “concerning Jerusalem” but it’s more likely refering to the chief city of the modern house of Israel, New York, where the “.the prophets of Israel” who “see visions of peace” where there is no peace.
17 “Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them — set thy face against the false prophetesses, (one among the chiefs was the late Ellen G White, 1827-1915, founder of the Seven-day Adventist Church) who prophesied out of their own illusion.
18 and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew pillows to all armholes and make kerchiefs upon the head of those of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of My people, and will ye save the souls alive who come unto you?
— from MSG
“And the women prophets—son of man, take your stand against the women prophets who make up stuff out of their own minds. Oppose them. Say ‘Doom’ to the women who sew magic bracelets and head scarves to suit every taste, devices to trap souls. Say, ‘Will you kill the souls of my people, use living souls to make yourselves rich and popular? You have profaned me among my people just to get ahead yourselves, used me to make yourselves look good—killing souls who should never have died and coddling souls who shouldn’t live. You’ve lied to people who love listening to lies.’ The Message Bible
19 And will ye pollute Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls who should not die and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to My people who hear your lies?
— and will ye pollute me among my people; defile the name of the Lord by abusing it to cover their wicked designs and practices; that what they said came from him, though he spoke not by them; and that it was his will they declared, when it was their own, and what came out of their own hearts and heads:
— so the Targum says, “will ye pollute my will among my people” to profane his name among the Gentiles was a great sin, but to pollute it among his own people was greater; attempting to draw them aside from his fear and worship, and that for gain, for small gain too.
20 “‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly; and I will tear them from your arms and will let the souls go, even the souls whom ye hunt to make them fly. — I am against your pillows; that is, against your lying ceremonial tricks by which ye cheat the people.
21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
— from the MSG
“Therefore God says, ‘I am against all the devices and techniques you use to hunt down souls. I’ll rip them out of your hands. I’ll free the souls you’re trying to catch. I’ll rip your magic bracelets and scarves to shreds and deliver my people from your influence so they’ll no longer be victimized by you. That’s how you’ll come to realize that I am God.
22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life, — Ephraim is a chronic liar; compulsive lying constantly and continuously; chief of whom is Mike Pompeo freely admitting lying within the CIA : We lied, We cheated, We stole
A parallel scripture fits Mike Pompeo to the t:
Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; Hosea 11:12
23 therefore ye shall see no more vanity nor divine divinations; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.’” — ye shall see no more vanity, events shall confute their lies, involving themselves in destruction.
— and ye “shall know that I am the Lord” which implies that those teaching in their numerous churches with their faithful pretenders don’t know God today!
Ezekiel 14
Although Isaiah 8:14 refers to “both houses of Israel” or the “two houses of Israel” it implies the single house of Jacob, the full twelve tribes. But Jacob was given a new name, Israel, in which the twelve tribes are named. So the single house of Jacob or now call Israel was broken into two, the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah.
Hence, the names of the two houses are separated, namely the 10-tribes “house of Israel” and the 2-tribes “house of Judah.” Further, the “two houses of Israel” in Isaiah 8:14 is redefined as “the house of Jacob” in Isaiah 8:17 (more at the end).
This chapter emphasizes Israel, the 10-tribes house of Israel rather than the house of Judah. Earlier we have established that Ezekiel’s messages were actually meant for those living far into the future, in our time, the message to the modern house of Israel, the chief of whom is Ephraim, the United States of America. So this prophecy continues . . .
1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me and sat before me. — not the elders of Judah (where they came in chapter 8), but the elders of Israel sat before me; if these were “the elders of Israel,” than these elders could paradoxically have returned from Assyria (where they were held captives) and inquired from Ezekiel their own fate, the fate for the northern house of Israel;
— surely the elders were not asking about their current fate, for they were already in captivity some 135 years earlier; they would be interested about their fate for their posterity at the endtime, for example, would they ever return, if so, when, to the Promised land?
2 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the word of prophecy from the Lord as the Targum renders it. So if Ezra sees it as a prophecy, it is a reference to the future; our time; hence, this a prophecy for the elders of Israel, indicating this scene is prophetic in significance for those of the house of Israel at the endtime;
3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired of at all by them? — have set up their idols in their heart; resolved idolaters, their heart was totally addicted to their idolatrous worship and ceremonies; so these idols are called “the stumbling block of their iniquity.”
4 Therefore speak unto them and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols,
— they multiplied idols, this their sin, God will multiply their sorrows; they first run into darkness of idolatry, God will leave them to the darkness of misery. He will give answer, but in just judgement, with severe reproof, menace and authority;
— more specifically, their main stubling blocks are SUNday worshipping; Mithraism Dec 25th idoltary; Easterism and those rabbit and eggs; and Halloweenism with frightening masks and costumes;
5 that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols.’ — because they are all estranged from me through their idols; the house of Israel, to have a form and shell of godliness, but to deny its substance, is the essence of hypocrisy;
6 “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. — here, and closeby verses, numerous reference that the warnings are to the modern house of Israel, and turn away their faces from all their abominations.
7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, who separateth himself from Me and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself.
— such men, be he an Israelite or a Gentile, come to a prophet to inquire of God, God declares that He will answer, not by the prophet through whom the enquiry is made, God the Lord will answer him directly; not by the prophet to whom he comes, but by himself:
— or, “in my word” as the Targum says; yet not by words, but by blows; not in mercy, but in wrath; and in such manner, that it shall appear to come from the Lord, and to be according to truth and justice, it may seem too late . . .
8 And I will set My face against that man and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. — and God himself will set his face against that man;
— and God will “cut him off” from the midst of his people; by a sudden death, notwithstanding all his daring endeavour in coming to seek the will of the Lord from his prophet; inquiring of God, yet guilty of gross idolatry; and only only after facing judgement then shall he know who the Lord is;
— the Targum renders it, “my fury” or “wrath” and indeed that is what is meant; when God sets his face against a man, he pours out his wrath, or inflicts punishment on him;
— even if he’s set his mind “to inquire of him (Ezekiel, or another prophet) concerning Me,” (verse 7 above); a sort of vexing the holy spirits, that is, there is a time that’s just too late.
9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived [enticed] that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel. — Rashi: have enticed: I opened a doorway for him to do whatever he wishes. And from here we can learn that if one wishes to defile himself, they open a door for him;
— Fred R. Coulter, Frank W. Nelte and John W. Ritenbaugh are all enticed to be deceivers; will the above verse applies to them, whom “the Lord have deceived [enticed] that prophet” that being lying and deceitful and “I will stretch out My hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel?”
10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity. The punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him,
— the punishment of the (deceived or false) prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seekest unto him; they being both alike culpable, each pursuing the desires of their own evil hearts; the one seeking for smooth things to be spoken to him; the other speaking them, in order to gratify him;
— the Targum says, “according to the sin of him that comes to learn and learns not; according to the sin of the false prophet shall it be.”
11 that the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their God, saith the Lord God.’”
— and this, from MSG
“‘If a prophet is deceived and tells these idolaters the lies they want to hear, I, God, get blamed for those lies. He won’t get by with it. I’ll grab him by the scruff of the neck and get him out of there. They’ll be equally guilty, the prophet and the one who goes to the prophet, so that the house of Israel will never again wander off my paths and make themselves filthy in their rebellions, but will rather be my people, just as I am their God.’”
12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, — the Targum renders it, the word of prophecy from the Lord. if it is a prophecy, it is a reference to the future; into the endtime, our time.
13 “Son of man, when the land sinneth against Me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out Mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it.
14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God. — though Noah, Daniel and Job; the intercession even of the holiest of men shall not avert God’s judgements; but that they could only deliver their own souls.
15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts, — the land might be infested with lions, tigers, foxes, wolves, bears and bisons, alligators and other wild beasts.
16 though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. — they: Noah, Daniel and Job; shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; meaning not adult children, but only little ones, infant sons and daughters; such as had not been guilty; but the land shall be desolate.
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ so that I cut off man and beast from it, — ‘Sword, go through the land,’ this could be a foretaste or an introduction to what would be coming from Ezekiel 20:45 to 21:5; where more details would be given;
— the Targum says, “and I say that they that kill with the sword pass through the land:” so that I cut off man and beast from it; by the sword; the one being destroyed as an enemy, the other for food;
— the argument is cumulative; the first puts the case of the land sinning so as to fall under the judgement of a famine (Eze 14:13); then (Eze 14:15) “noisome beasts” (Leviticus 26:22); then “the sword” then worst of all “pestilence.”
18 though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. — if Noah, Daniel and Job could not deliver the land when deserving only one judgement, “how much more” when all four judgements combined are to visit the land; when for all these sins, the three righteous men could not deliver it.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury upon it in blood to cut off from it man and beast, — and pour out my fury upon it in blood; or, “by blood” by corrupting the blood which is done when a man is seized with the pestilence;
— the Targum renders it, “with slaughter” by slaying a great number of persons by that disease as a token of fury and wrath, because of their transgressions. It may be rendered, “because of blood” and so express the cause and reason of the judgement, the shedding of innocent blood.
20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter. They shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. — though Noah, Daniel and Job, were in it; again repeated as in Ezekiel 14:14; and referred to in Ezekiel 14:16; for emphasis.
21 “For thus saith the Lord God: How much more when I send My four sore judgements upon Jerusalem
— the sword and the famine and the noisome beast and the pestilence — to cut off from it man and beast? — GOD’s four judgements — SWORD, war. FAMINE, occasioned by drought. PESTILENCE, epidemic diseases which sweep off a great part of the inhabitants of a land. The NOISOME BEAST, the multiplication of wild beasts in consequence of the general destruction of the inhabitants.
22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings; and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
— yet, behold, in it shall be left a remnant that shall escape and be brought forth; they would bear testimonies to the world of their sins; of why they were punished for all that they had done.
23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God.”
— and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God; that there was just reason for it; that he was sufficiently provoked to do it; and that it was necessary it should be done, for his own honour, and the good of others.
~~chap8&14end;19&36beg~~
The house of Israel verses the house of Judah
Although Isaiah 8:14 refers to “both houses of Israel” or the “two houses of Israel” it implies the single house of Jacob, the full twelve tribes.
But Jacob was given a new name, Israel, in which the full house of Israel, as in Ezekiel 20:40, the twelve tribes are all included. And after King Solomon, the single house of Jacob or now call Israel was broken into two, the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah.
Hence, the names of the two houses are separated, namely the 10-tribes “house of Israel” and the 2-tribes “house of Judah.” Further, the “two houses of Israel” in Isaiah 8:14 is redefined as “the house of Jacob” in Isaiah 8:17.
State it in another way in more details, the word “Israel” has four (or even five) possible meanings:
(1) Israel in place of Jacob, since the angel gave Jacob a new name, Israel;
(2) the children of Israel, or all the house of Israel as in Ezekiel 20:40 in the sense of all the progeny of Jacob, all twelve tribes; sometimes expressed as the “whole house of Israel;”
(3) the “two houses of Israel” in Isaiah 8:14 or “both houses of Israel” would mean the ‘first’ house of Israel as the house of 10-tribes Israel; and the ‘second’ house of Israel as the 2-tribes house of Judah;
(4) the ‘second’ house of Israel as the 2-tribes house of Judah; this happened during Rehoboam reign when the kingdom was broken into the house of Israel (north) and the house of Judah (south); in this context, the house of Israel could be the 2-tribes Israel as in Ezekiel 8:6,11,12 and Matthew 15:24;
(5) Israel, the modern state of Israel, established in 1917 by the Balfour declaration and gained independence in 1948.
In understanding prophecies, the second and third meanings are mostly in use; the fourth very rarely. Still, it may seem confusing, but one should be able to separate the two by sounding out the context.
Joel Huan
The Mystery of Ephraim 
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