Ezekiel (Ch 21-22)
Earlier, we have established that although Ezekiel has his face set toward Jerusalem, his prophecy is meant for the house of Israel at the endtime “for many years to come” (Ezekiel 12:27). Here, he is re-emphasizing “the Sword from the South.”
In fact, the word “Sword” being repeated over and over again, occurs fourteen times in this chapter alone, doubled and thriced for its significance. And remember, this prophecy is meant for the house of Israel which is primarily the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France and secondarily their European allies.
For understanding who the modern tribes of Judah and Joseph are, the best book to have expounded this subject is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen (1847-1930).
For detailed studies on Joseph, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn
For a more detailed Study of Ezekiel 20:45 to 21:5 about this serious subject, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!
Ezekiel 21
1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — here is the Lord’s explanation of the riddle of the last chapter;
— it is declared that the word of the Lord was a “prophesy against the land of Israel” and the whole land, that all might know it was his decree against a wicked and rebellious people;
— in the Targum it is Ezekiel 21:6 Jonathan: “And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”
2 “Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
— “against the land of Israel” ~ the sword glitters to the terror of those against whom it is drawn; that is, this message for the house of Israel is meant for the United States and its European allies;
— many believe Russia and China are the main threat of the United States; but no, American threat in these two chapters comes from the South! And for Western Europe, the threat comes from the South of Europe; that is, North and Central Africa, and perhaps even the Indian sub-continent, which is also South;
— some interprets “set thy face toward Jerusalem” to mean a prophecy against Judah by the then Nebuchadnezzar; but this is working backward, since the kingdom of Judah had already fallen, and Ezekiel himself were among his captives by the river Chebar (Ezekiel 1:1), and, second, this Ezekiel warning were never delivered to the house of Judah before or during that fall before Babylon; and, thirdly, this warning message was mainly to the northern house of Israel at the endtime:
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:7 Jonathan), says, “Son of man, receive a prophecy against Jerusalem, and instruct (prophesy) against the Sanctuaries, and prophesy against the Land of Israel.”
— the Septuagint says, “Son of man, set thy face against Thæman, and look toward Darom, and prophesy against the chief forest of Nageb,” — this references to “the Negev” or “the south”
For more on the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
Another on the South, The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!
For another Captivity: see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline
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. — the green trees are the righteous, the dry trees are the wicked;
— and will draw forth my Sword out of his sheath; a similar situation occurred earlier to ancient Judah when the Chaldean army rushed out of Babylon into Judea and made the inhabitants captives;
— but the Chaldean was from the North toward the South (Ezekiel 1:4), but this is different and something new; this is from the South toward the North (Ezekiel 20:47, 21:4!) Poor thing, among the wicked the righteous will also be “cut off” ~ there is no place of safety that many among the endtime pretentious that are hoping for;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:8 Jonathan) says,
“And say to the Land of Israel, thus says the Lord: Behold, I send My anger against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath, and I will exile from you the righteous in order to destroy your wicked.”
— the Septuagint repeats the “south to north” scene, saying,
“and thou shalt say to the forest of Nageb, Hear the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord, even the Lord; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour in thee every green tree, and every dry tree: the flame that is kindled shall not be quenched, and every face shall be scorched with it from the south to the north.”
4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north,
— his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North; oh, okay, this might give us a clue what “set your face toward the South” and “kindle a fire in thee. . . from the South” are meant at the end of the preceding chapter;
— this Sword will come from the South! This is serious Anger from God! This Sword isn’t just unwanted immigrants, these are warriors, conquering warriors set to slaughter!! For those in Europe, they might come from the whole of Africa; and for the United States, they might come from the whole South, all the Latinos of South America! And “against all flesh;”
— (and flaming flame in Ezekiel 20:47) but in this chapter a subtle change: “My Sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North.” ~ that is, all flesh will die! Okay this view might be over the top, but then again, why so much emphasis of the Sword in this chapter?
— Jonathan on Obadiah 1:20 renders Sepharad as Ispamiah: Spain (Rashi quoting the Targum: Sepharad shall inherit the cities of the Southland as Spain); the Targums identified Ispamiah or Sepharad (Obadiah 1:20) with Spain, hence, Spanish Jews are called Sephardim; Zarephath and the exile of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad shall inherit the cities of the southland.
— Wikipedia: Sepharad (/sɛfəræd/or səˈfɛərəd/ Hebrew: סְפָרַד Sp̄āraḏ; also Sefarad, Sephared, Sfard) is the Hebrew name for the Iberian Peninsula, consisting of both modern-time Western Europe’s Spain and Portugal. A place called Sepharad, probably referring to Sardis in Lydia (‘Sfard’ in Lydian), in the Book of Obadiah. The name was later applied to Spain;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:9 Jonathan) says
“Because I have exiled from you the righteous in order to destroy your wicked, therefore My sword shall go out from its sheath against all flesh from South to North.”
5 that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn forth My sword out of his sheath. It shall not return any more.’ — more about the Sword! it shall not return any more;
— that is, into its sheath, until it has done all its work; meaning that the invading army should not return to their own land until they had executed the whole will of God upon the endtime house of Israel; this is the fire that should not be quenched;
— one Report by McKinsey says of the 60 millions Latinos in US that had migrated from the South; they often live in ‘deserts’ where adequate housing, groceries are hard to find. “Nearly 9 in 10 of the Latino residents in such communities lived in five states: California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas.”
— McKinsey: Latinos are projected to make up 22.4 percent of the US labor force by 2030 and more than 30 percent by 2060 (Latinos population to 111.2 million by ’60); is McKinsey’s analysis wrong?
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:10 Jonathan) says
“Because I have exiled from you the righteous in order to destroy your wicked, therefore My sword shall go out from its sheath against all flesh from South to North.”
6 Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins [‘hearts’ in other versions], and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. — sigh, therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; as if thy loins were broke, and go as if they were, and sigh as thou goest;
— or as a woman in travail, having her hands upon her loins as ready to break, and in the utmost distress; or heave, and groan, and sigh, till the girdle of the loins is broke, and by these motions and gesture show the miserable state of this people, and how much thou art affected with it;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:11 Jonathan) says
“And you, son of man, sigh; with shivering loins and with bitterness you shall sigh before their eyes.”
7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, ‘Why sighest thou?’ that thou shalt answer, ‘For the tidings, because it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water.’ Behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.”
— ‘why sighest thou?’ . . . because it cometh” ~ the report of an invading army from the South, with a Sword approaching and besieging their land, the land of modern Israel, which Ezekiel had heard from the Lord;
— and the thing itself was just at hand, and would certainly be so bad; that was the issues that affected Ezekiel, and caused so much sorrow and lamentations;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:12 Jonathan) says
“And it shall be, when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the report (news), for it is coming; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall grow weak, and every spirit shall be faint, and all knees shall flow with water; behold, it is coming and it shall be established, says the Lord God.'”
8 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
— (Ezekiel 21:13 Jonathan) “And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”
9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord. Say: “‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and also furbished! — a Sword, a Sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished; it is sharpened that it may make a slaughter;
— it is furbished that it may be as lightning: the rod for the house of Israel; primarily the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France; and secondarily their European allies. And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled: the Sword, it is sharpened, yea, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer from the South;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:14 Jonathan) says
“Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God; Say: A sword! The sword of the King of Babylon shall slay, and the sword of the children of Ammon shall be doubled and destroy.”
10 It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter. Should we then make mirth? It contemneth the rod of My son, as every tree.
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:15 Jonathan) says
“To perform a slaughter it is drawn; to perform retribution it is sharpened, because the tribe of the House of Judah and Benjamin rejoiced over the tribes of Israel when they went into exile because they worshipped idols; and [now] they themselves have returned to err after images of wood.”
11 “‘And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled; this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer. — three times elsewhere (Jeremiah 25:9,27:6,43:10) God describes Nebuchadnezzar as “my servant;” yet he was a slayer;
— the Babylonians are slayers as affirmed by the Targum (Ezekiel 21:16 Jonathan)
“And He gave their retribution to be delivered into the hand of the King of Babylon; it is the stroke of the sword, it shall be their punishment—to deliver them into the hand of slayers.”
12 Cry and howl, son of man! For it shall be upon My people; it shall be upon all the princes of Israel. Terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon My people; smite therefore upon thy thigh.
— cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon “the princes of Israel” that is, (1) primarily the royal families and nobles of Britain, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden [but not including Spain although they have princes, ‘cos they are the posterity of Esau]: they are delivered over to the Sword with my people;
— these “princes of Israel” also include (2) the likes of Bill Gates, George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch and the Rockefellers; but most important, the Rothschilds, who spanned numerous generations centered in the City of London and in other western capital cities;
— smite therefore upon thy thigh; as one grieved in spirit, in great distress and anguish, or the sense of a terrible and irreparable evil happening, as experienced by Jeremiah:
Surely after I was turned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh. I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ Jeremiah 31:19
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:17 Jonathan) says
“Cry and wail, son of man! For it [the sword] has come among My people; it is among all the princes of Israel. Those slain by the sword were gathered and came against My people from all around; therefore, smite your thigh [in grief].”
— the Septuagint says
And it shall come to pass, if they shall say to thee, Wherefore dost thou groan? that thou shalt say, For the report; because it comes: and every heart shall break, and all hands shall become feeble, and all flesh and every spirit shall faint, and all thighs shall be defiled with moisture: behold, it comes, saith the Lord.
13 Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? It shall be no more, saith the Lord God.’ — and what if the sword disdain or scorn even the rod?
— here God foretells, that if the princes of Israel should despise, or not accept the correction or punishment brought upon them by the trial, these princes would be entirely broken, and be no more!
— and from the Message Bible
12 “Yell out and wail, son of man.
The sword is against my people!
The princes of Israel
and my people—abandoned to the sword!
Wring your hands!
Tear out your hair!13 “‘Testing comes.
Why have you despised discipline?
You can’t get around it.
Decree of God, the Master.’14-17 “So, prophesy, son of man!
Clap your hands. Get their attention.
Tell them that the sword’s coming down
once, twice, three times.
It’s a sword to kill,
a sword for a massacre,
A sword relentless,
a sword inescapable—
People collapsing right and left,
going down like dominoes.
I’ve stationed a murderous sword
at every gate in the city,
Flashing like lightning,
brandished murderously.
Cut to the right, thrust to the left,
murderous, sharp-edged sword!
Then I’ll clap my hands,
a signal that my anger is spent.
I, God, have spoken.” Ezekiel 21:12-17 MSG
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:18 Jonathan) says
“For the prophets prophesied over them and they did not return [to God]; and what shall be their end? Say: Even the tribes of the House of Judah and Benjamin shall surely go into exile, and because of their evil deeds they shall not endure, says the Lord God.”
14 “Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain. It is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their secret chambers. — “sword” mentioned three times in this verse, emphasizing its intensity and importance;
— and smite thine hands together; the meaning of the clapping of the hands, smiting the hands together is an indication of violent grief; normally accompanied by loud crying and wailing;
— “Let the sword be doubled the third time…” the sword shall overtake them, not merely in the open battlefield, but in the chambers whither they flee to hide themselves; showing and power of the Sword coming against the “the princes of Israel” ~ all hope of escape would certainly be gone;
— which entereth into their privy chambers; that is, their most protected palaces, underground bunkers and forts; where “the princes of Israel” should endeavour to hide themselves, but in vain, like Saddam Hussein, none shall escape; their privy hideouts and palaces could not be kept in secret to secure them;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:19 Jonathan) says
“And you, son of man, prophesy and smite hand against hand; and let the sword be doubled and tripled—it is the sword of the slain; it is the sword of retribution for the great slaughter that makes them tremble.”
15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint and their ruins be multiplied. Ah! It is made bright; it is sharpened for the slaughter. — the sword against all their gates, that is, against all security of “the princes of Israel”
— Gill: I have set the point of the sword against all their gates…. the word rendered “point” is nowhere else used, and is differently translated: by some the “fear” of the Sword; by others the “cry” of the Sword, or of those that are slain with it, as the Targum paraphrases it, “those that slay with the sword.”
— their ruins be multiplied; literally, their stumbling blocks be multiplied. The thought is that in the coming desolation trouble shall be on every side and in their perplexity occasions for ill-advised action shall arise all around;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:20 Jonathan) says
“In order to break their heart and to multiply their stumbling-blocks, at all their gates I have appointed the slayers of the sword; Woe! The sword is drawn to slay, it is sharpened to destroy.”
16 Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set. — Gather thyself up, O princes of Israel, to the right or to the left. Another rendering is: “Turn thee backwards! get thee to the right! Set thee forwards! Get thee to the left!”
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:21 Jonathan) says
“Draw yourself and slay from the south, and destroy from the north; to wherever your face is summoned (prepared).”
17 I will also smite Mine hands together, and I will cause My fury to rest. I, the Lord, have said it.” — God will also smite his hands together in show of his wrath; he will encourage the slayers to go on. God even said he needs to express His fury so he could find rest; and he will bring vengeance upon vengeance;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:22 Jonathan) says,
“And I also will bring retribution upon retribution, and I will cause My fury to rest; I, the Lord, have decreed it by My word.”
18 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:23 Jonathan) says, “And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”
19 “Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; both shall come forth out of one land. And choose thou a place; choose it at the head of the way to the city.
— by the spirit of prophecy Ezekiel foresaw Nebuchadnezzar’s march from Babylon, and Ezekiel was asked to choose the two ways, by one or other of which the invading army must march from Babylon to Judea and Jerusalem;
— from the Voice
The word of the Eternal came to me: 19 Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of Babylon’s king to take. Have both roads begin in the same place. Make a signpost, and put it at the fork in the road: 20 one road leading the sword to Ammon and its capital, Rabbah; the other road leading to Judah and its fortified capital, Jerusalem. Ezekiel 21:18-20 Voice
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:24 Jonathan) says
“And you, son of man, prepare for yourself two ways for the slayers of the sword of the King of Babylon to come; from one land both of them shall go out. And prepare a place (signpost); at the head of the fork of the road to the city, prepare a place.”
20 Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah in Jerusalem, the fortified. — normally the Babylonians came from the North, but through Rabbah of the Ammonites would be from the East; either way is deadly;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:25 Jonathan) says
“Prepare a way for the slayers of the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and against the House of Judah, who went out from Jerusalem to dwell in fortified cities.”
21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked at the liver.
— to use divination; that is, consulting witchcraft; he consulted with images (“teraphim”) that is, household gods, like what Rachel store from her father, Genesis 31:19,34, and she died of childbirth;
— he looked in the liver; it was a more scientific practice of the ancients to make an inspection of the entrails (especially the liver) of animals offered in sacrifice, to fruitlessly judge the success or failure of an undertaking;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:26 Jonathan) says
“For the King of Babylon stood at the mother of the crossroads, at the head of the two ways, to practice divination: he shot with arrows, he consulted with images (idols), he looked at the liver.”
22 At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem: to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a siege mound, and to build a fort.
— and ‘Head for Jerusalem!’ says the Message Bible and from the Voice:
The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road and he decides by divination which of the two roads to take. He draws straws, he throws god-dice, he examines a goat liver. He opens his right hand: The omen says, ‘Head for Jerusalem!’ So he’s on his way with battering rams, roused to kill, sounding the battle cry, pounding down city gates, building siege works. Ezekiel 21:21-22 MSG
Kings never go into battle without first looking for signs and omens. War is too risky—even for Babylon—not to have the blessings of the gods. The Babylonian king stops at the crossroads: which way should he go? So he calls for his priests to consult the gods for signs. Their mediation may be something like drawing straws. At times it involves the ancient practice of “reading” the liver of a sacrificial animal. When a king wants to make sure his decision is the correct one, he uses several forms of divination. The ancients do not believe in chance; they believe their gods are involved in orchestrating their lives and decisions. In this case, Babylon’s king happens to be correct because the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is directing him to take the road to Jerusalem. Ezekiel 21:21-22 Voice
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:27 Jonathan) says
“In his right hand was the lot for Jerusalem: to appoint generals to open the gates so that slayers may enter, to lift the voice with the blast of the horn, to appoint generals against the gates, to cast up a mound, and to build a siege-wall.”
23 And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken. — and it shall be unto them as a false vision; that is, these mockers and unbelievers shall laugh at this prophecy as a vain thing;
— the Voice “Everyone in Jerusalem will believe the omen to be false because they had pledged loyalty to Babylon. But his actions will remind the doubters of their guilt, and they will be taken prisoners,”
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:28 Jonathan) says
“And the divination was in their eyes like false divination, like omens that were hissed (whispered) to them; and they did not know that forty-nine times he [the King] had waited and reconsidered the matter, until the hour came that they should be delivered into his hand.”
24 “Therefore thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye have come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:29 Jonathan) says “ye shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon;”
“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have brought your guilt to remembrance, in that your rebellions are revealed, so that your sins appear in all your deeds; because you have been brought to remembrance, into the hand of the King of Babylon you shall be delivered.”
25 And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end, — the details given in the above few verses were about ancient Judah and its invasion, but Ezekiel’s message is for the endtime;
— “wicked prince of Israel” ~ singular, that is, this wicked prince of Israel stands out above the general wickedness of all the other princes; so who will he be, we need to wait and see;
— such details are written in coded language and only God knows what all these messages are to play out; so we may have to observe how world events eventuates in the next couple of years; which means these comments will need to be updated every now and then. Be patient, we’ll get there;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:30 Jonathan) says,
“And you, guilty of death, O wicked prince of Israel, whose day of breaking (ruin) has arrived, the time of the retribution for his sins.”
26 thus saith the Lord God: “‘Remove the diadem and take off the crown; this shall not be the same. Exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high;
— thus saith the Lord God, remove the diadem, and take off the crown; that is, from Zedekiah; and as these are the regalia and ensigns of royal dignity, taking them off signifies the deposition of someone as a king;
— “exalt him that is low” is to exalt the Zarah line from the Pharez line. For more details, see “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:31 Jonathan) says,
“Thus says the Lord God: Remove the mitre from Seraiah the High Priest, and abolish the crown from Zedekiah the King; [God] said: this and that shall not remain in its place; they shall surely be exiled; Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, [the office] which was not his, he shall take it; and Zedekiah, [the crown] which was his, it shall be removed from him.”
27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. And it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it to Him.’
— from Jerusalem to Ireland, from to Scotland and then finally to England; thus three overturns, until he come whose right it is; the right of the crown and final king of Israel as scepter holder; also the Messiah, being descended from a royalty of kings of the house of Judah, and of the seed of David;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:32 Jonathan) says
“Because of the sins they committed, like their sins I will take retribution from them. Even for this one [Gedaliah] it shall not endure, until I bring upon him the retribution of Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and I will deliver him into his hand.”
28 “And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; even say thou: “‘The sword, the sword is drawn; for the slaughter it is furbished to consume because of the glittering”
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:33 Jonathan) says,
“And you, son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God concerning the children of Ammon and concerning their reproach; and you shall say: The sword, the sword is drawn to slay! It is sharpened to destroy, in order that it may have a [flashing] glitter.”
29 while they [the Ammonites] see vanity unto thee, while they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked whose day is come when their iniquity shall have an end. — the Ammonites, today’s Jordan, an Islamic country, also had lying prophets among them;
— according to the Book of Nehemiah, Tobiah was an Ammonite official who attempted to hinder Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. He also influenced and corrupted the Jewish high priest, Eliashib, and took over the storerooms of the Temple for his own use;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:34 Jonathan) says,
“While they prophesy falsely to you, while they divine lies to you, to deliver your neck like the necks of the slain wicked ones, whose day of breaking has arrived, the time of the visitation of their evil.”
30 Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity. — they, today’s Jordan, would be judged in their own land, and could be destroyed;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:35 Jonathan) says,
“Return the sword to its sheath; in the place where you were created, in the land of your dwelling (sojourn), I will exact punishment from you.”
31 And I will pour out Mine indignation upon thee; I will blow against thee in the fire of My wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skillful to destroy. — the false prophets of the Ammonites made false prophecies of victory; they would never recover their power, but in time would be wholly forgotten;
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:36 Jonathan) says,
“And I will pour out My fury upon you; with the fire of My retribution I will blow against you; and I will deliver you into the hand of wicked men, who are skilled in destruction.”
32 Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land. Thou shalt be no more remembered; for I the Lord have spoken it.’”
— thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; such large numbers shall be slain everywhere, that the land shall flow with the blood of them; who shall lie unburied, and rot, and putrefy upon the ground:
— and thou shalt be remembered no more. This prophecy against Ammon and the Ammonites has no promise of restoration; and although they were not to be carried away captive as Judah, they were to perish in his own land; for the Lord have spoken it (more below);
— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:37 Jonathan) says,
“To nations that are as strong as fire you shall be delivered, to be destroyed; the guilt of your slaughter shall be in the midst of the land; your memory shall not enter (be remembered); for I, the Lord, have decreed it by My Word.”
~~~~
This prophecy against Ammon has no promise of restoration. Why? We might speculate why the Ammonites were singled out here for this special oracle; but it might have pertained to the share they had in the murder of Gedaliah, by the hand of Ishmael and the Ammonites gave these killers refuge;
Second, in historic time, when Nebuchadnezzar took his route to Jerusalem, and destroyed the city, returned to Babylon, he went about without making any attempt upon the Ammonites; which so flushed the Ammonites that they insulted the Jews and laughed at their destruction, as if their God whom they served could not save them.
And thirdly, Tobiah was an Ammonite, perhaps a governor, who along with Sanballat the Horonite and Geshem the Arabian, attempted to
(1) hinder Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile, and he
(2) influenced the Jewish high priest Eliashib, and took over the storerooms of the Temple for his own use; and Tobiah, an Ammonite
(3) conspired with Sanballat the Samaritan of the law for the returning Jews their renegade way of observing Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost); and
(4) where the holiest site for the Temple should be, which the Jews believe is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem but the renegade “mixed” population Samaritans believe is Mount Gerizim near modern Nablus in ancient Shechem.
And finally, the Ammonites are modern Jordan (or are they; or that a new group of people, the Jordanians, had replaced the ancient Ammonites) sitting on land allocated to three of the tribes of Israel east of the Jordan, and the house of Israel may soon be taking their ancestral Promised land back, land that could even stretch to the Euphrates River.
Ezekiel 22
In Chapter 10, God’s four judgements — SWORD, war. FAMINE, occasioned by drought. PESTILENCE, epidemic diseases which sweep off a great part of the inhabitants of the land of Israel. And in this chapter it is BLOOD! Which is repeated 8 times for emphasis.
1 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord; that is, another prophecy;
2 “Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? Yea, thou shalt show her all her abominations. — the bloody city?… or, “city of blood” or “cities of blood” so called on account of murders perpetrated in her as in the United States with so much gun violence today;
— the Targum says
“And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the city that sheds innocent blood within it? Then make known to her all her abominations.”
3 Then say thou, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself. — this is a reference to cities in the house of Israel;
— and maketh idols against herself, to defile herself; being guilty, not only of murder, but of idolatry; she was an idol maker and an idol worshipper; and which was against herself, as well as against God;
— the Targum says
“And you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: O city that sheds innocent blood within it, the time of its breaking has arrived; and they serve idols within it in order to become defiled.”
4 Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years. Therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the nations and a mocking to all countries.
— “I have made thee a reproach among the nations” ~ this is a prophecy of what will soon happen as indicated in the future tense used in the next verse, “Those that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall mock thee.”
— mockings from all countries and shedding of blood could indicate civil war within the nation, see Is Britain on the Brink of Civil War?
— the Targum says
“By the guilt of the innocent blood you shed, you have become liable; and by the service of the idols you served, you have become defiled. You have brought near the day of your breaking, and the time of your evil (doom) has arrived. Therefore, I have given you up as a reproach to the nations and a mockery to all the provinces.”
5 Those that are near and those that are far from thee shall mock thee, who art infamous and much vexed. — the “much vexed” refers to the internal confusion, commotions and social disorders which characterised the decaying state of the nation;
— the Targum says
“Those near and those far from you shall mock you; O you who are defiled of name and abundant in turmoil.”
6 “‘Behold, the princes of Israel, every one was in thee to their power to shed blood. — behold, the princes of Israel; those that belonged to (1) the royal family, princes and princesses, (2) the rich and nobles of the land, governors, city chiefs, oligarchs, members of Parliament or Congressmen of a nation;
— the Targum says
“Behold, the princes of Israel—each according to his power were within you, in order to shed innocent blood.”
7 In thee have they made light of father and mother. In the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger. In thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow. — filial respect for fathers and mothers was one of the most frequently enjoined precepts of the law (see Leviticus 19:32; Leviticus 20:9);
— they vexed the fatherless and the widow; that were weak and helpless and had none to protect them, father and husband being dead; when, according to their first rank and station as princes, they ought to have been their defenders; but, instead of that, distressed, afflicted, and grieved them;
— the Targum says
“Father and mother they have treated with contempt within you; toward the stranger they have practiced oppression in your midst; orphan and widow they have wronged within you.”
8 Thou hast despised Mine holy things and hast profaned My Sabbaths. — the people hast despised mine holy thing; the holy place, the Temple and its worship;
— holy persons, the priests that officiated there; holy sacrifices offered up by them; the holy word of God read and explained; and there all holy ordinances administered. These words are directed at Jerusalem, the holy city, and to its inhabitants, who ought to have been holy men;
— and hast profaned my sabbaths; by doing their own work, and neglecting the service of God; and is not merely a ritual violation but as a symptom and cause of the city’s wider collapse—bloodshed, injustice, sexual immorality and other exploitation;
“If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable, and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words,” Isaiah 58:13
Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctify them. Ezekiel 20:12
— the Targum says
“My holy things you have despised, and My Sabbath days you have profaned.”
9 In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood, and in thee they eat upon the mountains. In the midst of thee they commit lewdness [indecency or obscenity].
— men that carry tales; informers and trepanners, or persons that, corrupted with money, give in false witness against the innocent; and the princes of Israel (v6 above) had hands in it; spreading lies about WMD that Saddam Hussein had and going to war against Iraq;
— in the midst of thee they commit lewdness; a general word for all manner of uncleanness, as adultery, fornication, incest, and all those injuies suffered by minors through the years by those circulating pedophiles around Epstein’s orbit;
— the Targum says
“Men of slander (informers) were within you in order to shed innocent blood; and upon the mountains they served idols within you; indeed, they committed sinful counsel in your midst.”
10 In thee have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. — the worst of heathens, there have been and are some that incestuously defile their fathers’ bed;
— the Targum says
“The nakedness of a father they have uncovered within you; a woman in her state of impurity they have humbled/afflicted within you.”
11 And one hath committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife, and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law, and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.
— horrible, shameless doings! the father-in-law committing incest with the wife’s daughter, and brothers defile their own sisters; all this against the light of nature, the law of civilized nations, and the law of God;
— the Targum says
“And a man has committed an abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and a man has defiled his daughter-in-law with sinful counsel; and a man has humbled (violated) his sister, the daughter of his father, within you.”
12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood. Thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained from thy neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten Me, saith the Lord God.
— innocent blood, as the Targum clarifies; judges upon the bench, whose office it is to take the part of the innocent, and clear him from unjust charges; and protect him from the violence of wicked and unreasonable men; that lay things to his charge, which, if true, would require blood;
— and yet men in such offices took bribes to bring in the innocent guilty, and pass sentence of death on him; which is a most shocking iniquity indeed: to take bribes in pecuniary matters is very wicked; but to do it in cases which affect life is most dreadfully cruel;
— or if it is to be understood of such persons who take bribes to bear false witness against a man, to the taking away of his life, it is a very heinous and detestable sin; for, as for a set of jurymen bribed to bring in a wrong verdict, which would be equally a most enormous crime;
— and from the Message Bible;
“‘Your leaders, the princes of Israel among you, compete in crime. You’re a community that’s insolent to parents, abusive to outsiders, oppressive against orphans and widows. You treat my holy things with contempt and desecrate my Sabbaths. You have people spreading lies and spilling blood, flocking to the hills to the sex shrines and fornicating unrestrained. Incest is common. Men force themselves on women regardless of whether they’re ready or willing. Sex is now anarchy. Anyone is fair game: neighbor, daughter-in-law, sister. Murder is for hire, usury is rampant, extortion is commonplace. Ezekiel 22:6-12 MSG
— the Targum says
“They have accepted bribes within you in order to shed innocent blood; interest and usury you have taken, and you have profited from your neighbors through oppression; and My worship you have abandoned, says the Lord God.”
13 “‘Behold, therefore I have smitten Mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.
— behold, therefore, I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made; as one amazed at it; or as filled with indignation against it; or as grieved and distressed at it; or else as rejoicing at the punishment going to be inflicted on them for it;
— and from the Message Bible;
“‘Now look! I’ve clapped my hands, calling everyone’s attention to your rapacious greed and your bloody brutalities. Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you? “‘I, God, have spoken. I’ll put an end to this. I’ll throw you to the four winds. I’ll scatter you all over the world. I’ll put a full stop to your filthy living. You will be defiled, spattered with your own mud in the eyes of the nations. And you’ll recognize that I am God.’” Ezekiel 22:13-16 MSG
— the Targum says
“And behold, I have brought My retribution upon you because of the sins of your forced monetary gain which you committed, and because of the innocent blood that was shed within you.”
14 Can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee? I, the Lord, have spoken it, and will do it. — can thine hands be strong, to hold the sword, and manage against the warlike Nebuchadnezzar and his army?
— the Targum says,
“Will your heart remain firm, or will your hands be strong, for the days that I am destined to deal with you? I, the Lord, have decreed it by My Word, and I will establish it.”
15 And I will scatter thee among the nations and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee. — in the process of sanctifying you, the house of Israel, you’ll be scattered and dispersed throughout various provinces of other nations, as chaff is by the winds;
— the Targum says
“And I will exile you among the nations and scatter you among the provinces; and I will bring an end to your filthiness from within you.”
16 And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the nations, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.’” — take thine inheritance in thyself; formerly thou wast my inheritance; but now, full of guilt, thou art no longer mine, but thine own inheritance to thyself; “in the sight of the heathen,”
— from the Message Bible
“‘Now look! I’ve clapped my hands, calling everyone’s attention to your rapacious greed and your bloody brutalities. Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you? “
‘I, God, have spoken. I’ll put an end to this. I’ll throw you to the four winds. I’ll scatter you all over the world. I’ll put a full stop to your filthy living. You will be defiled, spattered with your own mud in the eyes of the nations. And you’ll recognize that I am God.’” Ezekiel 22:13-16 MSG
— and in this process of sanctifying you, God himself would be sanctified, as the Targum says
“And I will be sanctified through you in the eyes of the nations; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
17 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — as the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord;
18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has to Me become dross [something regarded as worthless; rubbish]. All they are brass and tin and iron and lead in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
— from the Message Bible
God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, the people of Israel are slag to me, the useless byproduct of refined copper, tin, iron, and lead left at the smelter—a worthless slag heap. So tell them, ‘God, the Master, has spoken: Because you’ve all become worthless slag, you’re on notice: I’ll assemble you in Jerusalem.
As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into a furnace and blow fire on it to melt it down, so in my wrath I’ll gather you and melt you down. I’ll blow on you with the fire of my wrath to melt you down in the furnace. As silver is melted down, you’ll be melted down. That should get through to you. Then you’ll recognize that I, God, have let my wrath loose on you.’” Ezekiel 22:17-22 MSG
— the Targum says
“Son of man, the House of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are like a mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead inside a furnace; they have become the dross of silver.”
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because ye have all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. — indeed judgement appeared in 70 AD; “all become dross” in the hands of the Romans, but it was actually God gathering them for judgement;
— the Targum says
“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become as dross, therefore, behold, I am gathering you into the midst of Jerusalem.”
20 As they gather silver and brass and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it to melt it, so will I gather you in Mine anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you.
— several metals of the baser sort are here mentioned, by a gradation from the better to the worse; tin being not so good as brass, and iron of less value than either, and “I will leave you there and melt you”
— (a) the Essenses, who formulated their own calendar, but God is a jealous Being; and they melted away;
— (b) the Sadducees (who observed a Passover and Pentecost similar to the Samaritan’s) where both defiled the tenets from the Sanhedrin and were wiped out by the Sword and by Fire!
— the Targum says
“As one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it to melt it; so will I gather [you] in My anger and in My wrath, and I will leave (place) you there and destroy you.”
21 Yea, I will gather you and blow upon you in the fire of My wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. — and I will leave you there, and melt you; that is, I will leave you to the sword, famine, and pestilence, to be destroyed by them;
— or with fire at the burning of the city: or, “I will rest” as the refiner does; having put his metal into the furnace, and blown the fire, sits still till all are melted;
— the Targum says
“And I will gather you and I will strengthen against you the fire of My retribution, and you shall be melted in its midst.”
22 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury upon you.’”
— today more than 98.5 percent of Christians are honoring the SUN by observing SUNday. They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the SUN toward the east,” Ezekiel 8:16 (more at the end);
— the Targum says
“As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My wrath upon you.”
23 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the Targum says, “A word of prophecy from before the Lord came to me, saying…”
24 “Son of man, say unto her: ‘Thou art the land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the day of indignation.’
— the Targum says
“Son of man, say to her: You are the Land of Israel; a land that is not cleansed, and good deeds were not performed in her that would protect her on the day of the curse (wrath).”
25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
— the Targum says
“The company of her scribes is in her midst like roaring lions to kill; they have killed people; they have taken wealth and honor; they have increased her widows within her.”
26 Her priests have violated My law and have profaned Mine holy things. They have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shown difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
— and Judah’s 70 years in captivity was because of a neglect of the land Sabbath!
19 And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces thereof with fire and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20 And those who had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years. II Chronicles 36:19-21
— the Targum says
“Her priests have done violence to My Torah and have profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and the secular, and they have not made known the difference between the impure and the pure; they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbath days, and My Will has been profaned among them.”
27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
— the princes in the midst of Israel; those that belonged to the royal family, the rich and nobles of the land, governors, city chiefs, members of Parliament of Congress of a nation.
— the Targum says
“Her princes in her midst are like wolves snatching prey, to shed innocent blood, to destroy souls, in order to receive the money of lies (dishonest gain).”
28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity and divining lies unto them, saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord God,’ when the Lord hath not spoken. — saying, thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken; herein mimicking the true prophets, who came in the name of the Lord,
— and usually prefaced their prophecies with a thus saith the Lord; and so did these false prophets, when the Lord said nothing to them, and gave them no commission to speak in his name, or say the things they did;
— the Targum says
“And the false prophets within her are like those who build a wall and plaster it with plain mud (untempered mortar) without straw; they prophesy lies and teach them falsehoods, saying: ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when from before the Lord it was not spoken.”
29 The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy; yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
— from the Message Bible
26-29 “‘Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can’t tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there’s no difference between right and wrong. They’re contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, “This is what God, the Master, says . . .” when God hasn’t said so much as one word. Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’
30-31 “I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it. I couldn’t find anyone. Not one. So I’ll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they’ve done. Decree of God, the Master.” Ezekiel 22:28-30 MSG
— the Targum says
“The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery; they have wronged the poor and the needy, and they have oppressed the stranger/convert without justice.”
30 And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.
— God looks for helpers but He found none; no repairer of the breach volunteer willing to act as intercessor, nor restorer of path to truth; no mediator for the people, as Abraham for Sodom, Moses for Israel; or any, like Aaron, that stood between the living and the dead to slay the plague;
— the Targum says
“And I sought from them before Me a man who has good deeds, who would stand in the breach before Me and seek mercy for the people of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found none.”
31 Therefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. Their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.” — I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: by the Sword, Famine, Pestilence and Captivity;
— the Targum says
“And I have poured out My indignation upon them; with the fire of My retribution I have consumed them; I have placed the retribution for their ways upon their own heads, says the Lord God.”
For a more detailed Study (see Ezekiel 20:45 to chapter 21:5) about this subject, The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South! click here
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Today more than 98.5 percent of Christians are honoring the SUN by observing SUNday. They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the SUN toward the east,” Ezekiel 8:16.
Others, following the SUN-worshipping Samaritans, the Church of God Communities are showing their contempt for God by having their “wavesheaf offering” and Pentecost on a SUNday. Always on SUNdays. And these are supposedly in God’s sanctuary, but God says He is a jealous God, so these pretentious Christians could be spewed out of His mouth! No? Regardless, there are those being described in Revelation 3:17 — wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: or else I will spew thee out of My mouth (v16,19).”
Despite the above, there’ll be a remnant that are spared: “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and who cry because of all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof,” Ezekiel 9:4. These remnants “who sigh and who cry” will be marked with a letter ת in ink on the forehead.
Joel
A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob 