A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob

Chapter 35 is a prophecy of the destruction of Edom, who had threatened Israel, their hatred and slaughter of the Israelites, finally led to their own downfall.

But who are the posterity of Edom/Esau today? The answer lies in the book of Obadiah which deals with the posterity of Esau. And Jonathan Targum identifies Esau (Sepharad of the Southland identified) as Ispamia! Obadiah 1:20; the Targum identified Sepharad with Spain, hence, Spanish Jews are called Sephardim.

Wikipedia: Sepharad (/sɛfəræd/or səˈfɛərəd/ Hebrew: סְפָרַד Sp̄āraḏ; also Sefarad, Sephared, Sfard) is the Hebrew name for Spain. A place called Sepharad, probably referring to Sardis in Lydia (‘Sfard’ in Lydian), in the Book of Obadiah (Obadiah 1:20, 6th century BC) of the Hebrew Bible. The name was later applied to Spain.

Ezekiel 35

¹ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — as the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord; that is, another prophecy as the next verse says.

² “Son of man, set thy face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it — Son of man set thy face against Mount Seir; which derived its name from Seir the Horite, who first possessed it; and was succeeded by Esau and his posterity, the Edomites; (Genesis 36:8; Deuteronomy 2:12), so that the country of Edom or Idumea is intended here;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, receive a prophecy against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it.”

³ and say unto it, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out Mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. — behold, O Mount Seir, I am against thee: not the face of the prophet only, but the face of God himself was against them;

— the Targum says, “behold, I send my fury upon thee.”

⁴ I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. — “and thou shalt know that I am the Lord” indicates the children of Edom repented, they do know God ultimately and survive!

— the Targum says,

“Your cities I will lay in ruins, and you shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁵ Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end,

— because thou hast had a perpetual hatred; subsisting in the posterity of Esau against the posterity of Jacob, because the latter supplanted the former, and got the birthright from him;

“And Esau harbored hatred in his heart against Jacob, his brother, because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him.
“And Esau said in his heart, ‘I will not do as Cain did, who killed Abel during their father’s lifetime and then their father had another son, Seth.

“Rather, I will wait until the days of mourning for my father have passed, and then I will kill Jacob my brother, and I will be the sole heir.’” Genesis 27:42 Jonathan

— when the Israelites were struggling out of Egypt, it started when the Edomites refused permission for them to pass through their land (Numbers 20:14-21); to their invasion of Judah (II Chronicles 20:10-11); to their aiding Nebuchadnezzar in the overthrow of Jerusalem (Obadiah 1:1,13);

— to the outrageous conduct of the Herods and their dynasty centuries later against God’s plan during the days of Christ and the apostles. The Herods were Idumaeans or Edomites;

— then the Spanish Inquisition: under Papal control, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in the 1480-1590s have around 150,000 Jews prosecuted for various offences. 3,000–5,000 were executed, particularly in the initial 50 years, mostly by burning at the stake. Others included penance and public flogging, exile, enslavement on galleys, and prison terms from years to life, together with the confiscation of all property: Wikipedia

— the Targum says,

“Because you had an everlasting enmity, and you delivered the children of Israel into the hands of those who kill with the sword, in the time of their breaking, in the time of the final payment for their sins.”

— (more at the end: “Rage it, rage it, even to the foundation thereof!” Psalms 137:7)

⁶ therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will prepare thee for blood, and blood shall pursue thee. Since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. — therefore, as I live; is a form of an oath; the Lord swears by himself, because he couldn’t swear any greater;

— since thou hast loved cruelty, and taken delight in shedding blood, vengeance and slaughter shall pursue thee, and thou shalt fall into the hands of those that will be as eager to shed blood;

— the Targum says, “they that slay with the sword shall pursue you”

“Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, surely I will make you for killing, and those who kill with the sword shall pursue you; surely, blood (guilt) shall pursue you.”

⁷ Thus will I make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. — this was fulfilled; for the Nabatheans having driven the Edomites out of their ancient habitations in the time of the Babylonish captivity;

— they then settled themselves in the southern part of Judea, where they were afterward conquered by Hyrcanus, and were obliged to embrace the Jewish religion;

— the Targum says,

“And I will make Mount Seir a desolation and an astonishment, and I will destroy from it the one who passes through and the one who returns.”

⁸ And I will fill his mountains with his slain men; in thy hills and in thy valleys and in all thy rivers shall they fall that are slain with the sword. — take them as a whole, there is nothing like them in the world, especially those living near Petra;

— the Targum says,

“And I will fill its mountains with its slain; on your heights and in your hills and in all your valleys, those slain by the sword shall fall (be cast) in them.”

⁹ I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. — thy cities shall not be restored to thee again;

— not only Mount Seir, but all the rest of the mountains, in Idumea; where they shall flee for refuge, and the enemy shall pursue them, and slay them; and where their carcasses will fall in such numbers, as to cover the mountains with them;

— and ye shall know that I am the Lord when they shall see all these things exactly accomplished, that the omniscient God of Israel could foretell events and come to their senses, thus they survive rather having their names remember no more;

— the Targum says,

“I will make you an everlasting desolation, and your cities shall not be inhabited; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁰ “‘Because thou hast said, “These two nations and these two countries shall be mine and we will possess it,” though the Lord was there, — these two nations; these are Israel and Judah, the covenant people after Solomon, the northern and the southern Israels, Samaria and Jerusalem;

— the Targum says,

“Because you said: ‘The two nations and the two lands shall be mine, and I will inherit them’; but before the Lord, the thoughts of the heart are revealed.”

¹¹ therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will even do according to thine anger and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I have judged thee.

— when I have judged thee: so God is known by the judgements that he executeth, like Petra in the picture above or to Jerusalem in AD 70, when such wicked ones are taken in their own works, as snares which themselves have laid;

— Petra, “when I have judged thee” is now described as:

“This land, once so rich in flocks and herds, so mighty in its rock-hewn cities, so extensive in its commercial activities, so renowned for the architectural splendor of its palaces, is now a desolated and deserted wilderness. Its whole population consists of three or four miserable tiny villages. No merchant would now dare to enter it; its highways are unused; its cities are in ruins.” Studylight (Plumptre)

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, I will act according to your anger and according to your fury which you practiced out of your hatred toward them; and I will be revealed to do good to them when I take vengeance from you.”

¹² And thou shalt know that I am the Lord, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are laid desolate. They are given us to consume.”

— and that God have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel; by clapping their hands and stamping their feet, rejoicing against the people of Israel and Judah literally, and the churches and people of God figuratively.

For thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in heart with all thy contemptuous hate against the land of Israel, Ezekiel 25:6

— the Targum says,

“And you shall know that I, the Lord, have heard all your provocations (outrage) which you spoke against the mountains of the land of Israel, saying: ‘They are desolated; they are delivered to us for destruction.'”

¹³ Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against Me and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them. — blasphemies against Israel and against me; God regards what is said or done against his people as done against God himself;

— the Targum says,

“And you magnified yourselves against Me with the words of your mouths, and you multiplied your words against Me; before Me, they are heard.”

¹⁴ Thus saith the Lord God: When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. — this gives the requisite antithesis to Ezekiel 35:15; as Edom rejoiced over the destruction of Judah, the whole earth that overjoyed at her desolation would face similar fate;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation.”

¹⁵ As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee. Thou shalt be desolate, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am the Lord.’”

— and finally the remnant of Israel are not lead into “a place of safety” but are to be “scattered into all the winds.”

. . . and I will execute judgements in thee [Israel], and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds, Ezekiel 5:10

— the Targum says,

“Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the House of Israel because their land was desolated, so will I do to you; a desolation you shall be, O Mount Seir, and all of Edom, all of it; and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

— even though all Edom were made desolate, but at the end, “and they shall know that I am the Lord;” that is, eventually, they would repent and survive.

~~~

The Lord was asked to remember in Psalms 137 against the Edomites who had asked that Jerusalem be razed to its foundations:

Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem’s fall, who said, “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!” Psalms 137:7.

To call for the razing of the Temple of God “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!” is a heavy crime against the God of the Most High. The Almighty dwelled there and these Edomites cheered the Babylonians to burn it down? Madness! Just Madness!

And again, a reminder of those or any who clap their hands and stamp their feet against the fall of Israel will be punished severely.

For thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in heart with all thy contemptuous hate against the land of Israel, Ezekiel 25:6

Ezekiel 36

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 is actually the combined full house of Jacob, the full twelve or thirteen tribes. But Ephraim headed the northern house of Israel while Judah headed the southern house of Judah.

For detailed studies on Ephraim and Manasseh (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

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, the word “Israel” has five (or even six) possible meanings:

(1) Jacob’s name was given as Israel, since the angel gave him a new name, Israel; Genesis 32:28

(2) Jacob said, “and let my name be named on them” Genesis 48:16; that is, the name “Israel” is to be installed to the children of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh;

(3) the children of Israel, or all the house of Israel in Ezekiel 20:40 in the sense of all the progeny of Jacob, all twelve tribes; sometimes expressed as the “whole house of Israel;”

(4) the house of Israel in Ezekiel 4:3-5 as a single northern “house of Israel” which would mean the ‘first’ house of Israel or the house of 10-tribes Israel; and then another as;

(5) the ‘second’ house of Israel or the 2-tribes house of Judah as in Ezekiel 4:6; 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;

(6) Israel, the modern state of Israel, established in 1917 by the Balfour declaration and gained independence in 1948.

In understanding prophecies, the third and fourth meanings are mostly in use; the others very rarely. Still, it may seem confusing, but one should be able to separate the two by sounding out the context.

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).

¹ “Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel and say, ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.

— repeats of “the mountains of Israel;” this prophecy is concerning the desolations of the United States, the United Kingdom and France. And “Israel” mentioned 14 times in this chapter alone, is judged in relation to other nations;

— the Targum says,

“And you, son of man, prophesy concerning the mountains of Israel, and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, receive the Word of the Lord!'”

² Thus saith the Lord God: Because the enemy hath said against you, “Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession,”’

— because the enemy, particularly the Edomites or Idumeans, had said against you, aha: rejoicing at the calamity of Israel as in the preceding chapter; and who are chiefly meant; and also the Ammonites and Tyrians,

“and say unto the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God: Because thou saidst, “Aha,” against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,” Ezekiel 25:3;

— and be reminded of the original prophecy between the rivalry of Esau and Jacob:

“And Esau harbored hatred in his heart against Jacob, his brother, because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him.

“And Esau said in his heart, ‘I will not do as Cain did, who killed Abel during their father’s lifetime and then their father had another son, Seth.

“Rather, I will wait until the days of mourning for my father have passed, and then I will kill Jacob my brother, and I will be the sole heir.’” Genesis 27:42 Jonathan

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy said against you, ‘Aha! (Joy!)’ and ‘The ancient high places have become a possession for us!'”

³ therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Because they have made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the nations, and ye are taken up on the lips of talkers and are an infamy (gossip: the state of being well known for some bad quality or deed; or scoffing) of the people,

— and Edomites shall swallow you on every side; their southern neighbours were like ravenous beasts of prey, gaping upon them with their mouths; and they were brought down by the king of Babylon, helped their destruction; and everyone shared in the spoil by plundering them;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, prophesy and say: ‘Thus says the Lord God: Because they magnified themselves and because they planned to destroy and to desolate you from all around, so that you would become an inheritance for the remnant of the nations, and you became a subject of lip-talk and the rumor of the people.'”

⁴ therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are round about”

— “the mountains of Israel;” that is, concerning the United States, France and the United Kingdom (including Canada, Australia and New Zealand);

— not only were mountains spoken to, but now, “and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” these are the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark (including Greenland), Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg;

— the rivers of the mountains of Israel are their maritime trade routes that flow into foreign land: British West Indies, Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands; Gibraltar, Malta, Suez Canal, Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Madras, Bombay and Calcutta, Sri Lanka, Penang, Malacca, Singapore, Hong Kong …

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, O mountains of Israel, receive the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the slopes, to the desolate ruins and to the abandoned cities, which have become a prey and a mockery to the remnant of the nations that are all around.”

⁵ therefore thus saith the Lord God: Surely in the fire of My jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the nations and against all Edom, who have appointed My land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out as a prey.’

— to those neighbouring nations that “have appropriated My land for a possession” (Septuagint) were Ammon, Moab and Edom; with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey; with the utmost joy they joined Nebuchadnezzar’s army when he invaded the land of Judea and besieged Jerusalem;

— out of pure malice and spite to the Jewish people, in order to eject them from their land, that it might become a prey to them; who said, “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!”

Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem’s fall, who said, “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!” Psalms 137:7

— the posterity of Edom; being singled out above all others; Rashi and Jewish writings identify the posterity of Esau, Edomites (Magdiel) as Rome; however the prophet Obadiah identifies the posterity of Esau as Spain; together, Italy (Rome) and Spain, they are the core Catholic nations today; and this hybrid entity is further analyzed in

(1) Obadiah; and (2) The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: If I have not decreed by My Word, in the fire of My vengeance, against the remnant of the nations and against all the Edomites—who gave the land of the House of My Presence to themselves for an inheritance, with joy of the whole heart and with neglect (contempt) of soul, in order to drive it out for a prey.”

⁶ Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My fury, because ye have borne the shame of the nations.

— because ye have borne the shame of the nations; their reproaches and scoffings, their injuries and abuses; all were resented by the Lord; surely they shall bear their shame; the punishment that which is justly due to them for reproaching and putting to shame the people of God;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the slopes: ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have decreed by My Word in My anger and in My fury: Because you have received (borne) the shame (humiliation) of the nations…'”

⁷ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: I have lifted up Mine hand. Surely the nations who are about you, they shall bear their shame. — surely the nations that around you shall bear their shame; the punishment of their shame; that which is justly due to them for reproaching and putting to shame the people of God:

— or they shall be a laughing stock to others, and be reproached and derided themselves, and so be paid in their own coin; a just retaliation for their treatment of those from the house of Jacob;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I have established by My Word (sworn an oath): Surely the nations that are around you, who plundered you—they shall receive (bear) their own shame.”

⁸ “‘But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people of Israel, for they are at hand to come. — “at hand to come” means they would be safely back to the Land of Promise;

— or the original land of Judea and Samaria; there ye shall shoot forth your branches; that is, the branches from the trees that grew upon them; the vines and the olive trees, planted on hills and mountains;

— these branches would come from their colonies: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa; American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; Gibraltar; Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Mayotte, Réunion;

— the Targum says,

“But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall succeed in your produce, and you shall offer up (yield) your fruit for My people Israel; for the day of My redemption is near to come.”

⁹ For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown. — they shall return to their own border in the Promise Land, land promised to Abraham (for more, see “I am thy shield!” Genesis 15)

— the Targum says,

“For behold, I am revealed to you, and I will turn by My Word to do good to you; and you shall be tilled and you shall be sown.”

¹⁰ And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the wastes shall be built. — all the house of Jacob, all the tribes of Israel, the ten tribes as well as the other two: for all shall return;

— in fact, a large portion of Judah had already returned; the Targum says,

“And I will multiply men upon you, the entire House of Israel, all of them; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the ruins shall be rebuilt.”

¹¹ And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and bring fruit. And I will settle you according to your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

— and I will settle you after your old estates; that is, you mountains shall be inhabited by those that formerly dwelt in you, and you shall be enjoyed by your right owners; by those who had you in possession from the beginning, from the times of Joshua; by whom you were settled on them by lot, according to their several tribes. These land shall to be taken back from Ammon, Moab and Edom (verse 5 above);

— the Targum says,

“And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall multiply and increase; and I will settle you as in your earlier times, and I will do better for you than at your beginning; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

¹² Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even My people Israel; and they shall possess thee and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men. — a clearer picture could be derived from reading The Message Bible:

“‘But you, Mountains of Israel, will burst with new growth, putting out branches and bearing fruit for my people Israel. My people are coming home! Do you see? I’m back again. I’m on your side.

You’ll be plowed and planted as before! I’ll see to it that your population grows all over Israel, that the towns fill up with people, that the ruins are rebuilt. I’ll make this place teem with life—human and animal. The country will burst into life, life, and more life, your towns and villages full of people just as in the old days.

I’ll treat you better than I ever have. And you’ll realize that I am God. I’ll put people over you—my own people Israel! They’ll take care of you and you’ll be their inheritance. Never again will you be a harsh and unforgiving land to them. Ezekiel 36:11-12 MSG

— the Targum says,

“And I will multiply men upon you—even My people Israel—and they shall possess you, and you shall be an inheritance for them; and you shall no longer continue to bereave them.”

¹³ Thus saith the Lord God: Because they say unto you, “Thou, land, devourest up men and hast bereaved thy nations,” — some say to you, “The land of Israel is known for devouring its people and depriving them of their children,” Voice

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Because they say to you, ‘You are a slayer of men, and you have been a bereaver of your people.'”

¹⁴ therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord God. — because some say, the land of Israel is known for devouring its people, by famine, sword, or pestilence and depriving them of their children, thus saith the Lord God, that shall cease;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, men shall no longer be slain [within you], and your people you shall no longer bereave (finish off); says the Lord God.”

¹⁵ Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the nations any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord God.’” — not that “any more” repeated three times for emphasis;

— neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord God; fall by famine, sword, or pestilence, or any other judgment caused by sin:

— or, “thou shalt not bereave” and which the Targum and many versions follow: now what is promised is its full accomplishment upon the full return of the house of Jacob from their ‘Babylonish’ captivity.

CSB says: I will no longer allow the insults of the nations to be heard against you, and you will not have to endure the reproach of the peoples anymore; you will no longer cause your nation to stumble. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’” Ezekiel 36:14-15

For more, see A Greater “Out of Egypt” Exodus

— the Targum says,

“And I will no longer cause you to hear the humiliation of the nations, and the reproach of the peoples you shall no longer receive; and your people you shall no longer finish off (stumble); says the Lord God.”

¹⁶ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — as the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord; that is, another prophecy regarding the house of Israel as the next verse indicates.

¹⁷ “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings; their way was before Me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. — the comparison with the house of Israel is as a woman to be cleansed who has been set apart for uncleanness;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, when the House of Israel dwelt upon their land, they defiled it by their ways and by their deeds; like the defilement of a woman in her impurity was their way before Me.”

¹⁸ Therefore I poured My fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it. — God’s fury upon the house of Israel was shed because of her idols and for the blood they had shed upon the land; the innocent and righteous blood;

— the Targum says,

“And I poured out My fury upon them because of the innocent blood which they shed upon the land, and because of the worship of their idols with which they defiled it.”

¹⁹ And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

— the house of Israel dispersed like the Egyptians, and they were dispersed through the countries like the Gypsies; or blown about as chaff, stubble, or any such like thing, by the wind;

— according to Israel’s self proclaimed standards and according to their doings I judged them; condemned and punished them as their evil ways and wicked works deserved;

— the Targum says,

“And I exiled them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the provinces; according to their evil ways and according to their corrupt deeds, I punished them.”

²⁰ And when they entered unto the nation whither they went, they profaned My holy name, when they said to them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of His land.’

— among the nations, they profaned my holy name; by their pornography, sexual immorality and promiscuity, by their violation of both tablets of laws; by their gun violence, family breakdown, homelessness;

— among other nations, they use dirty language while invoking God’s name, whereby they gave the Gentiles an occasion to reproach them, their religion, and their God, Romans 2:24;

— and not only do they promote LGBTQIA+ and other filths but being hubris and narcissistic they also try to promote and enforce them onto other nations; in doing so “they profaned My holy name,” so said the Lord!

— the Targum says,

“And they entered among the nations where they were exiled; and they profaned My Holy Name, because it was said of them: ‘If these are the people of the Lord, then how is it that they have gone out (been exiled) from the land of the House of His Presence (Shekhinah)?'”

²¹ But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations whither they went. — but for my holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned my holy name among the nations whither you go;

— the Targum says,

“And I had pity (compassion) for My Holy Name, which the House of Israel had profaned among the nations where they were exiled.”

²² “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the nations whither ye went.

— it is emphasized that God would restore his people, not for their sakes, not for the house of Israel’s sake, but for his own;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, say to the House of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Not for your sake do I act, O House of Israel, but rather for My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations where you were exiled.”

²³ And I will sanctify My great name which was profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. — to sanctify is the opposite of to profane;

— God will restore his great name to its holy state which has been desecrated in every nation by the nation of Israel! After all these things come to pass, God will reveal his holiness through Israel right before our eyes, then these Gentile nations will know that I am the Lord God;

— the Targum says,

“And I will sanctify My great Name, which was profaned among the nations, which you profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I am sanctified through you before their eyes.”

²⁴ For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

— the mention of “I will take you . . . out of all countries” shows Ezekiel’s prophecy to have been directed beyond their time or immediate future; second, this haven’t been fulfilled yet; but the sound bites could be heard from the ground now;

— the Targum says,

“And I will bring you near from among the nations, and I will gather you from all the provinces, and I will bring you in to your own land.”

²⁵ “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you.

— that cleansing is the removal of already contracted defilement, especially idolatry, one such example is facing the East, worshipping the Sun; Christmas, which honor the Mithraism; Easters, a celebration of Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex;

— the Targum says,

“And I will forgive your sins just as they are purified with sprinkling water and with the ashes of the heifer of the sin-offering; and you shall be clean from all your defilements, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.”

²⁶ A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. — this is a scene flashing forward into the Millennium in the days of the Messiah;

— the Targum says,

“And I will give you a fearing heart, and a fearing spirit I will put within you; and I will shatter the heart of the wicked, which is as hard as stone, from your flesh; and I will give you a heart that fears before Me to do My will.”

²⁷ And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgements and do them. — “and ye shall keep My judgements” or ye shall be careful to keep them or understand God’s judgement; one significant judgement was implemented in AD 70; as some sects faced their judgement and were sent to their death?

— these sects faced their adverse judgement and “disappeared” in the AD 70 inferno: All Sadducees, Herodians, Boethusians, Essenes, together with the House of Shammai Pharisees and those of its military arm, the Zealots. They all had their days of vengeance and disappeared from history. Were they receiving their judgement?

— but history recorded only two sects that escaped the inferno of AD 70:

(1) The early Christians, known as Nazarenes in Acts 24:5. They escaped to a northern town called Pella, west of the Jordan River;

(2) some Pharisees, those of the House of Hillel; they were headed by a rabbi, Johanan ben Zakkai, the head of the Sanhedrin, who escaped to Yavne and, later, his followers re-emerged as Rabbinic Jews, who established the Hillel Calendar, which was revealed by Hillel II in about AD 359 concerning the rules of the calendar.

For more, see AN AUTOPSY OF JERUSALEM IN THE AD 70 INFERNO

— the Targum emphasizes God’s spirit is holy, hence his spirit is the Holy Spirit; and is not a seperate being

“And I will put My Holy Spirit within you, and I will act so that you shall walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments and perform them.”

²⁸ And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. — this is flashing forward into the Millennium in the days of the Messiah;

— and ye shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; not only shall be brought into it, but shall inhabit it, and continue there, and that in great safety and plenty; because this land between the rivers is the gift from God, and what he gave to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by promise so long ago, and to their posterity;

— the Targum says,

“And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be before Me as a people, and I will be to you a God.”

²⁹ “‘I will also save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will call for the corn and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. — this is flashing forward into the Millennium in the days of the Messiah;

— the Targum says,

“And I will save (redeem) you from all your defilements; and I will bless the grain and increase it, and I will not bring famine upon you.”

³⁰ And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the nations. — more details of the Millennium could be found from Ezekiel 40 to Ezekiel 48;

— the Targum says,

“And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you shall no longer receive the reproach of famine among the nations.”

³¹ Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

— only then would they remember, but not now where they is full of pride, arrogance and jingoism: “If we have to use force, it is because we are America. We are the indispensable nation. We stand tall. We see further into the future” Madeleine Albright.

— the Targum says,

“And you shall remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not right; and you shall groan, and you shall be weary/loathing of yourselves because of your sins and because of your abominations.”

³² Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel! — not for their sakes, not for the house of Israel’s sake, but for God’s own; as you would be ashamed and confounded of your own ways;

— the Targum says,

“Not for your sake do I act, says the Lord God, let it be known to you; be ashamed and humbled because of your ways, O House of Israel.”

³³ “‘Thus saith the Lord God: In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be rebuilt. — again, this is flashing forward into the Millennium in the days of the Messiah;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I cleanse you from all your sins, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins shall be rebuilt.”

³⁴ And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

— the Targum says,

“And the land that was desolate shall be tilled (worked), instead of it being a wasteland in the eyes of everyone who passes by.”

³⁵ And they shall say, “This land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities have become fortified and are inhabited.” — more details of the Millennium could be found from Ezekiel 40 to 48;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall say: This land of Israel which was desolate has returned to be like the Garden of Eden; and the cities that were ruined, desolate, and pulled down are now settled as strong, fortified cities.”

³⁶ Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I, the Lord, build the ruined places and plant that which was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.’

— “I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it;” God has spoken of it by his prophets; he has promised it in his word, and he will surely do it; there is certainly no Plan B, for he is true and faithful to his promises, and able to perform;

— but many false shepherds have claimed that because of Israel’s sin, God’s project of the OT had failed, his numerous promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob nullified, and then the Almighty God quickly revert to another plan, Plan B: a new redemptive process calls the “Covenant of Grace!”

— the Targum says,

“And the nations that remain round about you shall know that I the Lord have rebuilt the demolished places and established the desolate places; I the Lord have decreed by My Word (Meimra), and I will establish (fulfill) it.”

³⁷ “Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. I will increase them with men like a flock. — yet again I’m going to do what Israel asks. I’ll increase their population as with a flock of sheep;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Furthermore, this [request] I will grant when asked through My Word (Meimra) for the House of Israel, to do for them: I will multiply them in men and I will make them prosper in cattle.”

³⁸ As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the Lord.” — during the Millennium, all the solemn days and festivals listed in Leviticus 23; all will be kept;

— God said of the house of Israel that “they shall know that I am the Lord” this implies that they do not know God at this time, despite many claim they are Christians, a few pretentious at best. How could they? In today’s world of professing Christians, no less than 99.99 percent of them disgracefully don’t even know the Oracles of God!

— the Targum elaborates that those people who keep the feasts such as the Passover in Jerusalem, are holy people

“Like the holy people, like the people who are cleansed and come to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover festivals; so shall the cities of the land of Israel that were ruined be full of the people of the House of Israel, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

~ by Joel on February 19, 2026.

Posted in Ezekiel