THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

EZEKIEL

ORIGINALLY

Y'hezq'El

Thirtieth year: the age at which Y’hezq’el, as a priest (v. 3), would have begun his service in the Temple (Numbers 4:3), had he not been taken into exile and the Temple destroyed in the same month six years later. He would, however, have undoubtedly begun his priestly training there five years before he was taken to Babylon, as this began at age 20. So, since he was thus dedicated to YHWH by virtue of his birth, YHWH gave him a different task—that of prophesying about the Temple(s) to come after his time. He lived at least 22 years after he began prophesying, meaning he lived out his full term of priestly duty, which would end 20 years after this.

Yoyakhin: A shortened version of Yehoyakhin, whose name means “YHWH establishes”. (See introduction.) He was an evil king, but was not killed by Nevukhadnetzar, but only imprisoned in Bavel. After 37 years (32 years after this account begins), he was released and treated as soon as Nevukhadnetzar’s son, Ewil-M’rodakh, succeeded him to the throne. (2 Kings 25:27ff) The historian Josephus says Yehoyakhin was treated thus because Nevukhadnetzar had not kept his promise to spare Yehudah from siege and destruction if he voluntarily surrendered.

Buzi means “my contempt or disrespect”. It is possible that this was not actually his father’s name, but that it was Y’hezq’el’s own epithet for the priesthood as a whole, which had let both YHWH and the people down by failing to teach the Torah and thus allowing Yehudah to arrive at the brink of destruction. He therefore feels like he is from a corrupt and defiled house. Khasdim: the Chaldeans. K’var: a river near which many Jewish exiles settled, perhaps alluded to in Psalm 137:1. It is apparently the royal river known to the Babylonians as Khabor. Its name means “far off”, from a word meaning “a great length or stretch”, “long ago”, “a long time”, or “already”, highlighting the duration of the exile and the distance from the homeland of Yehudah. It also allows this prophecy to include us, who “far down the road” are still in exile nearly 2,600 years later. Chapter 2 bears this out. Y’hezq’el lived in the town of Tel-aviv (not the same as the modern metropolis in Israel), but bearing the same hope, for its name means, in essence, new life springing forth from the ruins of a destroyed city.

North: or, hidden place. This is a scene that has not been seen for a long time, but was seen once before at Mt. Sinai. (See Ex. 20:19.) The cloud and fire allude to YHWH’s presence, especially as embodied in the pillar of cloud and fire that led the camp of Israel through the wilderness. This sets the stage for interpreting this seemingly-elusive passage. While there are deep mystical interpretations that have some validity, why doe we need a blueprint if we are already in the building? Folding in: or, flashing about. Amber: or electrum, or possibly polished metal.

Human form: or, the likeness of Adam. The overall appearance was of a unified man. These four living creatures show up again in Revelation chapter 4.

Faces: This word is always plural in Hebrew, because one’s face is always changing; everyone has at least two! Four wings: or, four corners (of a garment), the place where the tzitziyoth are hung. (Num. 15:38-39). So on one level these beings are dressed like men in regulation Israelite clothing according to Torah. (Compare v. 8.)

Straightness: or uprightness, from the same Hebrew word as Yeshurun, the name by which YHWH calls Israel when all the tribes are assembled in unity. (Deut. 33:5) Polished: literally, lightened, i.e., made less weighty.

9. Their wings joined each one to her sister. They do not change direction when they move; each proceeds toward [what is directly] across from its face.

Each one to her sister: literally, “a woman to her sister”—the same phrase for the coupling of the curtains in the Tabernacle. (Ex. 26:3) The wings of the kh’ruvim atop the ark of the Covenant also joined in the same way.

Human face: literally, the face of Adam. He walked with YHWH as His companion, and was the priest before YHWH for the whole earth until his fall. Lion: symbol of royalty. Bull: or ox; chapter 10 substitutes a kh’ruv (an angelic being) in this position; the account in Revelation 4 calls it a calf. It is symbolic of strength, accomplishment, and service. And the eagle is often seen in Scripture as dwelling in an invulnerable place and providing refuge to her young. Some scholars see in this a parallel of the four biographers’ descriptions of Yahshua—as the Lion of the Tribe of Yehudah (the King of Israel, as emphasized by Matithyahu), the suffering servant of Yeshayahu (as emphasized by Mark), the “Son of Man” (a term YHWH often uses for Y’hezq’el himself, as emphasized by the account by Lukas, who incidentally was a physician), and the one from above who overcomes natural limits (as emphasized by Yochanan, by far the most mystical of the accounts) and who will descend on his prey by surprise (Yirm. 49:22). But also, by tradition, the banners of the four camps of Israel (consisting of three tribes and a counterpart from the Levites) each held one of these four as the insignia on its banner. It is easy to see that the lion would correspond with Yehudah (Gen. 49:9). Efrayim is called a heifer, and ay easily be correlated with the bull. Re’uven means “look, a son”, and would thus probably parallel the human face, and that leaves Dan as the last, corresponding to the eagle. Dan is also called a lion’s whelp like Yehudah, and is by tradition the tribe from which the counterfeit Messiah, Armilus, will descend. The eagle is called an abomination in Lev. 11:13, and the counterfeit Messiah’s image is called the “abomination of desolation” (Dan. 12:11). Indeed, it is the “eagle” aspect of the true Messiah that confused many and set the stage for His being set up as an idol Himself rather than being subordinate to the Father as He so often said He was. Since Moshe was told to set up the camp of Israel around the Tabernacle according to the pattern he had seen when on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 25:9), it stands to reason that what Y’hezq’el sees in the heavenlies should bear the same imagery.

Concealing their bodies: or, covering their backs. It appears from chapter 10, where they are seen in the context of the Temple, that these creatures are kh’ruvim, which are special guardians of what is holy (set apart, see Gen. 3:24; Ex. 25:18; 26:1; 1 Shmu’el 4:4). But the s’rafim (“burning ones”) in Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 6:2 and the living creatures in Revelation 4 have six wings. This verse can be read in that way as well if the wings in the first sentence are different from those in the second.

Proceeds: literally, walks. Wind: or spirit. Being led by the Spirit, as the camp of Israel followed the cloud, they have no need to repent and change direction. The s’rafim of Yeshayahu 6 cover their faces. Perhaps these wings acted like the blinders used on a horse that keep it focused only on the path it is called to follow—“looking neither to the right nor the left”. (Compare 2 Chron. 34:2; Prov. 4:24ff.) It appears they would go in the direction one of the faces was looking, and which direction depends on what is in season according to the “four winds from the four ends of the heaven” (37:9; Yirmeyahu 49:36; Daniel 7:2 et al). Each is magnified in a different season, as there is a time for everything to be a delight to heaven. (Eccles. 3) What is forward to one face seems backward to another, unless we have the perspective of all four. One day mercy is the right tool for the job, while on another day, judgment will best accomplish YHWH’s will. If we put our hands to the plow and look back, we cannot till a straight furrow. We need to focus on the path YHWH is putting in front of us today rather than what it may be tomorrow. Today the prevailing wind is the Spirit of Eliyahu—the restoration of all things. (Mat. 17:11) If we follow this, we will walk straightly (v. 7).

14. And the living [creatures] rush and return like the resemblance of a flash [of lightning].

15. When I was watching the living [creatures], lo and behold, [there was] one [chariot] wheel on the land beside the living [creatures] for the four of its faces.

Though the term “chariot” as such never appears in Y’hezq’el in a figurative sense, Ecclesiasticus 49:8 describes Y’hezq’el’s visions as “the chariots of the kh’ruvim”. “Chariot mysticism”, a theosophical sect, considers this passage the key to all the mysteries of creation. But it can be understood on a much more down-to-earth level. The Hebraic calendar is one of cycles more than it is linear. The three pilgrimage festivals are called “three feet” in Ex. 23:14. The Hebrew word for the sacred festivals actually means “to dance in a circle”. The kh’ruvim keep us out of the Garden of Eden with fiery swords, but it is also time that keeps the Garden (the Kingdom) hidden from us at present. Thus these living creatures and the wheel of time are indeed counterparts. The only way to get back to the Garden is to “fight fire with fire” by getting onto the cycle of YHWH’s calendar, acting when it says to act, and following it out to its fulfillment.

Form: workmanship, structure, framework, makeup. Tarshish stone: often thought to be a beryl, but possibly chrysolite, jasper, or another yellow-colored stone. Wheel inside the other wheel: The Sabbath cycle is a wheel within the annual cycle of festival seasons. But also, while the civil year began at creation on Yom T’ruah (also known as Rosh haShanah, the “beginning of the year”), YHWH said that for Israel, the year would begin at the new moon preceding Passover. (Ex. 12:2) But there are indeed parallels between the two cycles. On the tenth of the Israelite calendar, the lamb is selected for inspection; on the tenth day of the creation calendar, we search our own souls to find out where we need to repent. On the fifteenth day of each, a seven-day festival (actually including an eighth day tacked onto one end or the other) begins.

18. And their rims were so high that they were frightening to them, and the rims belonging to the four of them were full of eyes all around

These wheels ringed with eyes appear in the Revelation 4 account as well. They seem far removed from our everyday thoughts, but the Word of YHWH is not beyond our reach. (Deut. 30:11-16) The interpretation of these visions does not need to be sensational. The eyes may simply mean there is something to see no matter where we are on the calendar. The calendar cycle came from the Torah, which rested beneath the wings of the earthly representations of these kh’ruvim. All the things YHWH gave us to do on earth were meant to teach us about the Kingdom, and we learn about each aspect of the Kingdom best when it is in season.

They move in perfect harmony, operating as one unit like a school of fish.

21. When [the first] moved, [the others] moved; when [the former] stood still, [the latter] stood still, and when they were lifted up from upon the land, the wheels were lifted up along with them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

22. And what the expanse above the heads of the living creature resembled was the awesome crystalline ice, spread out over their heads from above,

23. and below the expanse their wings were level, each [straight] toward her sister; each had two forming a [protective] covering this [side], and each had two forming a covering on that [side] of the bodies.

24. And I began to hear the sound of their wings; [it was] like the sound of many waters—like the voice of Shaddai! When they moved, the roaring sound was like the noise of an [army] encampment; when they stopped, they let their wings relax.

Roaring: or, rushing. Relax: or, drop.

26. And upward from the expanse that was above their heads, like the appearance of a sapphire stone, was something resembling a throne, and on the thing that looked like a throne was [one that] resembled a man when viewed from above.

A man: Heb., Adam. Appearance…resembled…looked like: all terminology of comparison and allegory, not literal physical entities, though they are very real.

A house for it: literally, a house for her. This reminds us of the Messiah’s betrothal statement that He was going to prepare a place to which He would bring us back—the very same imagery used in the ancient Hebrew weddings. YHWH’s bride is called the New Yerushalayim (Rev. 21;5), around which YHWH Himself will be a wall of fire. (Z’kharyah 2:5)

A rainbow is refracted light—the same imagery used in Hebrew mysticism of the image of YHWH in man that was shattered at Adam’s sin, and which Yahshua is restoring through us. (Compare Rev. 4:3)The resemblance of YHWH’s glory: though it is not worded in exactly the same way in the LXX, Hebrews 1:3 appears to be an allusion to this through synonymous terms: “He (Yahshua) being the radiance of His glory and the express image of His essence”—since no one can see YHWH, but Yahshua makes Him known. (Yochanan 1:18)

2. And the wind came upon me when He spoke, and he stood me up on my feet, and I heard [Him] speaking to me.

3. And He told me, “Son of Adam, I am sending you to the sons of Israel—to the rebellious ‘Gentiles’ who have rebelled against Me—they and their fathers have been in revolt against Me to this [very] day,

Though Yehudah is the only part of Israel still intact as a nation, he addresses the Northern Kingdom, which left YHWH over a century earlier, preferring to become “Gentiles” instead. Y’shua is the Son of Adam in the fullest sense, and the very same task was assigned to Him. (Yeshayahu 49:6; Mat. 15:24) Revolt: in Hebrew, the term refers to rebellion in a specific sense—directed against authority. In this chapter alone He repeats the charge of rebellion seven times, so this is foremost in His mind.

Though she is a rebellious wife, He has had too much history with Israel; though He has punished her and kicked her out, He has a very hard time letting her go. He sends messengers to her to tell her that if she just gets rid of her rebellious attitude, she can return and they can make some headway in their relationship again. The rest of the book is the remedy for this problem. Israel’s stubbornness served Yaaqov well when dealing with Esau and Lavan, but it must be put away when dealing with YHWH. The immediate application for us is to examine where this tendency may still remain in us, for it is an innate characteristic of Israelites.

Whether they listen…or fail to: or, if they will listen and if they will stop. He does not guarantee that they will respond correctly to his message.

Scorpions: alt., scourges or knotted whips.

8. “But you, son of Adam, listen to what I am saying to you. Do not be rebellious like the house of rebellion. Part your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”

9. When I [began to] look, sure enough, a hand was extended toward me, and in it, lo and behold, there was a rolled-up document.

10. Then he spread it out in front of me, and it was written on—front and back—and recorded on it were dirges, tales of woe, and lamentation-songs.

CHAPTER 3

You find: One finds what he searches for. (Mat. 7:7) To speak to the House of Israel today will also be futile unless we first study Torah in depth.

3. And He said to me, “Son of Adam, make your hollow [belly] consume, and fill your inward parts with this scroll that I am giving you.” So I ate, and it was like honey to my mouth for sweetness.

This scroll: David also described YHWH’s words as sweeter than honey. (Psalm 119:11) But it may specifically refer to the instructions for building the Dwelling Place which YHWH wrote on the two tablets of stone, and over which Moshe wrote all the commandments of the Torah. They hold the blueprint for building a unified community. To my mouth: where the Torah is meant to be. (Deut. 30:14)

5. “because you are not sent to a people of unfathomable lip or difficult tongue; to the House of Israel,

He was being sent to people who seemed to be Gentiles, but He reminded them that they were relatives of his who still apparently spoke at least a dialect or corrupted form of Hebrew.

Yahshua said the same about Yehudah in His parable of the tenants (Mat. 21:43) and noted that Tzur and Tzidon, S’dom and Ghamorah would have responded more quickly than the cities where He did teach. (Luke 9:12-13)

Whole House of Israel: possibly including Yehudah as well, or emphasizing the totality of the Northern Kingdom’s rejection of His ways. This continued until after Yahshua came, so that they had lost their knowledge of Hebrew and forgotten their identity as Israel.

Forehead: where the Torah is to be bound (Ex 13;16) and where a mark was placed on those who mourn Israel’s slide into paganism (9:4) and, correspondingly, where those who follow the counterfeit Messiah are marked. (Rev. 14:9) Therefore the forehead of the Man YHWH is building and the forehead of the “man” (really only an image) that Nevukhadnetzar, Persia, Greece, Rome, and her successors have been putting together. (Dan. 2:31ff) Do we allow it to have the harder head?

10. Then he told me, “Son of Adam, all My words which I will speak to you, receive into your heart, and listen with your ears.

Listen: to not only be prepared by YHWH’s word, but also to pay attention so that he could hear the commotion of Israel in unity (vv. 12-13) and thus know what the Kingdom sounds like—a unique motivation for Y’hezq’el to follow his mission through to its completion.

12. Then a wind lifted me up, and I heard behind me [the] sound of a great commotion, [saying], “May the authority of YHWH be blessed from out of His place!”

Wind: or spirit. He was conveyed to a higher plane. Blessed: to have the knees bent toward. This phrase has been incorporated into Israel’s morning prayers “on earth as it is in heaven”.

Wings: again, this is also the term for the extremities of a garment on which the tzitziyoth are hung to remind Israelites to carry out YHWH’s commandments. (Numbers 15:38-39) Brushing against: literally, kissing. This is a picture of all the tribes of Israel living in unity. Great commotion: as at Mt. Sinai and the Shavuoth after Y’shua’s resurrection, when there was another infilling of the Spirit. (Acts 2)

Compare Rev. 10:9-10, where Yochananan also eats a scroll and it is bitter in his belly after being sweet in his mouth. Yonah was bitter when he saw the Assyrians repenting in a way Israel was not repenting. Likewise, after seeing this vision of what is to be and what Israel could be like, Y’hezq’el had the present state of his people to deal with, in sharp contrast with it. He may have known that it would not be fulfilled in his own lifetime. (1 Cor. 10:11)

Compare Psalm 137. The exiles from Yehudah still painfully remembered that they were in exile, and could not be joyful; the Northern Kingdom had probably forgotten a generation or two before this that they were far from home.

17. “Son of Adam, I have appointed you as a watchman for the House of Israel, so listen to the word from My mouth and shine a warning light for them from Me.

Watchman: literally, one who is on the lookout.

Yahshua echoed that the one who does not know he is doing wrong will be less accountable than those who knew better, and would receive a lighter punishment. (Luke 12:48)

20. “And if the righteous one turns away from his [practice of] what is right and commits injustice, and I set an occasion for stumbling in front of him, he will die in his sin if you have not warned him, and what he has done right will not be remembered, but I will demand his blood from your hand.

21. “But if you have warned the righteous man, so that one who does right will not miss the target, and he does not do wrong, he will live [and] thrive because he is warned, and you [will] have rescued your soul.

22. Then YHWH’s hand was upon me there, and He told me, “Get up and go out toward the plain, and there I will speak with you.”

Plain: or, cleft, valley, split-open place.

24. Then the Spirit came into me and made me stand up on my feet, and spoke with me. What He told me was, “Come, close yourself off within your house,

Your house: The sad commentary was that Yehudah had only been in exile for five years, yet they had settled down in Babylon already as if it were a place to become comfortable, rather than living in tents, ready to return to Israel as soon as the door opened. Granted, Yirmeyahu had said the exile would be seventy years, but people like Daniel kept close track of the time. Today, when our exile is again drawing to a close (see chapter 4), we have laid deep foundations as well, forgetting that we are in exile. We must not allow ourselves to be nailed down by other commitments, so that we will not miss the opening when it does come.

26. “And I will make your tongue stick to your palate, and you will be muted, so that they will have no man to correct them, though a rebellious house they are.

Correct: rebuke, reprove, chasten, judge, or convince. He was commanded to do this, but then YHWH silenced Him for a time, because did not intend to equally allow everyone to repent. YHWH selected which people would be allowed to hear (just as Yahshua spoke in parables to veil His message from those who would abuse it, Mat. 13:13):

Whoever can hear, let him listen: or, the one who hears will hear. Compare Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 22:11.

Brick: or tile, clay tablet.

Imagine how much attention it would attract to see this dignified priest being a “fool for YHWH” by“building sand castles” and “playing with toy soldiers”! YHWH often asks us to do the things we are least inclined to do, as when He asked Avraham, the prince of hospitality and the champion of monotheism, to sacrifice his own son. (Gen. 22) This strengthens us in the areas we are weakest. But here YHWH simply needed someone to communicate His message. At this time, though to some extent a “has-been”, Yerushalayim was still full of opulence, basking in the afterglow of its golden age, when it attracted visitors from every nation to see the Temple, gardens, zoos, and scientific museums King Shlomo (Solomon) had built. To think of it as ready to be destroyed was unthinkable to those who thought YHWH would never insult His Temple and His Land like that. But a siege had already been attempted in the days of King Hizqiyahu, and now that Yehudah had been weakened by its split with the Northern Kingdom, Ashur (Assyria), which had been suppressed by David and his successors, was looking for an opening to take revenge—and its strength had reached critical mass.

Wall of iron: For centuries, the House of Israel would be unable to see Yerushalayim as its capitol; this was not the case for Yehudah. Later it would see Rome as its headquarters, and consider Yerushalayim a backwater. Even before our exile, Yerushalayim lost its attraction for us as we turned toward the deities of the nations we were allied with, often against Yehudah, and built alternative worship sites, even though the Temple itself was technically not in Yehudah’s territory, but Binyamin’s. Now the House of Israel would have no place to come home to, even if they wanted to, during the time this punishment was in force. But they had already been gone from the Land for 130 years, so it is more likely that this sign is for the time the House of Israel is reading this prophecy—today, when this wall of iron is finally rusting away.

5. “Now I have designated for you the years of their punishment by the total number of days: up [to] 390 days you must raise Israel’s punishment.

Thus the length of time determined as the Northern Kingdom’s punishment was 390 years. So why has it never returned from exile? Two punishments had been assigned to the House of Israel from which they needed redeeming, symbolized by the names of Hoshea's sons. (Hos. 1) The first was “no mercy”, and the second was “not being a people”. But He also said, “In the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people”, they shall be called “Sons of the Living Elohim.” (Hos. 1:10) Can you think of any people from every nation, kindred, tribe, and people, who describe themselves as redeemed and are called “sons of Elohim”? (Hint: Yochanan/John 1:12; 1 Yoch. 3:2) Whomever fits this description is where we will find Ephraim today. Paul said all of creation was eager for the time when it would be revealed who these "sons of Elohim" are. (Rom. 8:19) Remember the prodigal’s father, who had one son still at home, looking expectantly for his other son to return? Judah was still safe at home then, but though Yahweh had forsaken Ephraim “for a moment”, His heart longed to have His "firstborn" back! So He says, "Declare it to the far-off coastlands that He who scattered Israel will regather him and watch over him like a shepherd.”(Yirmeyahu/Jer.. 31:10) He said, I will send for many fishermen, and they will fish them out...for My eyes are on all their journeyings..." (Yirm. 16:16) But first, He said, He would repay double for their sins. I.e., He would double their sentence. That brings us to 780 years. From the first overthrow by Assyria in 734 B.C.E., that comes out to 46 C.E., or if we count from the final overthrow in 722, then 58 C.E.—either way, right about the time Paul was saying, “I’m turning to the Gentiles!” But where did he look for those “Gentiles”? In synagogues! So these were people already feeling the call back to the covenant. Before long, the Apostles were raving about how many were "returning to Yahweh from among the Gentiles". So why is there not a Northern Kingdom today? Because there were two sentences running concurrently for Ephraim. The first ran out soon after Yahshua’s day. Individuals from Ephraim began responding to Him, and Hoshea's judgment of "no pity" was no longer in effect. But Leviticus 26 also says that if they would not repent, He’d increase their punishment seven times. Hoshea's other sentence--that of “not being a people”—a unified ethnic group recognizable as a nation--lasted 2,730 years from the time Assyria took Israel into exile, and it was not up until right around 1996—or possibly 2008. Either way, we’re right in the thick of that time! That's why the blinders are only now being removed from our eyes.

There is a clear distinction made between the punishment of the two houses. Yehudah’s exile was only now about to begin—only a few years after Y’hezq’elgave this prophecy, in 586 B.C.E. And some came back to Yerushalayim as soon as possible and rebuilt it and the Temple. (See Ezra and Nekhemyah.) But many others remained in Babylon since they were respected and even honored there. The version of the Talmud considered most authoritative was not the one written in Israel, but the one compiled in Babylon, meaning that the greatest scholars were still there, though they were free to return to the Land. The same is true in our day when the right of return is again in effect. Yirmeyahu set the sentence of this exile at 70 years (Yirm.29:10) So if we count the ten additional years Y’hezq’el and some other exiles were there, we have the doubled sentence of 80 years. (See note on v. 5.) Yehudah’s sentence was not immediately multiplied by seven, as threatened in Lev. 26 to 280 years. But some 586 years later, in A.D. 70, we see Yehudah being exiled again. But there was no return 200 years later. Yehudah did not return until 1948—a full 1878 years later! Could it be that because of Yehudah’s general rejection of Yahshua, it was ultiplied seven times again? This seems to be the case, for seven times 280 is 1,960, which, when the originally-fulfilled 80 years is subtracted, is 1880—only two years different, which is explained by the errors that are known to have been made in determining the incumbent Gregorian calendar.

8. “In fact, I will even put chains on you so that you cannot turn from one of your sides to your [other] side until you have completed the days of your siege.

9. “Then you take for yourself wheat, barley, split thick beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them in one container, and make them into bread for yourself. For the total number of days that you lie on your side—390 days—you will eat them.

Spelt: or rye.

A set time: probably the times of the daily offerings in the Temple, considering that Y’hezq’el was a priest.

A sixth of a hin is about one liter or a quart. When food is rationed out, we are considered to be in a famine. But still there was food and water, even if in short supply. The real famine, Amos tells us (8:11), is of hearing the words of YHWH. Again, His word has been available all along, but those who controlled it fed it to us only in measured amounts, tickling our ears with this to keep us from hearing the rest. The bread we were given kept us alive but was not enough to accomplish YHWH’s goal of the restoration of both houses of Israel. The providential juxtaposition of the last verse of Judges (21:25) with the first verse of Ruth shows us that what causes this famine is everyone doing what is right in his own eyes because there is no king in Israel. When Yehudah and Israel again choose the same king from the House of David (34:23), the famine will be over forever.

13. And YHWH said, “In the same way, the descendants of Israel will eat their defiled bread in the nations into which I will banish them.”

Defiled bread—which is not true bread--is what we did eat for so long, producing more waste. This bread, by its recipe, turns out to be essentially a laxative, for the pseudo-bread we were eating only made us foul ourselves more and more.

YHWH also set the same type of analogy in front of Kefa (Acts 10), though since it mattered to him, He did not actually require him to eat of the unclean beasts which He used in the vision to change his attitude toward unclean men YHWH had cleansed. He allows Y’hezq’el the same:

YHWH’s first order appears to have been to cook the bread right among the balls of human excrement; now He permits Y’hezq’el to only symbolically carry out a picture of what, if Israel continues in rebellion, will instead be the real thing.

17. “on account of their lacking bread and water, so they will each be in dread of his brother and [they] will waste away in consequence of their guilt.”

CHAPTER 5

2. “One third you must burn up in a flame within the city as the days of the siege are [nearing their] completion, and one third you must take an beat about [from] every direction with a sword, and one third you must scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.

3. “But take from there a few in number, and enclose them in the corners of your [garments],

Corners: where the tzitziyoth are worn (Num. 15:38) to remind us to keep YHWH’s commandments. Those enclosed in these corners would thus represent those who do remember YHWH’s commandments.

This may mean yet another punishment even of the faithful remnant, or it may refer to those who are purified in advance of the rest, whose light spreads to the whole remnant—depending on how well we do our part.

Thus, aside from the prohibition against marring the edges of one’s beard in Lev. 19:27, another reason an Israelite should not shave his beard or head hair is that his hairs represent the citizens of Yerushalayim.

She: the city of Yerushalayim seen as a unified bride for YHWH.

8. “‘for this reason, this is what YHWH says: “Behold, I--I Myself--am against you, and will execute just rulings among you in the sight of the Gentiles,

9. “‘“and I will do with you something I have never done [before] and that I will never do the likes of [again], on account of all the disgusting things you [are doing].

10. “‘“Because of [them], fathers among you will eat sons and sons will eat their fathers, and I will execute judgments against you, and I will scatter all that remain of you to every [one of the] winds.

The son is meant to be the father’s greatest delight, and the father is the son’s primary authority. The spirit of Eliyahu (“YHWH is my Elohim”) that is being sent forth in our day is setting the order back in place of teaching the heritage we once spit on to sons who accept it and carry it on. (Mal. 4:5)

If I do not… : one common Hebrew format for swearing an oath.

I.e., to impel them to keep running further from His holy place.

14. “‘“And I will make you a wasteland and an object of scorn among the nations that are all around you [and] in the eyes of all who pass by.

Little more than a century ago, Mark Twain summed this up well after visiting the Land of Israel: “Not even a chicken could scratch out a living there!” Thanks be to YHWH, that wrath is now spent and life is returning to that once-desolate Land.

An example: as a deterrent with the connotation of teaching others not to do the same.

This famine may have been the result of cumulative weather changes that the polar shift of 701 B.C.E. (at the time of Hizqiyahu’s sundial incident) brought on the Land, giving it a climate more like southern California than northern, as it had been prior to that. (Ref. Donald Patten, Catastrophism and the Old Testamant, Pacific Meridien, 1988.)

Beasts: possibly an allusion to the ones in Daniel 7 and Rev. 13-17, as well as literal vicious wild animals, for they would bereave Israel by making her sons indistinguishable from those in the nations in which they forgot they were in exile. Blood: i.e., death, for the root word means “to render silent”, as when all of someone’s blood is shed.

2. “Son of Adam, set your face against the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,

3. “and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Master YHWH!’ This is what the Master YHWH says to the mountains and to the hills, to the runoff-channels and to the valleys: ‘Watch Me [as] I bring a sword upon you, and I will do away with your cultic platforms,

4. “‘and your altars will be devastated, and your pillars of idolatry broken down, and I will make your mortally wounded fall down in front of your rolling idols.

Pillars of idolatry: from the word for “heat”, because they were usually phallic symbols or because they were used for sun-worship. A vestige of these today is found in church steeples under which people worship on the sun’s day.

6. “‘In all the places where you dwell, the cities will be laid waste, and the cultic places will become ruins, so that your altars may become desolations and suffer damage, your rolling idols broken down and removed, and your pillars of idolatry chopped down so that your masterpieces may be obliterated.

Suffer damage: or, be held guilty. Masterpieces: or works of art, accomplishments, in which we tend to place our security.

8. “‘Yet I will let there be a remnant when you have some that escape the sword among the Gentiles when you are scattered among the lands.

9. “‘And those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations in which they have been taken captive, as I was crushed with their unfaithful heart that has turned away from [being] about Me and with their eyes that play the prostitute after their rolling idols, and they will be show revulsion on their faces toward the evil things that they have done for all the disgusting things they [have].

Among the nations: This specifies that we must still be out among the nations when we bring YHWH back to mind. This is beginning to take place! Show revulsion on their faces: or, be repulsed by their own faces, i.e., beardless, not looking like Israelites anymore. Crushed: or broken (hearted), for He is a jilted lover. Unfaithful: i.e., adulterous.

Not without purpose: or, not in vain, not without cause, not for nothing. I.e., His plan that underlies this would prove successful. It would have the effect He intends. What a firm basis for optimism!

Strike…stomp: He is to essentially rant and rave—throw a tantrum or “pitch a fit”! What could get the people’s attention more effectively? Ephraim’s response would eventually be similar but in a positive vein. (Yirmeyahu/ Jeremiah 31:19)

13. “‘“Then you will know that I am YHWH, when it turns out that their mortally wounded are among their rolling idols on every side of their altars to every hill that is raised up, on all the mountaintops and under every flourishing tree and every mighty oak with dense foliage—[any] place where they gave all their rolling idols a soothing aroma.

Mortally wounded: When we look back to the places we used to worship, all we will see is death. Once YHWH calls us onward, we do not need to have anything to do with the places where people do such things. If it does not seem that such practices take place today, do even minimal research into the history of Christmas trees—the remnant of this practice of bringing gifts under ever-green trees. Hill that is raised up: i.e., made higher still by pillar or platform devoted to idol worship. Soothing aroma: of the fat of animals burned by fire, but with the connotation of perfuming themselves for their illicit lovers.

Extend My hand: or simply, turn My hand.

2. “Now [as for] you, son of Adam, this is what the Master YHWH says to the ground of Israel: ‘A [chopped-off] end! The end has come upon the four corners of the Land!

The ends being cut off of four corners is, of course, reminiscent of the reminders to keep YHWH’s commandments being taken away from the extremities of our garments (Num. 15:38-39). The word for corners here is indeed the one used for the extremities of the garment, and really means “wings”, suggesting the removal of YHWH’s protection over us as well. But it also corresponds with Y’hezq’el’s cutting off the extremities of his beard and the hair at the sides of his head (contrast the norm in Lev. 19:27)—which represents leaving the four corners unguarded, and thus leaving the “gates” vulnerable to enemies. Often we see the Land suffering for the people’s sin.

They want these things that make YHWH sick to be close to them, so He says He will dump them right on their heads, so to speak.

5. This is what the Master YHWH says: “A disaster! A singular disaster! Look! It has arrived!

Singular disaster: or, certain injury, only calamity.

7. “Your turn to get up early has come to you, O inhabitant of the Land! The time has come! The day of noisy disturbance is near, and [I] don’t [mean] the grape-stomping shout of the mountains.

Noisy disturbance: It is confusing enough to hear loud noises before dawn, but He is making t clear that this is not a joyful commotion.

9. “And My eye will not have pity upon you, nor will I spare, but I will give you over to your ways and your disgusting things will be right among you, and you will know that [it is] I, YHWH, [who am] causing you to be struck down.

10. “Here it is the day! Indeed it has arrived! Your turn to get up early has left: the branch has put forth blossoms; presumptuous pride has broken out [into bloom].

There is an edge of “I told you it was coming” in His voice. He will only put up with us in mercy for so long; seventy times seven is still a finite number. They have filled their cup, and now must drink it. Aharon’s rod blossomed in order to stop the pride of those who would presume to take his position (Num. 17), but this shows that we did not learn from it; that pride has not been done away with. So YHWH will beat them with it.

Violence...rod: It is as if terrorists have now taken over the government. Not from them: or, none of them. There is a Hebrew word play on the similarities of the sounds in the last sentence: Lo mehem v’lo mehamonam v’lo mehemehem v’lo noah bahem. No distinction among them: or, no [one] among them [will be] eminent.

13. “The vendor will not return to [his] wares, though still among the living, because [the] vision is to the whole clamoring multitude. He will not return, and each one [will remain] in his guilt; he will not have a firm hold on his life.

14. “They have blown the trumpet-blast to get everything ready, but there is no one going to battle, because My hot fury is [coming] toward all her clamoring multitude.

15. “The sword is outside, and the plague and famine are inside the house. Whoever is in the field will die by the sword, and whoever is in the city, the famine and plague will devour.

16. “But when fugitives among them slip away to safety, they will all be in a commotion on the mountains like doves of the gorges, each in his own guilt.

Mountains: here, probably the idolatrous worship-sites—counterfeits of the mountain where YHWH appointed as “a place for His Name”. If they are not part of the remnant wrapped up in the corners of YHWH’s garment, the punishment will still catch up with them even if they escaped once.

Be fluid like water: or, have water flowing off them, i.e., they will wet themselves due to the painful realization of their situation. In any case, there is no strength in the part of the body designed to express worship; they are either forced to buckle before those they had chosen to worship in the days of grace, or that YHWH is simply not granting them repentance, for this is merely “jailhouse religion”, and He does not have to honor that. The whole camp has been permeated by their perversion, so a price must be paid.

These are all mourning rituals, for whether or not they admit they are wrong, they are still losing everything. But no amount of whining will let them get away without paying the price. YHWH even has a tone of making fun of them here, since their pride needs to be disciplined out of them.

They seem to be fasting since it was their physical desires that had tempted them to sin, and the silver and gold had also allured them away from YHWH. Off limits: or, no longer attractive, as this is the word used of a woman who must remain separated from her husband during her menstrual period.

It: i.e., the gold and silver, which was meant to decorate YHWH’s Temple as His bride’s jewelry, but was instead offered to His rivals, their pagan lovers. In our day the truth that YHWH has condescended to grant us has again been twisted to say we no longer need to obey His commandments, and though those who subscribe to this view think they are on a mountaintop, in His eyes they are deep in a sewer pit. They have taken what He meant for one purpose and have found a way to make it benefit self instead.

22. “And I will turn My face away from them, and they will pollute My hidden treasure-store, when those who break through come in and profane it.

23. “Make the chain, because the Land is full of bloody court proceedings, and the city is full of violence!

The chain: to carry them away as slaves, though they are noblemen. They were to be sitting in right judgment, but did not, so they must be disgraced and have their status lowered, and probably be mistreated as well.

Bullies: the Hebrew term connotes those who roughly push others around for the sake of their greed. They would be “out-bullied” by the “injurious” Gentiles who do not even have the vestiges of scruples about hurting others that those who grew up in Israel would still have to some extent, despite their wandering from the Covenant. The places they treat as sacred: not YHWH’s holy places, but their own.

Anguish: from a word meaning “to roll up”, i.e., curl up or double over because of the pain.

The priests are those who are to teach the Torah to the rest of Israel (Mal. 2:7), so if the Torah is lost to them, it is lost to us all.

CHAPTER 8

2. And as I looked, there it was—a resemblance that looked like fire, from what appeared to be His hips extending downward, fire—and from his hips on upward, like the shining of flowing molten metal in appearance.

Revelation 1:13-15 echoes this and shows that this personage is indeed Yahshua.

A lock: the same Hebrew word for the regulation fringe or tassel that an Israelite is to wear on his garment to remind him to keep YHWH’s commandments. (Num. 15:38-39) It may refer to the traditional locks men of Yehudah wear to “embellish the command” given in Lev. 19:27. Wind: or spirit. Statue of zeal to acquire: or, image that makes its [the Temple’s] owner jealous. This was a common idiom for Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess from which the term Easter is derived. This will be an important fact to keep in mind throughout this and the next chapter. It also reminds us of the golden calf, which Aharon said was an image of YHWH (thus giving the calf credit for what YHWH had done), and which Moshe ground up and made the people drink like the water that was a test of the faithfulness of a jealous husband’s wife. (Numbers 5) A calf is one of the highest offerings, and thus represents wealth. Mammon (Hebrew for wealth) still makes YHWH jealous, as does giving anything else credit for what He has done. Even “Jesus” is given the credit for things that the Father really accomplished. Thus a crucifix makes YHWH jealous. Vine’s Expository Dictionary admits that the cross as typically depicted was derived from a Chaldean symbol for Tammuz (see v. 14), being the most ancient way to write its initial letter, tau. The apostate third-century Church received pagans into its fold to increase its prestige, and allowed them to retain such pagan symbolism—another thing YHWH has against the House of Israel. Between heaven and earth: where the spiritual Yerushalayim, of which the physical is a shadow (Heb. 8:5; 9:23), is located, according to this verse.

Splendor: in Hebrew, this means the “weightiness” of His dignified presence which commands respect and honor. How could this coexist side by side with the idol that was set up there (v. 3)?

6. And He said to me, “Son of Adam, do you see what they are doing—the tremendously disgusting things that the House of Israel is doing here, [making Me] distance [Myself] from being over My sanctuary?”

Here: Remember that the Northern Kingdom has been exiled for some 130 years and has not been using the literal Temple in Yerushalayim. So figuratively, in the place where they supposedly worship YHWH, the Northern Kingdom is actually worshipping idols. In the latter days, what could this apply to but the Body of Messiah, which is called the Temple of YHWH which houses the Spirit of Holiness (1 Cor. 3:16), but now has much paganism in it?

8. Then He told me, “Son of Adam, please dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall, and sure enough, there was a single opening.

Mithras (the Roman army’s version of Tammuz/Nimrod, derived from Persia—see v. 14) was worshipped in caves, especially on December 24-25, so here we find a cave built into the Temple of YHWH as an expression of what later became “Christmas”. So add this to the list of what YHWH has against the Northern Kingdom.

10. So I went in and looked, and lo and behold, every form of creeping thing and detestable beast and all the rolling idols of the House of Israel were [depicted by] engravings on the wall all around on every side.

11. Then seventy men from among the elders of the House of Israel, with Ya’azanyahu the son of Shafan standing among them, were standing in front of them, each with his censer in his hand, and an abundant [odiferous] cloud of incense was ascending.

Seventy men: suggesting the House of Israel’s dispersion into all 70 biblical nations. (See Gen. 10.) Ya’azanyahu means “YHWH lends His ear.” It was a common name during this era (2 Kings 25:23; Yirmeyahu 35:3). This one was a prominent leader. (11:1) His father’s name, Shafan, means “coney/hyrax/rock badger”, linked with the hare in Deut. 14:27 among the unclean beasts that chew the cud but do not have a divided hoof—i.e.,, they meditate on Scripture, but do not walk the walk. Since this is all in the context of Ishtar worship (v. 3), the connection with the hare suggests a possible allusion to the predecessor of the “Easter bunny”. In any case, his name suggests YHWH listening to an unclean beast, so this Ya’azanyahu’s name, though itself honorable, is an insult to YHWH.

Chambers of his masterpiece: or showpiece; alt., the innermost places of his imagination.

14. And He brought me to where the gate of the House of YHWH which is toward the north opened out, and lo and behold, the women were bewailing Tammuz there!

Bewailing Tammuz: a common practice originating when, after the execution of Nimrod the rebel against YHWH who founded Babylon, his widow, Semiramis, proclaimed his son Tammuz to be his reincarnation (hence the mother-and-infant images carried over so identically into the Roman church), and was called “the embodiment of Nimrod”. I.e., he was the “son who is his father”—essentially what the Church says about “Jesus”, at least in practice. His widow/mother went to the underworld to beg to have him back, and was told that he would come back for at least part of every year if everything on earth could be persuaded to weep for him. It must therefore have been a religion with many missionaries. Since YHWH does not want us to have the names of pagan deities on our lips (Psalm 16:4), we should not use this Babylonian name for the fourth month, during which it began, since that is when the land begins to dry up after the rains cease (roughly equivalent to the Roman July; in the West this was practiced in the spring, and lasted forty days; thus, it is the origin of the practice known today as Lent). Semiramis was worshipped as the earth-goddess, and Tammuz was said to have risen into the sky and become the sun. Thus worshipping on the Day of the Sun is also related to this ancient mystery religion.

16. And He brought me into the courtyard of the House of YHWH, and, lo and behold, and the entryway to the Temple of YHWH, between the binding-place and the altar, [there were] about 25 men with their backs toward the Temple of YHWH and their faces eastward, and they were bowing themselves eastward, to the sun!

In the West we do face eastward to pray, because that is toward the Temple (compare Daniel 6:10; 1 Kings 8:38-42; 2 Chron. 6:34), but they were right in front of the Temple and yet had their backs to it—something never allowed during the Second Temple period, since it was a slap in YHWH’s face. Sun-worship in many forms has carried over into the Church, though it is obscured by more innocuous practices like honoring Yahshua’s resurrection. So they were having none other than an “Easter sunrise service”! So this practice is another thing for which YHWH finds the House of Israel guilty. Binding-place: where the animals were tied to be ritually slaughtered; or simply, porch. Only the priests were allowed there. Joel 2:15 tells us that this location is where they should weep and cry out to YHWH lest His chosen heritage become a reproach—not weep for Tammuz! Once a year, on Yom Kippur, a bull was offered up at this site.

Now He turns back to Yehudah and says, “What you are doing is just as bad as what your brothers have been doing!” Yehudah has the duty to redeem his brother Efrayim, but Judaism has accumulated much superstition as well. Stretching out the trimmed branch: another common practice when mourning for Tammuz, whose name appears to mean “sprout of life” and was considered by the Sumerians to be the deity of food or vegetation. Nimrod was called the “Branch of Kush”, so the generic branch became a symbol of him as well. It is also easy to see the connection between the “trimming” of the branch and the “trimming” of the Christmas tree.

CHAPTER 9

Called out: exactly what He had just said would not elicit a response from Him if Israel did the same. (8:18)

Shattering: the same term in its noun form is used for a battle axe, which was also commonly used for beheading. Bronze altar: the one outside the Temple, where the slaughtered animals were burned to YHWH or cooked for the priests. White linen was what the ordinary priestly garments were made from.

4. And YHWH said to him, “Pass through within the city, inside Yerushalayim, and put a mark on the foreheads of all the people who are groaning and lamenting over all the disgusting things that are done within her.”

In Revelation 7:3, such marking identifies these people as YHWH’s servants. Judgment may not come on the earth until they are sealed. A scroll is written in ink on the inside and sealed on the outside. But a mark can wash off; the practice it symbolizes must be perpetuated for the promise to remain current. The blood of the lamb similarly marked those in Egypt to be spared from otherwise-certain death; thus this mark correlates with the practice of Passover, about which the passages placed inside the tefillin, also worn on the forehead, speak; James Trimm points out, and we can see clearly from this context, that its counterfeit—the mark of the beast (Rev. 13)—therefore corresponds with the observance of Easter instead. Passover is only the first of three pilgrim festivals commanded in Ex. 23, and so the analogy extends to all of YHWH’s mandated appointments with Israel, and Easter would in the same way represent, by extension, Christmas, Lent, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and all the rest of the whitewashed festivals that stem from paganism instead of YHWH’s commands. Observant Jews are therefore more on track in this regard than most modern Christians.

6. “kill, destroy old and young, [virgin] maidens, toddlers, and women [alike], but do not get near anyone who [has] the mark on him. And you must start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the old men who were in front of the House.

Young and old, etc.: United Israel failed to do this when they first entered the Land, and it came back to haunt them.

8. But as they struck down, it turned out that I myself was spared, so I fell on my face and cried out, “Alas, Master YHWH! Will You destroy all who are left of Israel as You pour out Your rage on Yerushalayim?”

9. And He told me, “The perversion of the House of Israel and Yehudah is very great in [its] extent, and the Land is filled with blood, and the city fully warped, because they have said, ‘YHWH has abandoned the Land, so there is no YHWH to inspect.’

10. “So My own eye, too, will not show pity, nor will I spare; I will employ their habits on their own head!”

11. Then, here [came] the man clothed in white linen, who [had] the inkhorn at his hips, brought back word, saying, “I have done just as You ordered me.”

CHAPTER 10

On Mt. Sinai, Moshe, Aharon, and the elders of Israel saw a similar vision of YHWH with a tilework of sapphire under His feet. The word sapphire is related to the Hebrew word for writing or recounting. The word for stone is from the word for building. Thus we could say YHWH’s throne is built through the recounting of what is written.

Burning coals: always associated in Scripture with purification and/or judgment. The only time a man goes into the Holy of Holies is on Yom Kippur, the time for examining our motives, and the High Priest does indeed wear only white linen then. The fire from which he would take them is the golden altar of incense, which represents our prayers. The fire is what “motivates” the incense to go up, so the coals represent the motives behind our prayers. These are exactly what YHWH uses to judge us. We must be motivated not by what makes us feel nice, but by what benefits Israel and pleases YHWH. We are not naturally inclined to have the best motives, but at the moments when we do have them, YHWH hears us and takes us through what we need to experience in order to remove self from the equation.

4. Then the splendor of YHWH rose from [being] upon the kh’ruv over the threshold of the House, and the House was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the splendor of YHWH.

This rising is a continuation from 9:3, in which He had risen from His usual resting-place.

Outer courtyard: it is too holy to be heard any further than this.

7. and the kh’ruv extended his hand from [the area] between the kh’ruvim to the fire that was between the kh’ruvim, and he picked up [the fire] and put it into the fists of the one wearing the white linen, so he took it and went out.

This would not burn the High Priest as it might seem; he held a special shovel in his hands to collect the coals.

A human hand: literally, Adam’s hand. This may represent the fact that because of Israel’s enthronement of YHHW, Adam was in the process of being reconciled with the kh’ruvim that had barred him from the Garden.

Tarshish: an Israelite-Phonenican colony in the Atlantic region, possibly even as far west as Mexico. (Collins) Many from Israel had moved there as the Assyrian conquest was impending some 130 years before this.

11. When they moved, they went on the four of their quadrants; they do not change direction when they move, because the place toward which the head faced, [there] they followed it; they do not change direction when they move.

12. And all of their flesh, their backs, their hands, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around; the four of them had their wheels.

In chapter 1 we saw that the eyes represent the fact that there is something to see in every part of YHWH’s calendar. Here there are also eyes even on their flesh, reminding us that though we are not to let our flesh (our natural inclinations) motivate us, we must look at what our inclination to rebel reveals about where we need to strengthen our motivation to overcome it.

Rolling: from YHWH’s perspective, they were not just spinning wheels, but were actually going somewhere. “Chariots” is added based on ancient tradition that this is what they were riding.

The kh’ruv’s face was said to be a bull’s in chapter 1.

16. When the living [creatures] moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the living [creatures] lifted up their wings to rise up from upon the land, they too (the wheels) did not turn from [being] beside them.

17. When [the former] stood still, [the latter] stood still, and when they were lifted up from upon the land, the wheels lifted themselves up, because the spirit of the living creature was in them.

18. Then the splendor of YHWH went out from upon the threshold of the House, and stood over the kh’ruvim.

19. Then the kh’ruvim lifted up their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels also [went] parallel to them. And He stopped at the opening of the gate of the House of YHWH —the eastern [one]. And the splendor of the Elohim of Israel was upon them from above.

They only had splendor because of their association with Him.

Or, I recognized that they were kh’ruvim.

22. As for what their faces looked like, they are the faces of the ones that I saw [in] the visions on the River K’var. Each proceeds toward [what is directly] across from its face.

CHAPTER 11

Wind: or spirit. These men’s names mean “YHWH hears me”, the son of “help” and “YHWH has delivered me”, the son of “YHWH builds”. They sound like noble names, but they are in the wrong context, just as the Church makes such claims to YHWH’s attention and help, but worships Him in a context that He does not approve of.

3. “who are saying, ‘[It is] not in the vicinity; let’s build houses. She is the [boiling] pot and we are the meat.’

The Northern Kingdom was far from Yerushalayim now, so it appears that they are condemning Yehudah for its shortcomings, and are celebrating the fact that their brother is receiving a beating.

5. Then the Spirit of YHWH fell on me and told me, “Say, ‘This is what YHWH says: “This is how you have spoken, O House of Israel, and the things that come up in your spirit—I know them!

6. “‘“You have caused your mortally wounded to increase in this city, and filled the open squares with the pierced.

7. “‘“So this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Your mortally wounded, whom you have laid out within her—they are the meat and she is the [boiling] pot. But you I will take out from within her.

He changes their metaphor to one that is much less “tasty”. Many are also predicting the fall of the “spiritual Yerushalayim” as seen here, but thinking they will escape the consequences by means of the “rapture”. But YHWH says he will take these over-confident people away in a different way and to a different context than they expect:

9. “‘“‘and I will take you out from within her and turn you over into the hands of foreigners , and carry out justice against you.

Foreigners: this began with the Assyrians. Indeed, since David had conquered the Assyrians about four centuries earlier, greatly reducing their military strength, now that they had made their comeback, they wanted revenge on Yerushalayim.

11. “‘“‘She will not serve as a [boiling] pot for you, nor will you serve as meat within her.

12. “‘“‘To the border of Israel I will judge you. Then you will know that I am YHWH—in whose prescribed customs of Mine you have not walked, nor have you carried out My legal procedures; rather, you have acted according to the legal procedures of the nations who are all around you.’”’”

To the border: as then-righteous Yehudah was unaffected by the famine that came only on Israel due to her sins in Eliyahu and Akhav’s time, He is very capable of punishing only those who are guilty. This isolation of His instruments of judgment to specific limits would indeed let them see that He was in control of every detail.

As He brings correction to our understanding, the false leader with blasphemous names (v. 1) will indeed collapse.

15. “Son of Adam, your brothers—your relatives, the men [for whom] you could act as kinsman-redeemer and the whole House of Israel—are all those to whom the inhabitants of Yerushalayim have said, ‘Distance [yourselves] from YHWH! This Land is given to us [to possess] as an inheritance!’

16. “So you are to say, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Though I have sent them far away among the Gentiles and though I have shattered them into [many] pieces among the lands, I will nonetheless become for them a diminished sanctuary in the lands into which they have come.”

So: Just as YHWH destroyed the Assyrians, His chosen instrument to correct Israel, for taking this too far and in their own direction (), He will do this not because Israel deserves it, but because of the attitude expressed by Yehudah at Israel’s returning claim to the Land (v. 15; compare 36:22.) A diminished sanctuary: One of less worth, short of the fullness, but barely adequate. To ride out our exile, “while we were still missing the mark” (Rom. 5:8), He gave us Yahshua to keep alive in us a measure of the worship of YHWH throughout the long centuries until the time comes for the rest of this wonderful prophecy to come true:

18. “‘“And when they come there, they will abolish all her detestable things and [remove] all her disgusting things from her,

19. “‘“and I will give them one [unified] heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a fleshy heart

Fleshy: i.e., organic, soft, pliable, and no longer lifeless and stubborn like stone. The unified heart will not come until the idols (security, worldly values, and even Christian morals that do not line up with Scripture) are removed from our hearts. Anything that is commonly valued by men is suspect of being in this category. Until we remove the clutter from our minds, we cannot fill them with the true knowledge that is the key to our restoration.

21. “‘“But [as for those] whose heart is going to the heart of their detestable and disgusting things, I will put their [habitual] way on their own head,” declares the Master YHWH.’”

22. Then the kh’ruvim lifted up their wings with the wheels paralleling them, and the splendor of the Elohim of Israel was upon them from above.

23. And the splendor of YHWH ascended from within the city and stood still over the mountain that is eastward from the city.

The mountain: i.e., the Mount of Olives, directly east of the Temple Mount. Is it leaving Yerushalayim? Or just waiting outside the Temple precinct until the Messiah returns to this very spot (Zkh. 14:4; Acts 1:11) with us to finish the purification of the City and the Land?

Khasdim: He came back to Babylonia, where his vision had begun.

CHAPTER 12

2. “Son of Adam, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious household who have eyes to see but have not seen, and have ears to hear, but have not listened, because a rebellious house they are!

Those who are given more are responsible for more. (Luke 12:48 and context.) But these people did not use the resources they had been given. (Compare Mat. 25:25.) They had the Torah, and thus should have been able to see. But like most today who still have it, they refused to see it as for now. They are therefore losing the kingdom, for if we leave it until tomorrow without maintaining it today, it will not be there tomorrow. (2 Kefa 3:12)

A warning is provided to show them they are without excuse, but He still holds out some hope that they will repent.

5. “Where they can see [you], dig for yourself through the wall and carry [the things] out through it.

6. “In their sight carry [them] on [your] shoulder; carry it out under cover of darkness. Cover your face so that you do not see the ground, because I have appointed you as a sign for the House of Israel.”

7. So I did just as I was commanded. I brought out my equipment as paraphernalia for exile in the daytime, and in the evening I dug for myself through the wall by hand. I brought it out under cover of darkness; I carried it on my shoulder in their sight.

8. Then the word of YHWH came to me in the morning to say,

9. “Son of Adam, didn’t the House of Israel—the rebellious house—say to you, ‘What are you doing?’

10. “Tell them, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “This oracle [concerns] the leader in Yerushalayim and the whole House of Israel who are among them.

11. “Say, ‘I am your sign! As I have done, so will it be done to them. Into exile, into captivity they will go!

12. “‘And the leader who is among them will carry [burdens] on his shoulder under cover of darkness when he goes out. They will dig through the wall to bring [things] out thereby, and he will have his face covered so he will not see the Land with his eyes.

Dig through: i.e., breach. But King Tzidqiyahu would also sneak out via the garden wall in an attempt to escape the besiegers. (2 Kings 25:4) But the gate of the garden is where kh’ruvim are stationed (Gen. 3:24), and since this king was to be judged, he did not escape. He was caught near Yerikho, which foreshadows the Counterfeit Messiah’s being caught near enough to there to be thrown alive into the Dead Sea (which used to be called the Lake of Fire due to lightning igniting the petroleum seepage that used to rise to its surface). See Rev. 19:20.

This is a strange prophecy, but it makes complete sense when we remember that King Tzidqiyahu indeed had his eyes put out by the Babylonians before he was taken to Bavel, but not until after he saw his own sons put to death. (2 Kings 25:7) This is the point of Y’hezq’El’s being sure he could not see the ground (v. 6). Covering his face would also be an expression of grief. (2 Shmuel 19:4)

Strike forces: “wings” of an army, from the root word for “an impending stroke”. I.e., all his “secret service agents” were scattered, removing his protection.

Then they will know: His intent behind this corrective is that they will know Him and become intimate with Him again; it is only punishment if they refuse to repent and choose to remain alienated from Him.

A number: but the term used here implies a number small enough to be easily counted. They would still be remembered—but as a reproach.

18. “Son of Adam, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with trepidation and anxiety.

19. “Then tell the people of the Land, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim—to the Land of Israel: “They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with [appalled] horror, in order that the Land may become desolate of all that fills it, because of the violent injustice of all who live in her.

The infrastructure and landscaping could not be maintained since everyone was afraid to go outside any more than was absolutely necessary. But part of the reason for this exile was that the people had not obeyed YHWH and allowed the Land to enjoy its sabbatical years. (Lev. 26:34)

21. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

22. “Son of Adam, what is this saying you have about the Land of Israel that says, ‘The days are prolonged, and every prophetic vision will vanish’?

23. “For this reason I say to them, ‘This what the Master YHWH says: “I will put a stop to this saying, and they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel, because”, tell them, “The days are approaching with the substance of every prophetic vision.”’

I.e., “It has been a long time since He started warning us, and nothing has happened yet.” Today people also say, “There is nothing to be afraid of. Judgment has not come yet.” (2 Kefa 3:3-15) But today YHWH is showing us that if we do not fear Him, there is “more to fear than fear itself”. Compare Y’shua’s words about those who allow themselves to be sidetracked and abuse His delay. (Luke 12:42ff)

Empty: worthless, in vain. Flattering: from an identical word meaning smooth or slippery. The reason they did not take the words of the prophets seriously is because there were so many false prophets muddying the waters by giving the opposite prognostication.

26. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

27. “Son of Adam, here, the House of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he is seeing is for many days [off], and he prophesies for times far removed [from now].’

It is a common attitude in the Church, that the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, etc., are only for the “end times”, though 1 Yochanan 2:18; 2 Yoch. 1:7 tell us that these things have been going on all along, and if one does not “get off the train” of the Counterfeit Messiah that he is already on, he will soon end up at the end of that line.

CHAPTER 13

2. “Son of Adam, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, ‘Listen to the word of YHWH!

3. “‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Woe to the foolish prophets who go after their own spirit, but have gone without seeing [a vision]!

4. “‘“O Israel, your prophets have become like foxes in the wastelands!

5. “‘“You have not gone up into the breaches or closed up the fence in regard to the House of Israel, so that it might endure in the battle on the Day of YHWH.

Foxes find ruins beneficial, because there is food there for them. The responsibility of a prophet (especially since most were Levites, who are responsible to teach Torah), however, is not to feed off others’ doom, but to prevent it by shoring up the defenses meant to protect Israel through the knowledge of the Truth.

7. “‘“Haven’t you beheld an empty vision and pronounced a divination that is untrue when you say, ‘YHWH declares’ though I have not spoken?”

8. “‘Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says: “Since you have made empty promises and [as if you were seers] beheld deceitful things, I am therefore against you,” declares the Master YHWH.

9. “‘“And My hand will be against the prophets who behold wasteful things, and who divine a lie. They will not be in the inner circle of My people’s council, nor will they be enrolled in the registry of the House of Israel, and they will not arrive onto the ground of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Master, YHWH.”’

The exiles in Bavel were probably hoping that the king of Yehudah, who was still reigning in Yerushalayim, might yet be able to send an army to bring them back home, as only a small percentage , the cream of the crop, had been taken to Bavel thus far. But by revealing that the king, too, would be brought into exile (12:12-13), YHWH takes away this humanly-based hope. But there are many layers to this prophecy. It speaks to our day as well, when many expect to be in the inner circles in the Kingdom, but are not obeying the light they have already been given.

Outer wall: where the defenses of the city of Gamla were breached in Roman times. By limiting themselves to politically correct messages of “sweetness and light”, they fail to point out the weak spots in the wall that could be repaired in time. Instead, they whitewash the walls with “fluff” like the rapture doctrine which causes people to expect to escape YHWH’s firm hand.

Indeed, it will fall: Who said anything about it falling before this? The key is that the words for plaster (tafel) and “you will fall” (tipol) are spelled exactly the same way in Hebrew without the vowel points.

13. “Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘I will split it with a raging wind in My fury, and in My anger there will be an overflowing of rain, and hail stones to finish it off in the heat of My indignation!

Compare Y’shua’s parable of the foolish builder. (Mat. 7:26)

15. “And I will exhaust My rage on the wall and on those who have smeared it with plaster. And [they] will say to you, ‘There is no wall, and none of those who plastered it over are here’--

16. “‘the prophets of Israel, who prophesy to Yerushalayim, and who behold visions of peace for her, when there is no peace,” declares the Master YHWH.

17. “Now you, son of Adam, fix your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart, and prophesy about them.

18. “What you must say is, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Woe to those who sew covered amulets to all the joints of My forearm and press long veils over the heads of anyone tall enough to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, yet save the souls alive for yourselves?

Tall enough… save the souls alive: This seems like an allusion to King Sha’ul, who was the tallest in Israel, and left King Agag of the Amaleqites alive long enough to sire at least one more son, when YHWH had ordered that they all be slain. (1 Shmuel 15:9) Covered amulets: in the place where t’fillin (phylacteries bearing YHWH’s commandments) should be on a human being, idolatrous images are being joined to YHWH!

Barley, crumbs of bread: possibly what they placed inside the amulets. It seems that they were using a form of voodoo here to curse others.

Again, there are many layers to this prophecy, for YHWH was dealing with many types of rebellion at the same time. The term for amulets can also be rendered cushions, and “make them sprout” can have the shade of meaning of “making them fly”; some even render it “hunt souls like birds”. A cushion that covers the forearm (v. 18) when hunting birds suggests hunting with a falcon or hawk. An unclean bird of prey has symbolized Gentile governments bent on conquest since the time of Nimrod, founder of Babylon. Missionaries have often compromised with occupying governments’ agendas in order to gain access to the tribes they have conquered. Sometimes they feed their bellies so they will listen to their spiritual message, and today we hear of governments funding after-school food programs in churches to provide a forum for the themes they wish to advance as well. To keep the bird from wounding one’s hand, a glove that limits the movement of the joints (v. 18) must be used. YHWH’s Hand is an idiom for the Messiah. Compromises that blunt and limit His real message must be used in order to retain the funding source. But this only highlights what the bird of prey will do if one does not have the cushion there! Why should we deal with such a hunting aid?

22. “‘Since through deceit you have made sad the heart of the righteous when I have not caused him pain, and have strengthened the hands of the wicked to keep him from repenting from his evil way, so that he could survive,

False prophets not only give people false hope; they give people false fears as well, to advance their agendas.

CHAPTER 14

2. Then the word of YHWH came to me, to say,

3. “Son of Adam, these men have let rolling-idols ascend onto their hearts, and set the stumblingblock of their perversity right in front of their faces; should I allow Myself to be consulted by them at all?

Consulted: most likely for advice on how to end their captivity. To them, YHWH was just one more of many whose prophets they consulted. The others have not come through for them, so as a last resort, they inquire of YHWH. So He does not answer the question they come with, but gives them a more important message:

Temptation is inevitable (Mat. 18:7), but giving it space is not. They were putting their idols in a place where they could not miss them, as a constant reminder—something we are instead told to do with YHWH’s words. (Deut. 11:18-20) By their actions, these leaders have given the wrong message and set a bad example for the rest of Israel. People in ancient times were not so foolish as to worship wood or stones as such. Each idol was linked with a particular purpose which matched a desire of the human heart. Ba’al-Peor was worshipped so one could have more authority in the underworld after his death. Asherah was worshipped for the sake of fertility, etc. The images were just symbols, but in making them, the worshipper felt like he was more in control of the demon behind them. (See 1 Cor. 10:20.) In modern society, we do not bow down to carvings, but we still worship our desires by putting them first. An idol may be something as simple as your right to your own opinion. When we cannot get what we desire, we come to Him, still bearing the lipstick and perfume of our illicit lover, and expect Him to do something for us!

Capture: Since they already had their hearts set on believing a lie, YHWH sent them a strong delusion. (2 Thess. 2:11)

7. “‘“Any man from the House of Israel, or any foreigner who lives temporarily in Israel, who separates himself from following after Me, and lets his idols ascend toward his heart or sets the stumblingblock of his perversity right in front of his face, yet comes to the prophet to consult him in regard to Me, I, YHWH, will answer him Myself.

No visitor to Israel is permitted to worship anyone but YHWH when in His territory. Once one knows the truth, tolerance of anything else is a fault.

Ethical comparison: as a proverb or byword to warn others not to do the same.

He has already set a standard by his own words, so he should know better than to fall for anything that relaxes the standard. YHWH has already told them not to answer them (v. 3), so if a message did come to the prophet for them, it would be for the sake of blinding those whose minds were already made up anyway (v. 5), and the prophet would be giving an untrue message, and thus be just as guilty as they.

11. “‘“so that the House of Israel may no longer wander away from Me nor continue to defile themselves with their rebellion, but become for Me a people; then I will come to serve as an Elohim for them,” declares the Master YHWH.’”

12. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

13. “Son of Adam, if a land sins against Me by treacherously crossing a [forbidden] line, then I will stretch out My hand over it and break the staff of bread for it, and send it a famine, and I will cause [both] man and animal to be cut off from it.

Staff: or supply; literally, stretching out; i.e., the bread would not last long enough. Man and animal: literally, Adam and [the] Beast.

These three men dwelt in lands other than Israel. But Daniel was actually Y’hezq’el’s contemporary, brought to Bavel at the same time as he, so he must have already, even in his youth, had an exemplary reputation as someone who had earned YHWH’s respect.

16. “[and] these three men were within it, [I swear that as] I live,” declares the Master YHWH, “[even] if they could rescue sons or daughters, they alone would be delivered, while the land remained a wasteland.

We cannot ride on the coattails of anyone else’s righteousness. Righteousness is defined in Deut. 6:25 as observing and guarding YHWH’s Torah.

18. “[and] these three men were within it, [I swear that as] I live,” declares the Master YHWH, “they could not [even] rescue sons or daughters, because only they themselves would be delivered

19. “Or [if] I let loose a pestilence into that land, and poured out My rage on it with blood to eliminate man and animal from it,

20. “even [if] Noach, Daniel, and Iyov were within it, [as] I live,” declares the Master YHWH, “if they could rescue sons or daughters, they would deliver their souls [only] by their righteousness.

21. “Because this is what the Master YHWH has said: ‘How much more when I let loose My four injurious acts of judgment—sword, famine, vicious beast, and pestilence—toward Yerushalayim to eliminate man and animal from it!

This city knows better, so even the influence of the righteous within it will not be enough to spare the wicked majority as in S’dom and Ghamorah.

When the righteous see what all these chastisements have done for the lifestyle of the small remnant who survive them, they will recognize that it was more than worth it all.

In vain: without cause, to no purpose, for nothing. I.e., every stroke of judgment that He lays on it will achieve its purpose and make it more righteous than ever.

CHAPTER 15

2. “Son of Adam, how could the [woody] stalk of the [grape] vine be [better] than any pruned tree that was among the trees of the forest?

3. “Can wood be made to be taken from it to produce any workmanship? Or can they procure from it a peg on which to hang any [kind of] tool?

It is too flimsy to hang a heavy tool on.

5. “Indeed, when it was unimpaired it could not be used [to make] any product; how much less can it be used to make a product again when the fire has devoured it?

6. “Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘As the vine is among the trees of the forest that I have provided as fuel for the fire, I have likewise designated the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.

If it was never useful for anything but producing grapes, once it has been burned, can it ever be used again? Israel is called a vine that was planted to bear fruit for YHWH. (Psalm 80:19ff; Yeshayahu 5) It is not designed to be useful for anyone else’s purposes. If we do not fulfill our calling, what else can He do with us but destroy us? It may even put out bad grapes, which are worse than no grapes because they give one a false hope.

The prophet’s word is a fire from YHWH that is meant to burn away what is useless in us. But if we are offended by their words and run away from them, it will be the proverbial “out of the frying pan, into the fire”.

CHAPTER 16

2. “Son of Adam, let Yerushalayim know what she [is doing] that nauseates Me,

3. “and say, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says to Yerushalayim: “Your forgings and your springings-forth were from the land of the Kanaanite. Your father was the Emorite and your mother a Hittite.

Emorite and Hittite: the origins of the Yevusite city that existed on the site previously.

5. “‘“Not [one] eye looked on your with pity to do any of these things for you to have compassion on you. Rather, you were flung onto the surface of the field in abhorrence of your soul on the day you were given birth.

6. “‘“And when I was passing by you, I saw you kicking about in your own blood. And [while you were] in your blood, I told you, ‘Stay alive!’ Indeed, [while you were] in your blood, I told you, ‘Live on!’

Kicking about: or, squirming. YHWH noticed Yerushalayim because fo Melkhitzedeq in Avraham’s time, but His people were not yet there; the city was not taken by Y’hoshua. It remained Yevusite until David conquered it. In your blood, live: Why is it said twice? Because taking the easy way out is really choosing death. (Deut. 30:15-19) When we left our own blood for Y’shua’s and came in the door to Israel, yet thought the fight was over, we could not become fully alive, for it was not the time to rest (His Kingdom). When our obligation to the Torah caught up with us, it told us to get up and do something about His unfinished business, to become a threat to His enemies instead of avoiding pain, blood, and conflict.

8. “‘“That’s when I passed by and saw you, and lo and behold, your time was the season for affection, so I spread the extremity [of My garment] over you and concealed your nakedness. Then I swore a vow to you and entered into a covenant with you,” declares the Master YHWH, “and you became Mine.”

When YHWH passed by the second time, Israel was in the picture. Extremity: literally, wing. We often think of being under YHWH’s wings as referring to His protection, and it does, but it goes much further. Spreading a garment over someone is an idiom and a symbol of marrying them, as seen in the story of Boaz and Ruth.

Ruth washed and anointed herself before asking Boaz to spread his garment over her as kinsman-redeemer. (Ruth 3:3) Your blood: This time the blood of niddah, in which a woman is temporarily unavailable to her husband.

Embroidered… takhash skins: this is also the description of how the Tabernacle was “clothed”. (Ex. 36:19) Even her sandals were bejeweled.

Ornaments: The term is also used to describe t’fillin (phylacteries) in Exodus 33:4-5.

13. “‘“You were adorned with gold and silver, and your apparel was of fine linen, costly [silk], and skillfully embroidered [workmanship]. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You were very beautiful, and you advanced to royalty.

Gold and silver, fine flour and oil are also common components of the offerings at the Tabernacle, but honey was not permitted to be baked into any of the grain offerings. Honey was, however, part of the description of the Land of Israel. (Ex. 3:8 et al) The milk was there with the Torah when they arrived in the Land, but the honey, the sweetest part of the country—Yerushalayim, as described here—was not part of it until it was totally set apart under David and Shlomo, when it truly became world-renowned for the first time:

My splendor: Forgetting where it all came from and that we were nothing without Him was our downfall.

Confident: that because of the Land’s greatness, no consequences would come if she became unfaithful to YHWH. She no longer derived her pride from being related to her husband, but from the prosperity He had brought her. We see the same pattern with haSatan. (Y’hezq’El 28:2, 5, 17) King Shlomo made compromises with idolatry because of his worldwide fame and diplomacy.

Cloaks: or garments. The things that defined His dwelling-place as set apart (see v. 10) were at best watered down and at worst, defiled. This is not only about thousands of years ago. The Church, too, took valid things YHWH had given Israel and made doctrines foreign to Him, since we wanted to be kind and share the blessings He had given us, we lowered it to a level they could understand, which meant we stopped ascending to YHWH. Because we did not restrict the inflow of pagans to only those who were truly repentant, other religions’ practices were given free access. What is outside will affect what is inside if allowed a foot in the door. But friendship with the world dilutes the potency because it dissipates our focus. YHWH calls it enmity with Himself! (Yaaqov/James 4:4) Now Yerushalayim is full of steeples and minarets (both phallic symbols that stemmed from earlier pagan practices. Had come: or possibly, should come about.

Macsuline shapes: or, images of a man—which is reminiscent of the counterfeit kingdom portrayed in Daniel, Revelation, and Lev. 24:10ff.

Spread them over: i.e., propositioning them as if to marry them (see v. 8), yet not actually doing so. The most recent instance of this kind of activity was when Christianity adopted many pagan practices and put Biblically-oriented titles on them so as to grant them a new legitimacy, then forgot that there had ever been a difference between the two religions. This was actually offering YHWH’s things to demons!

20. “‘“You even took the sons and daughters that you bore to Me and made slaughters to them as food! Are your harlotries a petty [matter]?

21. “‘“You have slaughtered My sons and made them pass through [the fire] for them!

22. “‘“And with all your nauseating things and your fornications, you never recalled to mind the days of your youth, when you were naked, bare, and squirming in your own blood!

23. “‘“And this came about after all your distress. Alas! Alas for you!”, declares the Master YHWH.

24. “‘“You have also built yourself a mound and made a high place for yourself in every open plaza.

25. “‘“At the head of every road you have made your high place and have made your beauty abhorrent, spreading your legs to anyone who passed by and having many illicit affairs.

Legs: or feet, also an idiom for the pilgrimage festivals, which we did indeed throw to the dogs. (Mat. 7:6)

27. “‘“So look! I have extended My hand over you and withdrawn your allotted portion, and I will give you over to the desire of those who hate you—the daughters of the Filistines, who are embarrassed by your lewd habits.

Allotted portion: their Land. The Filistines, who were very lewd themselves, were blushing about Israel’s actions! Why does Israel outdo the Gentiles in their own ways once given the opening to imitate them? We take them to such extremes as to become caricatures, because this is not our lot, and thus we cannot even “sin properly”.

29. “‘“You extended your fornication to the land of Kanaan in [the place of the] Khasdim, yet with this you were still not satisfied.

30. “‘“How feeble is your heart,” declares the Master YHWH, “in doing all these deeds of a domineering, adulterous woman,

Heart: enduring love for her husband. She only used Him as a means to gain access to others.

32. “‘“the adulterous wife who receives strangers in place of her husband!

33. “‘“All prostitutes are given disproportionately-large gifts, but you bribe your lovers and hire them to come from all around for your fornication!

Gifts: the word has the sense of throwing away money in thoughtless generosity.

Others might be excused to some extent if they are starving and use this last resort to be able to buy food. But she is nowhere near such a position. She is too wealthy to need their gifts, but she is not sought after, so she goes chasing after them and pays them to let her give them her favors! The Church also erred in this way by giving away freely the set-apart things YHWH had beforehand purposefully relegated to being behind walls and closed doors. In doing so, she opened herself to the ways of those she wanted to absorb, and took on a mixture of all their practices, yet saying it was from Him. His special treasures are thus no longer treated as such, but are profaned.

36. “‘This is what YHWH says: “Because your copper was poured out and your nakedness uncovered by your fornications with your lovers and with all your nauseating idols and by the blood of your sons, whom you give to them--

37. “‘“for this reason, watch as I gather all your lovers over whom you have been pleased and all whom you have loved in addition to all whom you have hated—that is, I will gather them together against you from all around and they will disclose your nakedness to themselves, and they will see all your indecency.

38. “‘“Then I will judge you as adulteresses and shedders of blood are judged, and I will assign to you blood of rage and jealousy.

39. “‘“And I will give you over into their hand, and they will tear down your mound and demolish your high places, and they will strip you of your cloaks and seize your splendid articles, and leave you naked and bare.

40. “‘“And they will stir up an invasion against you and stone you with stones and cut you down with their swords.

41. “‘“Then they will burn your houses with fire and carry out judgments on you in the sight of many women, and I will stop you from playing the prostitute, and you will no longer employ wages.

42. “‘“Then I will let My rage against you rest and My jealousy will turn away from you, and I will be quieted and no longer be provoked to anger.

43. “‘“Since you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have perturbed Me in all these [things], hey! I, too, will employ your way on your own head,” declares the Master YHWH, “and you will not carry out this lewd plan in addition to all the nauseating things you [have done].

44. “‘“Indeed, any who make comparisons will use this proverb against you, saying, ‘Like mother, [like] daughter.’

45. “‘“You are your mother’s daughter, who casts off her husband and children [as loathsome], and your are the sister of your sisters, who cast off their husbands and children [as loathsome]. Your mother is [indeed] a Hittite, and your father an Emorite.

Hittites overcharged Avraham for his wife’s tomb. Esau got his wives from among them (Gen. 26:34), and YHWH had told Israel He would help them drive both the Hittites and the Emorites out of the land of Kanaan. (Ex. 33:2) Yet now they were acting just like them. Though Protestants declared their independence from Rome, they still celebrate her changed times and accept her changed laws (Daniel 7:25). Thus they are really very much like her, and have not returned to their true roots.

Left side: north, since Hebraic orientation is literally to the east. Shomron: Samaria, the former capital of the now-exiled Northern Kingdom of Israel. Right side: south. S’dom (which means “scorched”) was by this time long since obliterated. She was gone before Israel even existed as such, yet is called younger. Is it because she was considered more innocent, being held less accountable because she knew far less truth?

48. “‘“[As] I live”, declares the Master YHWH, “if your sister S’dom and her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done!

49. “‘“Indeed, this was the perversion of S’dom, your sister: arrogance, being glutted with bread, and the prosperous [ease that comes from being] left undisturbed, and she did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

50. “‘“When they were lifted up, they did nauseating things in front of My face, so I removed them as I saw [fit].

51. “‘“Shomron as well has not sinned to half the extent of your sins, and you have been making your disgusting [practice]s increase more than they, and with all the disgusting things you have done, you have made your sister seem righteous!

Shomron was exiled long ago for doing much less; how can you imagine you deserve less?

Interceded: or, prayed, intervened. Assumedly Yehudah, at first, prayed that Israel might repent. Becoming more righteous: Some groups among the exiles of the Northern Kingdom actually repented en masse not long after they left the Land and did their best to follow YHWH in the new places to which they migrated. Some (the Scythians) even came back to the Land and participated in Yoshiyahu’s reforms and renewed obedience to Torah. In Scripture they are described as cities of Menashe, Efrayim, Shim’on, and Nafthali (2 Chron. 34:6-9) 100 years after these tribes had lost their inheritance. (Steve Collins)

This is one of many scriptures that leads us to believe that the largely-secular/atheist Jewish state in the Land now will again be displaced, for it is not until the rest of Israel returns (under King Yahshua) that Yehudah is counted as returning from exile. Some who have unnecessarily remained in exile have met Yahshua and have been a major catalyst in the return of the Northern Kingdom to their Hebraic roots—and have been surpassed in many cases!

55. “‘“When your sisters, S’dom and her daughters, return to their former [condition] and Shomron and her daughters return to their former [condition], then you and your daughters will return to your former [condition].

Former: ancient or original—the condition of being exalted (v. 56). Not until these “lost sheep” were found, could any of the flock return home?

57. “‘“before your wickedness was being uncovered at the time of your shame, as at the time of the shame of the daughters of Aram and all of those around her—the daughters of the Filistines, who despise you—from all around,

58. “‘“you bore your licentiousness and your disgusting things,”’ declares the Master YHWH.

Because Israel forgot how S’dom was punished, sins similar to hers gained a foothold in her.

60. “‘But I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an eternal covenant.

Though we were unfaithful, He kept His part of the bargain. (2 Tim. 2:13) Eternal covenant: This is why the book of Hebrews emphasizes that Y’shua’s covenant is better than the first.

The Northern Kingdom would not convert to modern rabbinic Judaism, which is largely man-made; when she returns, it will not be by Yehudah’s doing, but YHWH’s. Not through her futile attempts at peace with her sworn enemies, but when Yehudah’s King brings a rod of iron. Remember, we would be nothing without Him.

Establish: or set up, raise up.

CHAPTER 17

2. “Son of Adam, set forth a riddle and make a comparison with a parable to the House of Israel,

3. “and say, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “The large eagle with big wings, long pinions and full of feathers that had many colors, came into Levanon and took the highest branch of the cedar tree.

Eagle: The first bird listed among the abominations not to be eaten among flying creatures. (Lev. 11:13) Since this is also the first time the eagle is mentioned in Scripture, it sets the tone in Hebraic thought for the realization that something unclean is being spoken of. The Torah also compares the army that will come to punish YHWH’s people if they disobey to an eagle. (Deut. 28:49) And in Daniel 7:4, an eagle’s wings (on a lion) are seen as specifically idiomatic of Bavel/Babylon. Highest branch: During the first siege, the royalty, nobility, and the best of Israel’s youths (including Y’hezq’el and Daniel) were the ones taken to exile in Bavel.

Kanaan: sometimes another term for merchants; here, another idiom for Bavel/Babylon. (16:29)

Willow trees were common “by the rivers of Bavel”. (Psalm 127:1-2)

Vine: one description Yaaqov gave of Yoseyf. (Gen. 49:22) Since it is the Northern Kingdom (often called by the name of Efrayim, the son of Yoseyf) being addressed here (v. 2), rather than Yehudah, who was taken captive at that time, we also need to consider what this means for the rest of Israel. The scepter of Bavel has been passed to the United States, since it is the literal conqueror of Bavel’s homeland (now called Iraq). And a large contingent of Yoseyf’s descendants are in this land, from which the return of the Efrayimite tribes is emanating due to the freedoms this land and those influenced by it afford, as Bavel did in its day, allowing the Jews to remain a strong community even in exile. YHWH is building His community while still in exile, just as the stones for the Temple had to be cut outside of Yerushalayim, then brought there after being fully prepared in advance. (1 Kings 6:7)

8. “‘“It had been planted in a rich field by abundant waters to produce branches and bear fruit so it could become a majestic vine.”’

9. “Say, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Will it succeed? Won’t he tear out its roots and strip off its fruit so that it dries up? All the leaves that have sprouted on it will wither, and [it will] not [take] a strong arm or a large [group of] people to take it up from its roots.

10. “‘“Indeed, will it succeed [just because] it was planted? Won’t it dry up and wither when the east wind reaches it? It will wither in the furrows [where] it sprouted!”’”

11. Then the word of YHWH came to me to say,

12. “Please say to the rebellious house, ‘Don’t you realize what these things are saying? Look! The king of Bavel has come to Yerushalayim and has brought her king and her princes to Bavel for himself!

What was idiomatically called Levanon in v. 3 is shown to represent Yerushalayim. Levanon simply means “the very whit place”, and indeed the Temple looked like that, shimmering in the sun. But it was also built from cedars of Levanon, as were King Shlomo’s palaces which still stood at this time. One of them was called the House of the Forest of Levanon.

14. “‘so that the sovereignty might become lowered [in station] so as to be unable to sustain itself [in order] to guard his treaty so that it can remain intact.

Or, unable to sustain itself without keeping his treaty, to make sure it stands.

Egypt: the second eagle in the parable (v. 7). In order to get out from under subjection to Bavel, Yehudah’ s king Tsidqiyahu was courting Egypt, whom he thought strong enough to help him throw off the yoke of Bavel. (2 Kings 24:20) Had he been righteous and repented, he would not have needed to ask anyone but YHWH for help. Egypt is the place of our bondage, and one of its modern equivalents is the Roman Catholic Church and all its daughters. Many in Israel, even the government there now, are courting the Church as allies due to its sheer numbers and clout, but this passage tells us that such a course will actually backfire. And asking the secular government of Israel to aid our cause would only bring us back under the Babylonian system. We need to grow where YHWH has let us be sown into exile until the time comes to go back as a Kingdom. At that time, Babylon will have no power to stop what we do. He will transplant us to His Land at the proper time. While we must not partake of the philosophy of Bavel, we should be grateful for the freedoms it affords us to begin preparing for the Kingdom before the King arrives.

Who made him king: Nevukhadnetzar had indeed appointed Mattanyah (whom he renamed Tsidqiyahu) as king in place of his nephew. (2 Kings 24:17-20; 2 Chron. 36:13; Yirm. 52:3)

18. “‘Since he held the oath in contempt and violated the treaty when he had indeed pledged his hand, since he did all these things, he cannot escape!’

19. “Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘[As] I live, if I don’t bring [back] onto his own head My oath that he has held in contempt as well as My [own] covenant, which he has violated!

YHWH is saying, “This man is not faithful even to the fealty he pledged on the human level, let alone to the more ancient covenant his ancestors swore at Mt. Sinai that he would keep.” If he were rebelling against tyranny so that he could be free to keep the Torah, it would be another matter. His motive was only to be out from under anyone else so he could do whatever he pleased.

Snare: based on the word for “siege wall” or bulwark that appears in v. 17. I.e., he would be caught in what he asked Pharaoh to do for him. Betrayed Me: It was not only Bavel that Yehudah had betrayed. YHWH’s word through his prophet had been that submission to Bavel was the ticket to surviving and thriving. (Yirm. 38:17)

22. “‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “I Myself will also take from the highest branch of the cedar that was lifted up, and put it [back] on. I will pluck off some of the top of its young twigs and transplant it on a high and eminent mountain.

High mountain: often idiomatic of the Temple Mount, and it appears that one day it will literally be the highest as well. (Yeshayahu/Isa. 2:2) The highest branch: another King from the lineage of David, as Tsidqiyahu was.

24. “‘Then all the trees of the field will know that I, YHWH, have brought the proud tree low, and caused the humble tree to be exalted. I have caused the fresh tree to wither, and made the dry tree to blossom. I, YHWH, have promised, and I have carried it out.’”

Nevukhadnetzar himself was described as a proud tree brought low in a dream given directly to him. (Daniel 4:10ff) YHWH always treats harshly the instruments that He uses to correct His people which then let this go to their head and imagine themselves indispensable. (Compare 31:10-14; Yirmeyahu 50:29.) His Kingdom (which in Daniel’s overview extends all the way until the end times through a series of empires to whom its scepter is passed) would finally be displaced by that of the Messiah. (Dan. 2:35, 44) Indeed, Yahshua uses the same imagery of the birds nesting in its branches to speak of His Kingdom (Mat. 13:32)

CHAPTER 18

2. “What do you mean when you make the comparison with this proverb concerning the Land of Israel, saying, ‘When the fathers eat sour grapes, the children’s teeth will be blunted’?

Sour grapes: or, unripe grapes, a sin in itself because grapes should not be eaten before the firstfruits are brought to YHWH, and by that time they should be ripe. Blunted: feeling dulled from being ground together.

Though YHWH is growing tired of hearing it, this proverb is actually the normal pattern. (Compare Ex. 34:7; Lamentations 5:7.) The reason this is not a contradiction will be seen more clearly below.

The same idiom of the reversal of this proverb is used in Yirmeyahu 31:29-30, but the fuller context there is the exile of both houses of Israel (31:27), which will be accomplished within a few weeks of Y’hezq’El’s prophecy here. Thus all of Israel is still inheriting the punishment their fathers earned. But this including of all of Israel in the category of guilty (see Rom. 11:32) sets the stage for the Renewed Covenant for both houses together. (Yirm. 31:3ff) which they will not break. Y’shua made that covenant possible, but it will not be fully ratified until the Kingdom (the context of the rest of Yirmeyahu 31), when both houses of Israel are regathered (31:28). Thus, though he begins to foretell it now, this promise does not apply immediately. The correction must come first. The exile is just beginning, and in some ways it will last about 2,600 years. Some try to say that if each one will die for his own sins, and all one needs to do to be counted righteous again is repent (as the rest of this chapter would seem to imply), then Y’shua’s blood sacrifice was not necessary—and Yehudah often concludes that no blood sacrifice is necessary today because of this chapter. But many other Scriptures (notably chapters 40-49 of this very book) make it clear that blood sacrifice will again be a regular activity in the Temple that is yet to come, and without Y’shua’s sacrifice for the whole nation (Yochanan 11:50), the tribes that had forsaken the covenant could not have been regathered, nor can there be a Kingdom without the King. So the assertions made in this chapter, like those in the “New Testament” must be taken in the overall context of the rest of Scripture, not in isolation. Since the regathering has now begun, though, our emphasis must be on making sure we do not continue in the sins of our ancestors, so that we will not continue to inherit the curse they brought upon themselves and us. (Deut. 27:26)

6. “has not eaten on the mountains nor lifted up his eyes to the rolling idols of the House of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, nor approached a woman who is off limits,

Eaten on the mountains: i.e., partaken of food offered to idols at their cultic sites. Notice that the list of things abominable in YHWH’s eyes starts off with something as simple as eating. The first step in returning to what is acceptable to Him has to do with eating foods “acceptable” (Heb., kosher) to Him. Paul shows in 1 Cor. 10 how physically partaking of certain foods can actually make us sharers in sacrifices to demons. But even if the food is kosher, when eating, our largest gate is frequently open, and eating with anyone is an expression of fellowship with them. If the motivators and goals of someone we know are not all about YHWH, should we eat with them? The wy to stop our teeth from being set on edge is to increasingly remove ourselves from fellowship from anything not dedicated to YHWH, that is, not part of Israel, for exchanging energy with it diminishes from what we can give to our true fellows. Lifted up his eyes: an action meant to be directed toward YHWH. (Psalm 123:1; 141:8) The chief idols specific to the House of Israel were the golden calves Yarav’am set up (2 Kings 10:29), hearkening back to the Golden Calf Aharon made while Moshe was on Mt. Sinai. At that time their lewd activity was also preceded by sitting down to eat in honor of these idols. (Ex. 32:6) That is why this continuum begins with eating and proceeds to sexual sins. Off limits: due to being on her menstrual cycle. When someone gets to the point of again keeping the instructions in this regard, it shows he is very serious about returning to the Torah. This is part of the preamble to our restoration, so we must concentrate on keeping them on the literal level (for we are not even there yet) so we can also learn the deeper lessons they hold.

This is a summary of the Torah’s requirements similar to that given by another prophet (Mikha 6:8). Some specific passages this alludes to are Ex. 22:21-27; Deut. 12:2; Lev. 18:19-20; 25:14. What is held in pledge is often one’s outer garment (Deut. 24;12-13). It is the outer garment on which the tzitziyoth are worn (Num. 15:38). It is the corners of the garment that the Northern Kingdom will take hold of when returning to Torah (Zkh. 8:23), and Yehudah should not withhold this from the Northern Kingdom. (Compare Mat. 5:40)

At interest: literally, with a bite. Might this include even receiving interest from banks, since we do not know whether any other lenders to the bank are Israelites? A bonus: he has overcharged or “price-gouged”, taking advantage of another’s weakness at a time of crisis.

10. “But if he fathers a violent son who sheds blood and does the likes of any of these,

Does the likes of any of these: literally, does one of these a brother.

12. “has caused the poor or needy to be mistreated, has plundered by forceful robbery, has not given back what he held in pledge, or has lifted up his eyes to the rolling idols, has carried out his disgusting practice,

13. “has entrusted [money] at interest, has taken a bonus—will he survive? He will not survive! He has done all these disgusting things! He will die the death! His blood will be on himself.

Even if someone is not violent or a murderer (v. 10), if he does any of these seemingly “lesser” sins (many of them overtly forbidden only to Israel) are counted as just as guilty in YHWH’s eyes, for we should know better. Blood…on himself: i.e., he will be responsible for his own death; it is his own fault and no one else’s. He cannot blame it on his parents, as their proverb said. (v. 2) Note how much emphasis psychology today has put on parents’ mistakes to explain and excuse the way their children act. How timely these verses still are!

15. “has not eaten on the mountains nor lifted up his eyes to the rolling idols of the House of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor’s wife,

16. “nor mistreated any man, nor withheld what he held in pledge, nor plundered by forceful robbery, given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a cloak,

17. “has withdrawn his hand from the poor, having not taken interest or a bonus—he has carried out My legal procedures. He has walked in My prescribed customs. He will not die in his father’s guilt; he will survive to live [on].

This proved true for the sons of Qorach, who led a rebellion against Moshe (Lev. 26:10), which sets a precedent for those of us from the Northern Kingdom who are returning to Torah despite our ancestors’ unquestionable guilt.

19. “Then say, ‘Why does the son not bear the guilt of the father? When the son has carried out just legal ruling and righteousness, he has guarded all My prescribed customs and carried them out; he will survive to live.

20. “The soul that sins—it [is the one that] will die. A son will not bear the guilt of the father, nor will a father bear the guilt of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be concerning himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be concerning himself.

He cannot rest on his father’s laurels, as was seen in the cases of Aharon (Lev. 10), Eli (1 Shmuel 2:22ff), and David (1 Kings 1:5-6), for a few examples.

22. “Any of his rebellions that he has perpetrated will not be brought to remembrance for him; by his righteousness that he has done, he will survive.

23. “Do I really take delight in the death of the wicked?” says the Master YHWH. “Wouldn’t it [rather be] in his turning from [the] path he [is on] and survive [that I would take delight]?

He would prefer that everyone did what was right and would not have any sins to die for.

This is a sobering thought indeed. Consider even Paul, who said he could be “put on the shelf” after all his righteous accomplishments. (1 Cor. 9:27) Many who are considered righteous by Christian standards are still doing many of the things that YHWH condemns in this chapter. The “bar” has been raised as we recognize that we are meant to be more than just “saved” by the skin of our teeth, but righteous according to the Torah’s standards.

26. “When a righteous one turns back from his righteousness and perpetrates [deeds of] injustice [instead], then dies while [doing] them, he will die in his deviation that he has produced.

27. “But when a wicked one turns back from his wickedness that he has done and carries out justice and righteousness [instead], he will keep his soul alive.

28. “When he recognizes and turns away from all the steppings-across-the-line that he has done, he will survive to live [and] not die.

29. “Yet the House of Israel has said, ‘The Master’s way is not fair!’ Are My paths not level, O House of Israel? Isn’t it your paths that are not level?

Fair: even, equally weighted, adjusted to the standard. This attitude is a real temptation to those of us who are used to democracy. Yet He has just shown how “fair” He is, to use such human terminology. The Master: Heb., Adonai.

Each of you: while still in exile, there is no blanket acceptance or rejection of His people as a whole. But His intent is for us to function as a united whole.

32. “Because I do not take pleasure in the death of one who dies,” declares the Master YHWH. “So turn back and survive!”

CHAPTER 19

After holding out the hope of mercy for individual Israelites and the nation as a whole, He turns to those most responsible for their downfall and thus held to the highest standard.

3. “‘When she raised one of her cubs, he became a young lion of prowess and learned to tear the prey in pieces. He devoured a human being.

4. “‘When the Gentiles heard of him, he was captured in their pit, and they brought him with fetters into the land of Egypt.

There are many hints here that this is referring to Yoseyf, who, as an individual, was taken to Egypt as a slave, but also to his descendants, the House of Efrayim (which also represents the whole Northern Kingdom, since it was an Efrayimite king who started its downward trend), who, in our exile, have been enslaved to the figurative Egypt, which in some cases refers to the world system, and in some cases the Roman Church and all her daughters.

Hope was lost: The Northern Kingdom had not returned from exile.

7. “‘And he recognized his widows, and laid their cities waste, and the land and [all] that filled it were desolate from the sound of his roaring.

8. “‘Then the Gentiles dedicated [people] from the provinces all around and spread their net over him. He was captured in their pit.

This “cub” is the House of Yehudah, and in particular, David and Shlomo and their kingly line, which became strong first through war and then through diplomacy, through which the idolatry of the surrounding nations was taken in. The Northern Kingdom did this too, but King Menashe did worse. He was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”, spelling doom for the throne in Yerushalayim. Though on a small scale in several locations, descendants of David have ruled over some of the other tribes in exile, as the throne over Yehudah and all Israel simultaneously, it will be resumed only when Messiah returns.

Hunting nets: or high fortresses, strongholds, or places of munitions. Though King Menashe himself repented and died righteous like the hypothetical instances mentioned in chapter 18, his sons followed in his earlier ways, and the integrity of the dynasty was sufficiently lost for its last two kings to be taken into Bavel. So it is clear that the degree of permanent renewal promised in the last chapter is still yet to come. Only as both houses of Israel return to Torah will the scepter of the “Lion of the Tribe of Yehudah” (Rev. 5:5) be restored.

11. “‘And she had trunks strong enough [to] make rulers’ scepters, and her height was lofty among the thick foliage, and with her height she could be seen with the abundance of her branches.

12. “‘But in rage she was uprooted and hurled to the ground, and the east wind withered her fruit. Her trunk of strength was broken in pieces and dried up, and fire consumed it.

13. “‘So now she is transplanted in the wilderness—in a drought-ridden, thirsty land.

14. “‘Fire, too, has gone out from a rod of her separate pieces, and it has consumed her fruit, and there has not come to be a trunk strong enough to be a scepter for a ruler. [This] is a dirge, and will come to serve as a dirge."

CHAPTER 20

This would appear to be the day after the Temple was destroyed.

3. “Son of Adam, Speak to the elders of Israel and tell them, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Is it to consult Me that you have come? [As] I live”, declares the Master YHWH, “if I am consulted for you…!”’

4. “Will you judge them? Son of Adam, will you judge? Let them see the disgusting things their fathers [did]!

Son of Adam, will you judge: This is a veiled prophecy that forms the basis for Yochanan 5:27, in which the Father gives Yahshua the authority to judge because He is a son of Adam, and can thus identify more experientially with the mitigating factors in how humans decide to behave the way they do.

6. “‘“on that day I lifted up My hand for them to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a Land that I had searched out for them, a Land gushing with milk and honey; she is more splendid than any land.

7. “‘“Then I told them, ‘Each [of you] throw away the detestable things of their eyes and do not defile yourselves with the [rolling] idols of Egypt. I am YHWH your Elohim.’

Rolling idols: possibly amulets based on the scarab beetle that rolls a ball of dung in front of it—something the Egyptians associated with the movement of the sun through the sky. We could also see the sense of rolling in the need to move a tree trunk home in order to carve it into an idol, and the fact that through the centuries idols’ names change (e.g., Tammuz, Osiris, and Mithras are just different cultures’ names for what is really the same entity).

9. “‘“But I acted for the sake of My Name, to keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations whom they were among, in whose eyes I had made Myself known by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

Compare 36:21-32; Yeshayahu/Isa. 48:11.

11. “‘“and gave them My prescribed customs and My legal procedures, by which a man will live if he carries them out.

12. “‘“I also gave them My Sabbaths to serve as a distinguishing sign between Me and them so [they would] know that I am YHWH, who sets them apart.

13. “‘“But the House of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My prescribed customs, and rejected My legal procedures, by which a man will live if he carries them out—and they strongly profaned My Sabbaths. So I said, ‘I will pour out My rage on them in the wilderness to finish them off.’

In the wilderness: an uninhabited land, where there should be no distractions, yet still they turned away from Him.

15. “‘“And I also lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness [and swore] that I would not bring them into the Land that I had given them—a Land gushing with milk and honey; she is more prominent than any land--

This promise of the Land was first made to Avraham, but it was the Messenger of YHWH—that is, the “proto-Y’shua”—who was the “right hand” that carried the torch between the animal halves when YHWH cut the covenant. (Gen. 15) Avraham was put to sleep during this time, so that only YHWH made the oath, so it was His responsibility to carry it out no matter how Avraham’s descendants would later respond to it. This is why it cost Y’shua’s life to restore the promise to us, their still later descendants.

17. “‘“But My eye took pity on them [and I spared] them from being destroyed, and I did not make a complete end of them in the wilderness.

18. “‘“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the customs your parents prescribed, nor heed their court decisions, and do not defile yourselves with their idols.

How appropriate this is for us again today as we recognize that “our fathers have inherited lies, emptiness, and things by which we cannot ascend.” (Yirm. 16:19)

20. “‘“‘and keep My Sabbaths set apart, and they will be a distinguishing sign between Myself and yourselves, to recognize [and acknowledge] that I am YHWH your Elohim.’

21. “‘“But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My prescribed customs or guard My legal procedures in order to carry them out, which, if the human being carries them out, by them he will live. They profaned My Sabbaths, so I said I would pour out My rage on them to exhaust My anger against them in the wilderness.

The children repeated the same error, partly because their parents, realizing that their own hope of entering the Land was lost, did not teach their children to love or obey YHWH.

23. “‘“I also lifted up My hand [and swore] to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and sow them among the lands.

24. “‘“Because they had not carried out My legal procedures and had rejected My prescribed customs, in addition to profaning My Sabbaths, and their eyes were [following] after their parents’ idols,

25. “‘“I, too, appointed for them customs that were not beneficial and legal procedures they could not live by.

Some actually believe this refers to the Torah, His original instruction, though YHWH said it was our life! While it becomes a curse for us if we disobey it (Deut. 30:19), the clue to what He means is found in the next verse:.

Stun them: by the horrifying practice of sacrificing their own children, which is the only possible logical conclusion of the course they have chosen. Instead of the Torah, the non-beneficial customs (v. 25) refer to what He consigned them to after they left the Torah behind! Psalm 81:11-12 says He gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts. (Compare Rom. 1:24; Acts 7:42; 2 Thess. 2:11) He could not simply leave them to themselves, though; He had to give them an overseer of some kind. (Compare vv. 32-34.) Like all nations, if they would not have Him, they would have to be put under the jurisdiction of a lesser elohim who would not be as merciful or patient as He. (Compare Daniel 10:13, 20.) YHWH: His Name is a composite of all the tenses of “to be”: hayah, hoveh, yihyeh— the One who was, is, and will be.

28. “‘“When I brought them into the Land which I had lifted My hand [and sworn] to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every tree with dense foliage, and there they slaughtered their sacrifices, and there they offered their vexing drawing-near [offering]s, and there they set their soothing aroma and poured out their libations there.

There: at the shrines to His rivals, not at the place where He would set His Name.

30. “Therefore, say to the House of Israel, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Are you being defiled in the way your fathers [were]? Or are you playing the prostitute after their detestable idols?

31. “‘“When you make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves for all your [rolling] idols up till today. So should I be consulted by you, O House of Israel? [As] I live,” declares the Master YHWH, “if I am consulted by you…!”

32. “‘And what comes up on your spirit will not take place at all—that which you are saying: “We will become like the Gentiles, like the families of the lands—to minister to wood and stone.”

He will not let Israel become successful at anything they are not meant to be. Recall how just prior to the Holocaust, the Jews in Germany seemed as German as anyone else, but the Gentiles themselves searched out their genealogies, knowing they were not “one of them”. Others might fall into the same sins and get away unscathed, but we belong to YHWH, and He will correct His chosen no matter how far they, like Yonah, try to go in the opposite direction:

Tight hand: a firm grip, a strong grasp.

35. “‘Then I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples and enter into legal controversy there with you, face to face!

Joseph Good points out that the terminology here fits the season of Yom Kippur, at which time YHWH judges us for the sake of removing our sins from us:

37. “‘And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

Pass under the rod: Every tenth animal to pass under it is the one selected as the tithe of that flock. (Lev. 27:32) Bond: in the sense of being tied, harnessed, or even imprisoned. Y’shua, indeed, will rule with a rod of iron. (Psalm 2:9)

I will purge out: a word-play, because it sounds very similar to the word for covenant which immediately precedes it. Then you will know: To remove so many from lands they had thought were their own will be such a huge undertaking and the outcome (their being separated into those who will go into the Land and those who will not) so unlikely that having this prophecy of it in advance will be enough evidence that it was really He alone that accomplished this. Y’shua will hand-pick His subjects, passing all through a purifying fire which will not consume those who are written in His book. (Dan. 12:1)

His Name could not be attached to us during that time of chastening. This may explain why, despite the mercy He had on us “while we were yet sinners” (Rom. 5:8), His true Name was obscured until we reached a certain stage of repentance.

Most elevated: major topographic changes will again take place as the Kingdom dawns. (Mikha 4:1) Now this is the “high place” of high places. (Compare v. 29.)

Soothing aroma: Numbers 29:1-2 specifies that the “ascending” or “staircase” we make on Yom T’ruah (9 days before Yom Kippur, see v. 35, and a time long associated with the trumpet that resurrects the righteous dead) is to be such a means of causing YHWH to relax. Here we are told that we ourselves are to be this aroma, and indeed it appears that we will ascend in some way (1 Thess. 4:16-17) when He collects us.

The literal, physical Land is our inheritance, and we are not fully “saved” until we are back there as a unified nation. That is why it is selfish to be satisfied with merely personal salvation.

44. “‘“Then you will know that I am YHWH, when I have dealt with you for the sake of My Name, not according to your corrupt ways nor according to your corrupt practices, O House of Israel,” declares the Master YHWH.”’”

The first part of this was repeated three previous times in this chapter (vv. 9, 14, 22), but here He explains that none of His mercy has anything to do with what we deserved.

46. “Son of Adam, set your face in the direction of the south, and drip [words] to the Negev, and prophesy against the Forest of the Field of the Negev.

Anyone who has been to the Negev (the now completely-desert region in the southern half of Israel) knows that there are no natural forests there, and only recently have fields again become possible by the sheer force of necessity. This shows just how much the climate of Israel has changed since then.

Moist tree: suggests the self-righteous who look they are bearing fruit, but are not; also, probably an allusion to the trees in v. 28 with dense foliage. How could we also forget the blasphemous evergreen (Christmas) trees as well? Dry tree: those ready to carve into a different type of idol.

49. Then I said, “Alas, Master YHWH! They are saying to me, ‘Doesn’t He speak in parables?’”

The ultimate Son of Man would indeed speak in parables. (Mat. 13:3, 35; Luke 8:10)

CHAPTER 21

2. “Son of Adam, set your face toward Yerushalayim and drip [a word] to the holy places, and prophesy toward the soil of Israel,

3. “and tell the ground of Israel, ‘This is what YHWH says: “Look! I am [coming] toward you, and have drawn My sword from its sheath, and have cut off from you [both] righteous and wicked.

Cut off: that is, from the Land, not necessarily killed. Both righteous and wicked: YHWH makes it rain on the just and the unjust, and makes the sun shine on both. (Mat. 5:45; cf. Eccles. 9:2) But He provided shade for Yonah when the sun was burning. The righteous sometimes must suffer due to the deeds of the wicked. Dani’El and Y’hezq’El had both already been taken captive, but were sheltered by YHWH while in exile. In fact, Yirmeyahu said those who voluntarily submitted to Bavel at this time would be spared harm. (27:11-13) The righteous also have the hope of resurrection even if they suffer death at the hands of the wicked.

Usually judgment is said to begin in the north, so there is a reason it starts in the south.(See note on 20:46.) “Negev” means “parched”, and so it is now. But on the deeper level, we see that it is the drought and famine of hearing the words of YHWH (Amos 8:11) that begins the downward spiral toward the need for such judgment.

I.e., this time He would not relent, but would bring the judgment in fact.

Breaking of your hips: or, crushing of your loins—which would indeed make one gasp.

8. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

9. “Son of Adam, prophesy and say, ‘This is what YHWH says: “Say, ‘A sword! A sword has been sharpened, and also polished up!

Polished up: or, scoured smooth.

My son: a title for the king of Israel. (Psalm 2:7) Even his authority would not be respected by the fierce Babylonians. Of course there is a secondary reference to Yahshua, for the Babylonian system which has usurped most of the church’s authority also despises the true, Hebraic Messiah. True believers that are still in the church are mainly from the Northern Kingdom, which is one of two “sticks” that make up Israel. Once they were one stick, but were broken (Zkh.11:14); one day they will again be, and will together reestablish that scepter of the King that comes from the line of Yehudah and David. (34:23; 37:16-22)

12. “‘“‘Cry out and wail, O son of Adam, because it is coming upon My people; it is among the leaders of Israel, [who are] cast to the sword along with My people. So slap on your thigh,

Slap on your thigh: not a sign of laughter, but of extreme shame. (Yirm. 31:19)

One day Babylon would cease to exist, specifically because it took too much pleasure in carrying out YHWH’s judgment against Yehudah, and refused to give Him credit for the victory. (Yirmeyahu 50:29-32; see also vv. 30-32 below.)

Folded over: or doubled, while being beaten out by the blacksmith, in order to make it even stronger. Mortally wounded: It was one of the spoils taken from another kingdom conquered earlier because it would not surrender.

Turning: or threatening. This is to remind us of the gates of Eden, where the kh’ruvim guard the gates with fiery swords. Compressed: by the repeated folding over as seen in v. 14.

17. “Then I, too, will strike My palm against My palm, then let My indignation quiet down [and depart]. I, YHWH, have spoken.”

18. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

19. “As for you, son of Adam, lay out for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Bavel to come in. Both of them must come out of one land. Then cut out a hand at the head of the road. Fashion a city.

Hand: i.e., a fork in the road.

21. “Because the king of Bavel has taken his stand at the point where the road begins—at the head of the two ways to practice divination. He has shaken his arrows, asked his healing idols, and inspected the liver.

Point: literally, mother—i.e., source of departure. He used three means of divination that were common in those days. The liver: of a dead animal, from the shape of which people would supposedly derive an idea of what was most auspicious.

23. “But they will have a worthless divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths to them, but he will cause crookedness to be brought back to mind so that they may be captured.

Those who have sworn oaths: that is, Yehudah. King Tzidqiyahu had “crookedly” backed out of his promise of fealty to Nevukhadnetzar. (2 Kings 24:20) Though the omen they sought seemed somewhat inconclusive, this was the factor that made him finally decide to attack. Worthless divination: possibly the opinion on Yehudah’s part that since such a siege had been weathered before and they were, after all, YHWH’s chosen people, such an attack could not be successful. Besides, who can take seriously reading an animal’s liver as a means of decision-making? But neither House of Israel is invincible (“inaccessible” as in v. 20) if YHWH needs to chastise us back into shape. Ironically, He is doing so to remove us from the system passed down from Bavel to its successor, Rome.

25. “And [as for] you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come in the time of crookedness of [the] end,

Wicked prince of Israel: in the immediate context, Tzidqiyahu; in the long-range prophetic sense, the counterfeit Messiah of the end times.

Here we have a physical description of how the counterfeit Messiah will appear. Turban: the head-dress of the high priest. (Ex. 28:4) Crown: the head-dress of the king. The one will not be the other: The same man should not be in both roles, as king Uzziyahu tried to be. (2 Chron. 26:18)

Whose right: The true Messiah that we need to wait for instead of His counterfeit, who comes first to delude many. (Gen. 49:17-18; compare 49:10; 2 Thes. 2:11) Though all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him (Mat. 28:18) and is a high priest after Melkhitzedeq’s order (that is, as the firstborn son, since Melkhitzedeq is traditionally identified with Noakh’s eldest son, Shem), and will, as king, lead the nation in bringing some offerings (45:19-22), and like His ancestor David, will have authority over some aspects of the priestly duties (e.g., 1 Chron. 23:6), He will not usurp the promises YHWH has made of an eternal priesthood for Aharon through his descendant Pin’khas. They will have complementary roles. (46:2; Ex. 40:15; Num. 25:13)

Their taunt: probably because Bavel had chosen the fork in the road that led to Yerushalayim instead of to them. So now he would catch them as well on the return trip.

Profaned: or mortally wounded, but probably referring back to v. 25.

The sword of Bavel, too, would be destroyed after it did its work. (See note on v. 13 above.) The land where you were forged: compare Z’kharyah 5:7-11.

32. “‘You will be fuel for the fire [to consume]. Your blood will be in the midst of the Land. You will not be remembered, because I, YHWH, have spoken!’”

A rabbinic teaching says that if YHWH removes someone’s name from the Book of Life, it is as if he had never existed, since YHWH has forgotten him. (Compare Yeshayahu/Isaiah 14:22; 21:9; Mat. 7:23.) This is how “He will wipe away tears from every eye” (Rev. 21:4) The things that caused them will no longer exist. He uses them now for His purposes, but ultimately the things that come against us are only illusions, and we need to believe not in what they appear to be, but trust in the eternal sameness of YHWH which is more real than they. (Prov. 10:25)

This chapter is the haftarah (companion passage) to Leviticus 19 and 20, historically chosen to teach the same principles during a time when it was forbidden by a Gentile government to study the Torah.

City of blood: See Luke 11:50 for one example of how this refers to Yerushalayim.

4. “‘“By your blood that you have shed, you have become guilty, and by your idols which you have made, you have become defiled, and you have been causing your days to draw near and have reached your years. Therefore I have made you an object of scorn for the Gentiles and a laughingstock to all the nations.

Reached your years: come all the way up to the limit of YHWH’s patience. Y’shua says we are to forgive seventy times seven (Mat. 18:22), which totals 490. This is the exact number of years YHWH tolerated Yehudah’s failure to observe the Sabbatical year for the Land’s fields (2 Chron. 36:21), since 70 years is the length of the sentence. (Yirmeyahu 25:11) Since Yerushalayim is YHWH’s bride, there may also be a double meaning here suggesting that she has purposefully entered into her “time” of “blood” (v. 3) early so she can be off-limits to her husband, to Whom she does not really want to draw near, and for so long that she has now reached the stage of no longing being able to bear fruit for Him.

6. “‘“Look at [the] leaders of Israel! Each has been in you for his own arm for the sake of shedding blood!

They set up the laws of the land in such a way that they would receive kickbacks from services people could not do without. The Church has done the same thing—creating “needs” that only it can “meet”. Notice how many times in this chapter crimes other than murder are called bloodshed. This is because “the life (soul) of the flesh is in the blood”, and when we do things that destroy respect for one another, we make a unified society impossible.

They have not taken seriously the order of authority which YHWH had set in place for the household to revolve around.

9. “‘“In you are slanderous informers out to shed blood, and in you they have eaten on the mountains. They carry out heinous plots in your midst.

Eaten on the mountains: an idiom for pagan worship. Heinous: this term often denotes idolatry, lewdness, or even incest.

The first sin mentioned here is the one Kanaan committed against his grandfather Noakh, earning his and YHWH’s special enmity. (Gen. 9)

Lewdly defiled: or, with mischievous purpose declared [ceremonially] unclean, i.e., to make his son’s marriage void. (Deut. 24:1)

If we remembered YHWH, we would not dare do any of these things.

14. “‘“Can your heart stand while your hands have a strong grip for the days that I am preparing [for] you? I, YHWH, have spoken, and I will act!

15. “‘“When I have scattered you among the Gentiles and sown you in the lands, I will completely exhaust the impurity from out of you.

This is the purpose of His sending us into exile and why it has taken so long.

Then you will make a new start: Usually the term has a negative connotation (e.g., Gen. 9:20) of something that was repaired being profaned again, but in the context of v. 15, this time it might not. One key to our return is being honest enough to confess that we are profaned and impure.

17. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say:

18. “Son of Adam, the House of Israel has come to be dross for Me; all of them are brass or tin alloy or iron or lead in the middle of the smelting furnace; pieces of silver dross they are!

Lead looks like silver when it is being heated, but proves to be duller once it cools. Dross, the impurity found in silver or gold, is put there deliberately to make these soft metals strong enough to retain their shape. If holy things are to be co-opted for another use, they indeed have to be made more secure to stand up against the pressures of the outside world. But that is not what they were made for, so all these “reinforcers” do is make us less pure.

He is indeed bringing Yerushalayim back to center stage for the House of Israel so that we will remember who we really are. The altar of judgment is there, and in those who respond to it, whatever does stand in the way of relationship with YHWH and our fellows will melt away.

Silver: the righteous suffer when the balance of power is tilted toward all this wickedness and no one is strong enough to stand up for what is right.

At this point, it seems to be nothing but judgment, but it harbingers hope of a purification to come. (Heb. 12:11) YHWH’s motivation is not our destruction, but He must go to this extent to restore the purity. He melts down the impure vessels so something better can be made from them. (Prov. 25:4) The way to tell that all the dross is out of silver, gold, or bronze is when you can see a perfect reflection of your face in it. When the fire of YHWH’s correction melts us down into a seeming death, the result is life in others and a reflection of His face that was first exemplified in Yahshua. (2 Cor. 3:18-4:12)

23. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say, 24. “Son of Adam, tell her, ‘You are a land that is neither being pronounced ceremonially pure nor rained on in the day of indignation.

Indignation: or disgust. Water is not provided either for the ritual cleansing ceremony nor in driving force, because there are too many impurities for either to be effective. Fire is the only thing that will work this time. (v. 31)

26. “‘Her priests have done violence to My Torah and profaned My sacred things; they have not made a distinction between holy and ordinary nor have they made known [the difference] between [ritually] impure and pure. They have also concealed their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am being desecrated among them.

Made known the difference: This was the express responsibility of the priests. (Lev. 10:10ff) Concealed their eyes: When our faces are unveiled, we will again recognize YHWH’s authority. (2 Cor. 3:16-18)

Make go astray: or, exterminate, blot out, do away with. The basic meaning is to cause to be lost.

They are trying to back up the preferences of those in leadership, not express YHWH’s word objectively. Slime: something to smear, considered by some to be untempered mortar or something insipid, but related to the word for “fall”.

Since the princes, priests, and prophets have been so sinful, the filter-down effect is sin among the commoners.

He brought them all together to see if anyone was there who could fit the bill. The most common thing built with a hedge was a sheepfold, and indeed the shepherd would stand in the opening and be the “door” that kept predators out.

Yet he has already told us there will be enough of a remnant left to make the city feel it was worth all the pain. (14:22), so there is a glimmer of hope. Parallel passages say that when He can find no one to intercede, His own arm would bring deliverance. (Yeshayahu 59:16-21; 63:5) These passages all speak of the retribution that must come, but the for this “deliverance” takes is the destruction of His enemies, but redemption for those who turn from transgression, and renewal of covenant. Once the Man who is called YHWH’s arm (Yesh. 53:5) did show up to rebuild the sheepfold and be its door (Yochanan 10:7), new life could be poured back into all this scrap metal. Since there is now someone to stand in the gap, judgment is not the end of the story. As we now have an opening to return, we can embrace the judgment that is again necessary to purify away the dross that is still there (1 Kefa/Peter 4:12-13), so that this time it can actually be effective.

2. “Son of Adam, there were two women, daughters of one mother,

One mother: possibly an allusion back to Sarah or Rivqah, the common mothers of all Israel. They spent time in the tents of other men to save their husbands’ lives. YHWH spared them from being violated, but this may have opened the door for their “daughters” to develop a taste for the exotic instead of the familiar:

4. “Now their names were Ohalah (the elder) and Ohalivah (her sister), and they belonged to Me and bore sons and daughters. And [as for] their names, Shomron is [represented by] Ohalah and Yerushalayim is [represented by] Ohalivah.

Ohalah means “her own tent” (the attitude of the Northern Kingdom, which wanted its own worship sites), and Ohalivah means “My tent is in her” (for YHWH had set His Name in Yerushalayim). Shomron: the capital of the Northern Kingdom, called the elder because Yaaqov called Yoseyf’s son Efrayim his firstborn. Belonged to Me: the simple explanation for His jealousy over them.

6. “clothed in blue, governors and subordinate rulers, all of them desirable young men—distinguished men mounted upon horses.

7. “And she bestowed her harlotries upon them, all of them the choicest sons of Ashur, and with all those after whom she lusted, she defiled herself with their idols.

8. “Nor did she forsake her harlotries from Egypt, because they lay with her in her youth, and they squeezed her youthful nipples and spilled their fornications upon her.

One’s impressionable youth sets the stage for her outlook and preferences all her life. Israel did voluntarily submit to Egypt before she was enslaved there, choosing to be public servants—still a tendency of both houses of Israel and still a temptation since whatever culture we are working to benefit can draw us into itself and demand too much of the time and energy that should be put into Israel.

10. “They themselves exposed her vulnerability. They took her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. And she became notorious among women, when they carried out judgments on her.

11. “When her sister Ohalivah saw, she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and her harlotries wre greater than her sister’s prostitution.

Compare Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 3:6-10.

Since we are built to desire the Kingdom, Israel tends to be awed by whatever empire comes closest to it in both power and pomp. Yet this is not the real thing. The seeds of both kingdoms get mixed together, but YHWH does not like these mixtures of two religions.

14. “But she added to her harlotries when she saw men carved into the wall—resembling the Khasdim, portrayed with vermilion.

Vermilion: a deep red-orange color. She fell in love with Ashur’s picture! Yet s the reality was “not like the brochure”. The church does no differently in promising its potential followers that the believer is going to be joyful all the time.

16. “She even lusted over them at first sight, and sent messengers to them in Khaldea.

No one seduced her or deceived her into this; she initiated it herself.

They quickly lost their luster. Efrayim will be disgusted with himself when he recognizes how much energy he put into such foolishness. (Yirmeyahu/Jer. 31:19) We have inherited lies! (Yirm. 16:16) We must be merciful to those who are recognizing this, but show no mercy on the things they have been carrying, which they were driven to obey.

It is a stretch to say that if He divorced Efrayim, he did not divorce Yehudah too. But if she never committed to another husband in covenant (but only whored around), He can take her back. (Deut. 24:3-4)

20. “She even lusted over their paramours, whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys, and whose seminal discharge is [like that] of stallions.

21. “So you revisited the lewdness of your youth when from Egypt your nipples were squeezed since your breasts were [so] youthful.

22. “Therefore, Ohalivah, this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Watch Me stir up your lovers against you—those from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them against you from all around:

23. “‘the sons of Bavel and all the Khasdim—Peqod [punishment], Shoa [noble], and Qoa [he-camel]; all the sons of Ashur with them—desirable young men, all of them governors and subordinate rulers, tertiary captains and men of renown, all of them mounted upon horses.

24. “‘And they will come upon you [with] weapons, chariots and rolling [carts], with a company of peoples. They will set up buckler, shield, and helmet against you all around, and I will set a court decision in front of them, and they will judge you according to their legal procedures.

25. “‘And I will employ My [ardent] zeal against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will take away your nose and your ears, and your back end will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and the last part of you will be devoured by fire.

Take away your nose and ears: An Afghan woman recently suffered this at the hands of her husband because he suspected her of adultery.

Implements: the same word used for the vessels of the Temple. Indeed, the same term for nakedness seen in v. 18 is used in Gen. 42:9 to mean the vulnerability of a nation. King Hizqiyahu unwittingly revealed the vulnerability of Yehudah when he showed Babylonian envoys all his wealth, including the gold of the Temple, and these vessels were later taken as war booty. (2 Kings 20)

I will remove: His intent was not destruction, but this worthwhile outcome of return (Yirmeyahu 3:12-15). Remember: This had not been an isolated incident, but a characteristic pattern.

29. “‘“And they will deal with you in hatred and take away all that you worked hard for, and leave you naked and exposed, and the shame of your fornications will be revealed along with your mischievous purpose and your harlotries.

30. “‘“These things will be done to you whenever you go like a prostitute after the nations over whose idols you have profaned yourself.

31. “‘“You have walked in the way of your sister, so I will hand her cup to you.’

Her cup: The cup of the adulterous woman is detailed in Numbers 5.

33. “‘“You will be filled with drunkenness and grief—a cup of horror and devastation, the cup of your sister Shomron.

34. “‘“You will both drink it and drain it, then save its broken shards and separate off your own breasts, because I have spoken,” declares the Master YHWH.

35. “‘Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says: “Because you have forgotten Me and thrown Me behind your back, you must also bear your mischievous purpose and your harlotries.”’”

36. Then YHWH said to Me, “Son of Adam, will you judge Ohalah and Ohalivah? That is, tell them how disgusting the things they [have done are].

37. “Because they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands; they have even committed adultery with their [rolling] idols. What’s more, for them they have made their children, to whom they gave birth for Me, pass through [the fire] to be devoured.

For Me: Children of Israelites belong to YHWH; we have no right to offer them to anyone but Him. We can offer them in subtle ways such as teaching them to put all their energies into seeking security rather than seeking Him.

Again: the Greeks and Romans were also invited into alliance with Israel, and later grew strong and overpowered them, requiring great compromise. Every time, we asked for it. The Torah tells us not to make a treaty with anyone who could become a snare to us. (Ex. 34:12-14) In that day: often an idiom for the time of the Messianic Kingdom. (Zkh. 14:9) Profaned: treated like a common day.

40. “And they have even sent for men to come from afar off, to whom a messenger was sent, and indeed they came, for which you bathed and adorned your eyes with paint, and advanced yourself with ornaments.

41. “Then you sat on an honored bed with a table arranged in front of it, and you set My incense and My oil on it.

The king of Bavel actually furnished a banquet using the vessels of the sanctuary from YHWH’s Temple, at which time YHWH judged them. (Daniel 5)

43. “Then I said to the [woman] used up by adulteries, ‘Now will they commit fornication with her—or will she?’

I.e., who would want her in this unattractive condition?

Lewd: or mischievous, licentious, idolatrous.

One ruling the Apostles made in Acts 15:15-21 was based on the authority of Lev. 18:6.

47. “Then the congregation will stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords. Then they will murder their sons and daughters, and burn their houses with fire.

Them: both the man and woman are to be killed in such instances. (Lev. 20:10-12; 19:29; Deut. 22:22) The faithful remnant at the end of this age will "kill off" both paganism and those who compromised with it.

Compare Hadassah/Esther 1:17-18.

2. “Son of Adam, write for yourself the name of the day--this very day. The king of Bavel leaned against Yerushalayim on this selfsame day.

Leaned against: rested against or leaned toward—probably an idiom for laying siege to it.

4. “‘Gather its pieces [of meat] into it—each of the best cuts. Fill it up with the thigh and the shoulder, the choicest bones!

5. “‘Take the best of the flock, and pile up the bones under it. Bring it to a rapid boil; let them seethe its bones within it as well.’

6. “Therefore this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Woe to the city of blood, the pot that has [blood] residue in it and whose [blood] residue has not gone away from it! Bring it out piece by piece; don’t let a lot be cast on it,

Residue: rust-colored scum that proves the animal was not slaughtered in a kosher manner. (See v. 7.) The Hebrew term comes from a root meaning “weakness”. Bones: within which there is marrow, from which additional blood residue can come. A lot: the way the scapegoat is chosen at Yom Kippur, a context also suggested by the cliff in v. 7, since in second Temple times, the goat was not just released into the wilderness, but actually thrown off a cliff to ensure its demise.

Within it: that is, in the pot. Since the blood was not removed at the time of slaughter, it cannot all be gotten out later. And in this case, it appears that a large quantity of this animal’s blood still remained while it was being cooked. Spill it out: This is commanded when animals are slaughtered for consumption outside Yerushalayim. (Lev. 17:13) Blood is where the life (or soul, or appetite) is. Burying it is symbolic of suppressing our selfishness. Yet here it is being not only reserved but put in a place of prominence. Dust: symbolic of Avraham’s—and Israel’s--seed. (Gen. 13:16; 28:14) Spread dust over it: We are to put our own interests lower than those of the people of Israel as a whole. Throughout history, most notably when under Christianity, the Northern Kingdom’s leaders have focused their teaching toward individuals—salvation is for “my” sake rather than “ours”. Thus the church, though it purports to be YHWH’s new temple, is built on the wrong foundation, and YHWH simply calls us out of it; it cannot be cleaned up. (Rev. 18:4)

9. “Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Woe to the city of blood! I will make the pile grow, too!

10. “‘Heap on sticks! Kindle the fire to finish off the flesh, and mix in the spices well so the bones can be scorched dry.

11. “‘Then stand it up, empty, on its coals so that its bronze may become hot and be charred and its impurity may be melted within it [and] its [blood] residue finished off.

12. “‘She has exhausted [herself] with wearisome labor and the accumulation of [blood] residue did not depart from her; her [blood] residue is in the fire.

There is so much of our own life in us that even if we boil it until the pot itself melts, it is still not gone. It keeps rising to the top. This shows that though we confess sins and say we want to repent, we are still purposefully trying to hold on to what YHWH wants removed:

14. “‘I, YHWH, have spoken. It will come and I will bring it to accomplishment. I will not slacken, nor will I spare, nor will I be moved to pity. According to your habits and your practices they will judge you,’ declares the Master YHWH.”

They: men, not YHWH. David knew that this was a more fearful prospect than being judge by YHWH Himself, who has mercy on the contrite. (2 Shmuel 24:14)

16. “Son of Adam, watch as I take away the delight of your eyes with a [single] stroke. Yet you may neither lament nor bewail [her], nor may your tears come.

17. “Silence your groaning; do no mourning for the dead. Bind the turban upon yourself! Put your shoes on your feet! Do not cover your mustache, and do not eat the bread of men.”

Cover your mustache: a mourning ritual, as is taking off one’s shoes. Turban: an ornamental head-dress; the term comes from a verb meaning to glorify oneself (thus an embellishment that these “choicest” of Yerushalayim’s citizens, as per vv. 4-5, would wear). This would normally have been taken off when mourning.

19. Then the people said to me, “Won’t you tell us what these things that you are doing are for us?”

20. So I told them, “The Word of YHWH came to me to say,

21. “‘Say to the House of Israel, “This is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Watch Me profane My sanctuary, the majesty of your strength, the delight of your eyes, and that which your soul deeply loves. Your sons and your daughters, whom you have left behind, will fall by the sword.’”

Profane: the same thing Y’hezq’el had done to his wife’s time of mourning—treated it the same as any other day. (v. 17) YHWH has lost His wife, too, to other lovers, but how can He stop ruling the universe to mourn? So they, too, would lose what was dearest to them. Left behind: back in Yerushalayim, when Y’hezq’els’ hearers were taken first to Bavel.

23. “Your turbans shall also be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet. You must neither lament or bewail, but you must pine away for your perversities, and groan, each man to his brother.

Instead of crying over their loss, they needed to first recognize that this was what they deserved because they didn’t really lose it; they gave—no, threw—away the treasure He had entrusted to them. They need to instead mourn over who they have become and concentrate on becoming a people who would again be worthy of receiving it back. They needed to have a truly broken heart, not just sadness or anger over what was taken from them.

25. “And [as for] you, son of Adam, will it not be [so] on the day I take from them their refuge, the joy of their splendor, the delight of their eyes, and what uplifts their soul—their sons and daughters?

26. “On that day the fugitive will come to you to cause you to hear a report with your ears.

It seems strange that an escapee from Bavel’s capture of Yerushalayim would come to none other than Bavel to report this to Y’hezq’el, but it was where the House of Israel had been told by Yirmeyahu to go in order to remain under YHWH’s covering during their exile, so he would not have been mistreated once he showed up there.

2. “Son of Adam, set your face against the sons of Ammon, and prophesy against them,

3. “and tell the sons of Ammon, ‘Listen to the word of the Master YHWH! This is what YHWH says: “Because you have said, ‘Ahhh, look!’ [in regard] to My sanctuary because it was profaned and to the Land of Israel because it was devastated and to the House of Yehudah because they went into exile,

Being relatives of Avraham, they should recognize YHWH.

5. “‘“Then I will appoint Rabbah to be a pasture for camels, and the sons of Ammon a place for flocks to lie down. Then you will know that I am YHWH.

6. “‘“Because this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Because you have slapped with your hand and stamped with the foot and rejoiced with only contempt in your soul toward the Land of Israel,

7. “‘“‘therefore, watch Me stretch out My hand over you and give you to the nations as spoils, and I will cut you off from the peoples and cause you to vanish from the lands. I will annihilate you; then you will know that I am YHWH.’

The peoples: the surrounding nations that were related to the Ammonites: Moav, Edom, Israel, and Yehudah.

This is exactly what Yehudah and Israel are not to be, but they are “proven” to be no more immune to judgment.

Two of these cities were conquered by Reuvenites while Moshe was still alive (Num. 32:37-38), but Moav regained power numerous times throughout Israel’s history. (e.g., 2 Kings 1:1; 3:5; 1 Chron. 18:2; 2 Chron. 20:1, etc.)

Among the nations: At Sukkoth 70 bulls are offered for the sake of the ingathering of the nations, for in Genesis 10, 70 nations are listed, which may indeed be the way national boundaries are restored when Yahshua brings His Kingdom over them all. But Ammon, Moav, and Edom (which is also called Seir) are not among those 70, for they were divided off from the “nation” of Ever later, all being descendants of Avraham or his nephew Lot. However, this has not yet taken place, for though there is no longer a nation called the Ammonites, their name is preserved in the modern name of Rabbah (mentioned in v. 5): Amman, Jordan.

12. “‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Because Edom has acted with vengeance toward the House of Yehudah and has trespassed, crossing a line, by avenging himself on them,

13. “‘therefore this is what the Master YHWH says: “When I stretch out My hand over Edom, I will cause [both] man and beast to be cut off from it, and I will appoint it to be a wasteland from Theyman, and in D’dan they will fall by the sword.

Edom is still a wasteland. It is in southwestern Jordan today. Theyman and D’dan are in modern-day Saudi Arabia, which is also mostly desert with no vegetation.

Edom: In Jewish tradition, the torch was passed from Edom to Rome, and Edom figuratively refers to the Church. My people: an allusion in particular to the Northern Kingdom (Hoshea 1:9-10). Many of them are still in the church today, but will be brought out as they recognize that they are really Israel. Those that are left will be avenged according to what they did to the least of Yahshua’s brethren (Mat. 25:40), and this will be carried out by Israel herself. Ironically, the church has always declared herself immune to YHWH’s vengeance, though they have failed to keep most of His commandments. It has been long delayed (Mat. 24:48), so they assume it has been cancelled, meaning the awakening will be all the more rude.

16. “‘“therefore this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Watch Me stretch out My hand over the Filistines and cut off the Krethites and cause what is left of the sea coast to vanish,

The Palestinians have again assumed the name Filistines, and actually inhabit some of the same territory (the Gaza strip). Yeshayahu/Isa. 11:11-14 adds that again it will both houses of Israel that carry out this vengeance for YHWH.

2. “Son of Adam, since Tzur has said about Yerushalayim, ‘Aha! She is crippled! She has turned over to me the doors to the peoples! I will be filled; she has been dried up!’

Doors: in the sense of access. By this time, Tzur, which was in alliance with Yerushalayim since David’s reign, had been in league only with the Northern Kingdom and Egypt after the kingdom of Israel split. Its power would have increased somewhat when the Northern Kingdom was taken to exile, having a larger share of the Phoenician holdings that had previously been divided with Israel. Now she thought she had no rival at all in the immediate region. But YHWH answers this directly:

Tzur (often called Tyre) would be very familiar with this imagery, as part of it was on an island in the sea divided from the mainland in such a way as to usually render it inaccessible to besieging armies, having a 150-foot-high wall and multi-storied buildings due to the small land area of the island, much like today’s Hong Kong or Manhattan. The city’s name means “rock”, a name used for YHWH. As we will see below, it is indeed acting the impostor.

5. “‘It will become a place to stretch out nets in the midst of the sea, because I have spoken,’ declares the Master YHWH, ‘and she will become booty for the nations.

Arthur Custance (Doorway Papers, Vol VII, Part III, Chapter 3) documents how this took place in exactly the way it is foretold here. Since Tzur resisted Nevukhadnetzar’s yoke, so the latter began a siege of the city a year after the fall of Yerushalayim, which then lasted 13 years. Its aqueduct was destroyed, contributing to its isolation. Little by little its riches were transferred across to the island by their large fleet of ships. The part of the city that was on the mainland apparently capitulated, but Jerome reports that Nevukhadnetzar found nothing worthy of his efforts, and it slowly fell into ruin. But the island remained prosperous and was not subdued for another 240 years until, in 332 B.C.E., Alexander the Great built a causeway using the ruined houses. This took seven months, and so much material was needed to bridge the deep inlet that they indeed scraped the very dust of the city from the shore into the sea! (v. 12) The book of 2 Maccabees tells some of the story of how it was plundered. Tzur revived in Roman times before slowly falling into decline. The Muslims stopped the commerce. By modern times, the causeway trapped silt, forming a wide land bridge, and the ruins of the city barely rise above the sea, and today fishermen have been photographed stretching their nets to dry on the fallen columns of the city that juts out into the “midst of the sea”!

7. “‘because this is what the Master YHWH says: “Watch me bring Nevukhadnetzar, king of Bavel, to Tzur from the north—a king of kings—with horse and chariot and horsemen and a company of many people[s].

8. “‘“He will kill your daughters in the field with a sword, and he will set a siege-mound against you and pour out a bank upon you, and cause a siege-shield to be raised against you.

9. “‘“And he will employ the blows of his battering-ram on your walls, and with his weapons he will break down your towers.

10. “‘“Due to the abundance of their horses, their [flying] dust will conceal you. Your walls will shake from the sound of horseman, wheel, and chariot when he enters your gates, as when [men] enter a breached city.

11. “‘“With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will come down to the ground.

On the ground is precisely where Tzur’s pillars were found by modern archaeologists.

13. “‘“And I will make the noise of your songs to cease, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more.

Your songs: that for which Tzur’s prince was renowned (28:13).

Glistening: i.e., one “polished” by being wiped clean until it shines.

Coastlands: the Phoenician (or Punic) colonies as far away as Britain and North America that depended on the imperial city for their trade.

17. “‘“Then they will take up a dirge about you and say to you, ‘How have you perished—you who were inhabited from the seas, the praiseworthy city that was firm on the sea—she and her inhabitants, who put their terror on all who live on it?

From the seas: i.e., by seafarers from all over the world, and who drew her wealth from their nautical prowess, which far outshined all others of her time. But similar things are said about spiritual Babylon (Bavel) in Revelation 18:9-20. This gives us a clue that, though the rebellion of Bavel against YHWH began at the Tower of Bavel, its scepter passed to some others before it returned to Bavel under Nevukhadnetzar. This succession of the counterfeit of the restored Adam is depicted vividly in Nevukhadnetzar’s dream. (Dan. 2) Tzur apparently carried the torch just prior to that. This is confirmed by the fact that, though David had already been recognized as king by all twelve tribes of Israel (after having been king over only Yehudah for seven and a half years), he did not feel certain that YHWH had established his throne over all Israel until Hiram, king of Tzur, recognized him! (2 Shmuel 5:5-12) In other words, the Northern Kingdom was already in some sort of subservient relationship to Tzur, or at the very least Tzur held tremendous influence over the other tribes.

19. “‘“‘Because this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘When I make you a dried-up city like the cities that are without inhabitants, when I bring the deep up over you and abundant waters have concealed you,

20. “‘“‘then I will bring you down with those who descend into a pit to the eternal people and make you sit on the land below, in places laid waste since ancient times, with those who descend into a pit in order that you will have no [place to] live, and I have bestowed your honor on the land of the living.

21. “‘“‘I will appoint you to calamity, and you will not be there. Though you are intensely searched for, you will never again be found—forever!’, declares the Master YHWH.

CHAPTER 27

2. “Now you, son of Adam, take up a dirge for Tzur,

3. “and say to Tzur, ‘You who are situated at the entrance of the sea, a trader for the peoples to many coastlands, this is what the Master YHWH says: “O Tzur, you have said, ‘I am the perfection of beauty!’

4. “‘“Your borders are in the heart of the seas! Your builders have perfected your beauty.

Your borders: Her sphere of influence is wherever the sea is passable. Your builders: YHWH is cutting down Tzur’s pride by saying that all the beauty she bragged about (v. 3) was brought in from outside. The places listed below were known for having the finest skill and workmanship in the areas Tzur hired them for. If it were not for trade and commerce, she would be much like any other city.

6. “‘“From the oaks of Bashan they have made your oars; your deck they have made of ivory, daughter of a [small] straight evergreen, from the coasts of Kittim.

7. “‘“Fine linen of embroidered work [of various colors] is what you spread out to be your sail; your covering [was dyed] blue and purple from the islands of Elishah.

Sail: or ensign, banner, rallying pole. Note the comparison of Tzur to a ship throughout this chapter. Elishah: one of the Greek regions (populated from a son of Yavan), possibly Aeolia.

9. “‘“The elders of G’val and her wise men were within you to contain your leakages. All the ships of the sea with their salty [seamen] were within you to make exchanges [for] your merchandise.

Contain your leakages: or, reinforce your repaired or caulked seams or fissures. The name of G’val (later known in Greek as Byblos, since it imported papyrus from Egypt and was known for its scribes and books) means “to bind as with a chain or a rope”. It shares the same root word with the Hebrew term for borders or boundaries, in the sense of an area cordoned off. We see in Num. 34 this theme of the threefold cord of the two houses of Israel being strengthened by the third strand, the Torah. (Compare Eccles. 4:12; Mat. 5:17-19) Both the terms “exchanges” and “merchandise” here are from a root word meaning to mix or mingle. Indeed, it is this “melting-pot” approach that has allowed the system that passed the torch from Tzur to Babylon to braid its own three-stranded cord—a counterfeit of YHWH’s. Its centerpiece is not the Torah, but trade and thereby, wealth. Yet Y’shua compared entering the kingdom with passing such a cable through a needle’s eye. (Mat. 19:24) For a wealthy man to enter, he must unravel that cord and pass the individual threads through the eye. One of the ways we unravel this system’s influence over us is to pull out of spending on the Sabbath, which is the biggest day for merchandising in the world. Removing ourselves from the pagan celebration of Christmas also takes a lot of wind out of its sail. (v. 7)

11. “‘“Sons of Arwad and your force were on your walls, all around, and graspers were in your towers; they hung master-shields on your walls, all around. They have perfected your beauty!

12. “‘“Tarshish was your trafficker due to the abundance of your wealth: with silver, iron, tin, and lead they set out your wares.

13. “‘“Yavan, Tuval, and Meshekh—they were your traders; they proffered the souls of mankind and vessels of bronze as your merchandise.

Yavan: Greece. It is the Greek system of logic and culture that Rome adopted, and it sustains the torch that passed from Bavel to Rome down to the global trade network centered in the nation that recently captured literal Babylon. Tuval and Meshekh are under the same spiritual power. (38:2) Meshekh means to prolong, drag on, or draw out—similar to Moshe, whose name meant to be drawn out. Souls of mankind: Compare the reference to Bavel in Rev. 18:13. The system that Bavel and Tzur engendered does indeed make human beings subordinate to their agendas. We can detect the same attitude in companies that no longer speak of “personnel” but only of “human resources”—people made in Elohim’s image being counted as just one more of many tools to get the job done. It is being enslaved to the system of trade through debt that helps prolong our “sojourn in Meshekh” (Ps. 120:5) and keeps us from being “drawn out” of it by the Torah (written by Moshe), just as was the case for Israel in Egypt, for according to the Book of Yasher our forebears became slaves through entanglements with the Egyptian society to which they obligated themselves voluntarily. In Greek, Yahshua’s community is named “the called-out ones”. We must apply this to the “matrix” that holds us captive today.

15. “‘“Sons of D’dan were your traders; many islands were the merchandise of your hand. They brought back tusks of ivory and ebony as your payment.

Islands: or coastlands. Since the Phoenicians barred their enemies from sailing beyond the Straits of Gibraltar, they had a monopoly on trade in the lands beyond them, and their commerce even in North America is becoming increasingly evidenced through archaeology. Their sailors undoubtedly discovered many uninhabited places and gained some of their wealth through the sale of these “new” lands.

17. “‘“Yehudah and the Land of Israel were your traders; they traded in wheats from Minith and pastries, honey, oil, and balsam salve for your merchandise.

Minith: in the Ammonite territory east of the Yarden.

Khelbon means “fertile”, from a word meaning fatness or the best.

Note that Dan was so well-established in its own right as a tribe that it is listed separately from the rest. It was a seafaring tribe, which would endear it to Tzur and Tzidon. But it is missing from the list of Israelite tribes in the book that describes Babylon’s undoing. (Rev. 7:5-8)

21. “‘“Arabia and all the leaders of Qedar—they were traders [for] your hand. They provided for your merchandise in lambs and rams and he-goats.

22. “‘“The merchants of Sheva’ and Raamah—they were your merchants; with the best of all sweet spices and with every precious stone and gold they traded for your merchandise.

23. “‘“Haran, Kanneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheva’, Ashur, and Kilmad [were] your merchants.

24. “‘“They were the ones who trafficked in [the] perfectly-made [things] in your marketplaces—fabrics dyed blue, embroidery, cedar chests of multi-colored apparel bound up with ropes!

25. “‘“Ships of Tharshish were the conveyances for what you sent in exchange, and you were being filled and made very important in the heart of the seas.

26. “‘“Those who rowed you have brought you into abundant waters, and the east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.

East wind: can also mean “spirit of antiquity”, and indeed it is the resurgence of the ancient ways that will sink the ship of Tzur and Bavel. The seas: the very thing that made Tzur wealthy proves to be her undoing.

28. “‘“At the sound of your sailors’ outcry, the outposts will shake.

29. “‘“All who wield the oar—the salty [seamen], and [sailors] who handle the ropes at sea—will disembark and keep to the land,

30. “‘“and make their voice heard over you and cry bitterly and lift dust up onto their heads; they will roll themselves in the ashes.

These are all expressions of deep mourning, as are the following:

32. “‘“And in their wailing, they will take up a dirge toward you, and lament over you: ‘Who is like Tzur, like the one silenced in the midst of the sea?’

33. “‘“When your wares went out by way of the seas, you filled many peoples to the point of satisfaction. With the abundance of your riches and exports, you made the kings of the earth rich.

34. “‘“[At the] time of your shattering by the seas, your exports are in the depths of the waters; all those assembled in your midst have fallen.

35. “‘“All the residents of the coastlands are horrified over you, and their kings will bristle with terror; their faces are troubled.

Are troubled: literally, thunder [with rage]. This is echoed nearly word-for-word in regard to Bavel in Rev. 18:9, so we know the two are speaking of the same system, initiated by Nimrod at the Tower of Bavel and thus bearing its name, but still alive today in the ten loosely-connected toes (Dan. 2:42) of the last vestiges of the Roman Empire that rulers throughout history have tried in many ways to revive. They are weak because the unity of that system is based on selfishness, and a kingdom divided against itself cannot withstand the great stone of the Kingdom that will topple it—a Kingdom built on laying down our lives for one another. Soon the lines will be more clearly drawn between Israel and the empire that encompasses everything else. “Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins…and…her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4)

You will not exist: literally, “there will be no you”. In contrast, Y’shua offers eternal life even to those who die for one another in order to uphold His standards. We cannot withstand the pressures of the other system as individuals, but together we can, for we will support one another and thus not need the securities by which it lures and captures so many.

2. “Son of Adam, say to the ruler of Tzur, “This is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Because your heart is arrogant, and you have said, “I am a mighty one seated [among the] elohim in the heart of the seas, though you are a man and not an el, though you designate your heart as a heart of an elohim.

Ruler: the term is one also used of the Messiah, and denotes a deputy or secondary ruler—one out in front but who is not actually in charge. But because Yahshua was content to do His Father’s bidding, He was given the privilege that this ruler—and the one who led the shadow government behind him—could only pretend to. And He will give it to those who, like Him, overcome the temptation to exalt self and focus instead on serving one another. (Rev. 3:24)

Daniel: their contemporary, who apparently, even before the incident of the handwriting on the wall and the lions’ den, had a reputation for wisdom, possibly due to his interpretation of Nevukhadnetzar’s dream. But his name means “Elohim is my Judge”. This ruler had judged his own heart to be wise, but it would have been wiser to allow YHWH to judge his heart.

5. “‘“By the abundance of your wisdom, through your trafficking you have made your wealth increase, and your heart has become arrogant in your efficiency.

6. “‘“Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Because you have designated your heart as the heart of an elohim,

7. “‘“‘therefore watch as I bring foreigners upon you that strike terror [on the] nations, and they will draw their swords over the beauty of your skillfulness and will perforate your splendor.

What could be a better description of the terrorist attacks being perpetrated against the greatest trading nations of today? But we could also apply it to the one who tried to rebuild Babylon.

Pit: or, place of humiliation. Compare Z’kharyah 9:3,4.

10. “‘“‘You will die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of those who have become estranged, because I have spoken,’ declares the Master YHWH.”’”

11. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

12. “Son of Adam, lift up a dirge over the king of Tzur, and tell him, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “You seal up the pattern—full of skill and complete in beauty!

King: as contrasted with the “ruler” or mere “prince” of v. 2, who was, on the human level, probably actually a king as well. But he was the “son” of the spirit that was behind him. Compare the Princes of Persia and Greece that an archangel had to fight. (Dan. 10:13, 20) In other words, each earthly regime has spiritual “princes” behind it. This one is a king, because he is the mastermind behind them all. This spirit of the one who exalted himself passed also to Tzur’s conqueror, Bavel (Dan. 4:30), though its human king did ultimately repent. Seal up: i.e., you close the book on the subject; nothing more can be added to it. Pattern: in the sense of something that can be measured, and thus imitated or held up as a paradigm. (43:10) I.e., the mold was broken because this specimen was so perfect:

In Eden: This tips us off to the fact that we are dealing with something much more ancient than literal Tzur alone—a spirit that inhabited and motivated it, but which existed long beforehand. Socket-cavities: i.e., receptacles in which to mount the precious stones or musical instruments, but the same term is used as the root for the word “female” in Hebrew. This gives us a clue about the role the antitype of this king played, especially as relates to the Phoenicians, from which Izevel (Jezebel) came. Izevel insisted that her husband Ahav, could do anything he pleased since he was the king, but she was the real mastermind behind his actions. The spirit of Izevel, in which the woman dominates and usurps the role of the man, is resurging at full force in our day. Why? When we compare the other lists of these same jewels throughout Scripture, we see them as bedecking YHWH’s Bride (Rev. 21:19-20). So this is the clothing of YHWH’s bride. Yet who, other than Adam and Chavvah, was in Eden? None other than the serpent. You were created: a phrase designed to put in his place the one who wanted to be “like Elohim”. (Yeshayahu 14:12-14)

Overshadows: protects and screens by shutting off access to the throne, but the term also means to weave together or intertwine, just as the two kh’ruvim atop the Ark of the Covenant, symbolically overshadowing the place where YHWH sat, were actually from one piece of gold. This again suggests the role of a bride and groom. Yahshua may have been represented by the other kh’ruv, since the allegorical level of Ruth 3:12; 4:6 indicates that they both have the right of atonement. Stones of fire: probably referring to the brazen altar and the altar of incense—i.e., a priestly role. It would appear, then, that the unfallen haSatan was also the first high priest before YHWH!

Unrighteousness: choosing to be rich rather than continuing to be the pattern (v. 12) that revealed YHWH to the rest of the created order. Therefore another pattern needed to be made. The “broken mold” had to be recast so that this role could be filled again. Adam was created in YHWH’s image, and, under the influence of this same “king”, also failed in that role. YHWH raised up Avraham and from him, Israel, to restore what Adam broke, and through Israel came the Temple, which chapter 43 calls a pattern—the only other time this same Hebrew term is used in Scripture. So what the Temple represents on earth is what haSatan used to be. Yahshua identified His body with the Temple (Yochanan 2:21), and this is the Scriptural authority by which He could do so. Of course, His body does not mean only His physical body, but those of whom He is the spiritual Head. (Eph. 5:30)

Here He reverts briefly to speaking about the city itself. But indeed YHWH’s bejeweled bride is also described as a city in Rev. 21. HaSatan continued to have a “seat” in a series of cities such as Bavel, Athens, Rome, etc. (Rev. 2:13) So Tzur is the civic embodiment of a bride deposed because she thought it was beneath her dignity to obey:

“She” made an excellent wife until she started using her gifts for her own gain instead of for her Husband’s sake. Compare the story of Queen Washti (Esther 1:9-18). So we surmise that haSatan is YHWH’s adversary because “she” was in the position of YHWH’s first bride, but she coveted His position. She was meant to be under authority. When tempting human beings, the serpent approached Chavvah first, for when out from under her husband’s covering, she was more vulnerable. This disrupted the structure of human society from the start. After this YHWH clearly consigned her to being under her husband’s rule so that some semblance of order could be restored. (Gen. 3:16) Since Yahshua uses “heaven” as a shortened form of “the Kingdom of heaven”, haSatan’s being cast down (Rev. 12:10) would correlate with his/her being bound for 1,000 years during the Kingdom. (Rev. 20:3)

19. “‘“All who are familiar with you among the peoples will be horrified over you; you will come to calamities, and you will never [again] exist forever.”’”

Compare Yeshayahu/Isa. 14:4-17, where the same judgment comes on Bavel, to which Tzur’s scepter was passed.

20. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

21. “Son of Adam, fix your face in the direction of Tzidon and prophesy about her,

Tzidon was Tzur’s sister city, from which Izevel came, and where she was princess. (1 Kings 16:31) Its name means “the greatest hunter”—undoubtedly named in honor of Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-9), who began the rebellion against YHWH after the Deluge in the original Bavel. (Gen. 11)

23. “‘“Then I will send a plague on her and blood into her open plazas and within her will fall those mortally wounded by a sword [that comes] upon her from all around. Then they will know that I am YHWH.

But as Washti had to be replaced by another queen (Hadassah), there was a vacancy in the position of YHWH’s bride. Who was chosen to fill it? Our clue, again, is the stones listed in v. 13. Notice that they are grouped in threes, just as on the High Priest’s breastplate, where they represent each of the tribes of Israel. (Ex. 28:17-20) Tzur is missing some jewels in v. 13 from those on the High Priest’s breastplate (the entire third row, representing Gad, Asher, and Yissachar), showing that indeed haSatan comes up short of the perfection found more fully in Israel, as Hadassah’s beauty outshone Washti’s. Two of these three are children of Leah’s handmaid and the son Leah bore when she hired Yaaqov with her son’s mandrakes. (Gen. 30) This correlates with the nearer kinsman not wanting responsibility for Ruth as well as Naomi because it would reduce the inheritance his own children received. (Ruth 4:6) Yahshua, on the other hand, was willing to redeem all twelve tribes of Israel. (Yeshayahu/Isa. 49:6) One of these three that haSatan lacked, Asher, is the tribe within whose land Tzur was situated (Y’hoshua 19:24, 29), and because this tribe did not dispossess them as they were told, they became a thorn in their sides. (Num. 33:55) The spirit of Izevel was allowed into Israel, and the result was the killing of the prophets—the vengeance of an ex-wife scorned. This motif explains why haSatan hates YHWH’s chosen people so vehemently. We walk in the spirit of Eliyahu (the restoration of all things, Mal. 4:5; Mat. 17:11), and what will oppose us is the spirit of Tzur (Jezebel). But her days are numbered (compare Rev. 12:12)…

Thorns are the direct result of the curse YHWH put on mankind after we sinned and did not take responsibility for it. (Gen. 3:18) So this scenario bespeaks the partial rescinding of the curse during the Kingdom (compare Yeshayahu 11:9), paralleling YHWH’s shielding Goshen from the worst of the plagues of Egypt. (Ex. 9:26; 10:23) The Messiah is called Israel in one sense (Yeshayahu 49:1-6). He was brought forth by Israel (Rev. 12:13), and those He gathers form the substance of Israel. We, His people, are to complete the Body of which He is the Head. Compare His attitude to that of haSatan’s here—as well as Chavvah’s and Adam’s. (Gen. 3:1-6; Phil 2:5ff) He came to undo and make reparation for this strong temptation. Compare the context here with Yeshayahu 49:6:

Note that we are gathered away from the peoples before we are gathered away from their lands, so that they can notice our love for one another. (Yoch. 13:35) It is difficult for modern folks to understand, but it states here that this is accomplished by building walls between ourselves and those who are unholy. This is the method of “evangelism” YHWH chooses. (Compare Mat. 10:11-14) Those who love both Yahshua and Torah (Rev. 12:17) will be put on a pedestal in the last days—a clean separation so we can judge the nations (Rev. 20:4) without being judged along with them. We will form a “city of refuge” hedged off from the avengers, and when the original high priest (see note on v. 14) is sealed into the pit, we can go home! When we truly become Israel, it will be no problem to get back into the Garden of Eden, because as Yahshua’s bride, replacing the deposed kh’ruv, we will have the keys!

This land will include Tzur’s former territory!

2. “Son of Adam, set your face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all of Egypt.

3. “Speak and say, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Indeed I am against you, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt—the great crocodile who stretches out in the midst of his rivers, who has said, ‘My Nile is my own, and I have made it for myself.’

Crocodile: the counterfeit of what Moshe’s rod became (Ex. 7:9, this being an alternate pronunciation of the same word, tannin). This arrogant one thinks that he created rivers just because he can divert them. The pope boasted that he had “changed” the Sabbath to Sunday just to prove he had the authority to do so! (Dr. Samuele Bacchiochi) Water is often symbolic of the Word of YHWH, and the Church has co-opted even this with its own (personally-centered) version of the Gospel.

Put a hook in your jaws: capture him by a means he cannot resist—in this case, perhaps wealth or worldly influence. Fish: long a self-imposed symbol for Christians. Cling to your scales: as even Protestants do without recognizing it, when they should be returning to their true inheritance as children of Israel. Even those who have left the church and know they are Israel try to gain legitimacy in the world’s eyes by holding onto its extra-biblical, pagan ideas such as the idea that Y’shua is equal to, rather than subordinate to, YHWH. The “dragon” has unclean spirits within it (Rev. 16:13), but on the outside appears to be smiling—the ubiquitous hallmark of the friendly, forgiving Church, but this diverts attention from the beady eyes that really want to fleece or devour the sheep.

Compare the “Feast of Leviathan” (Rev. 19:17-18), the “king of the proud” (Iyov/Job 41:34).

7. “‘“When they took hold of you by your joint, you split and tore all the way through their shoulder, and when they leaned on you [for support], you shattered and caused all their hips to be paralyzed!”

Cane is very sharp when it breaks. Hips…paralyzed: The Church removed Israel’s ability to “walk” (Ex. 18:20) by casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Torah (shades of Gen. 3:1 where we see another “serpent” doing the same). It purports to be trustworthy, but disappoints those who rely on it for salvation.

Human being: literally, Adam. Beast: an idiom for the counterfeit Messiah and his regime. (Rev. 13)

In saying this, he issued a challenge against YHWH which He will answer in an unmistakable way.

Sweneh: later known as Elephantine, where Jewish immigrants built an illegitimate replica of the Temple of Yerushalayim. Kush: in this case, Ethiopia. A ruin: compared to its former glory, Egypt is nothing today, and for many centuries it indeed was little more than the home of Bedouin tribes.

12. “‘“and for forty years I will make the land of Egypt a wasteland among lands that are made desolate, and her cities will become deserted among cities that are laid waste, and I will scatter [the] Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the lands.

This part of the prophecy does not yet appear to have been fulfilled. Will there be nuclear fallout rendering that land uninhabitable, possibly as punishment for Egypt’s latter-day crimes against Israel?

14. “‘“‘and I will bring back the Egyptians [who were] taken captive, and will cause them to return to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they will be a humble kingdom.

Pathros: a Greek island, not even along the Nile, which was their pride! Humble: removing the temptation for Israel to turn to her for aid. Return to the land of their origin: compare Z’kharyah 5:8-11, in which wickedness is sent back to its proper base in Shinar, where the Tower of Bavel was built. During the Kingdom, the time of the restoration of all things as foreshadowed by the yovel year (Lev. 25), the seventy nations of Genesis 10 will undoubtedly be restored to their original spheres of influence rather than the places they later took, unless their expansionism was granted by YHWH. Israel is returning after 2,730 years (somewhat less in the case of Yehudah), but to the opposite of Egypt’s lot.

16. “‘“‘And it will no longer serve as a refuge for the House of Israel, to bring their guilt [back] to memory when they turn [their faces] after them, and they will know that I am the Master YHWH.’”’”

Israel was never to return to Egypt (Deut. 17:16). Having to do so at times in both the Levites’ and Efrayim’s history has been a punishment. (Hoshea 8:13; 9:3) A sword will follow those who turn back to it for security. (Yirm. 42:13-18)

17. Then it came about in the twenty-seventh year on the first [day] of the first month that the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

18. “Son of Adam, Nevukhadretzar, king of Bavel, compelled his army to serve a massive task [like slaves] against Tzur. Every head was made bald and every shoulder-blade was rubbed bare. Yet there was no reward for him or his army from Tzur on account of the labor which he had compelled against it.

Bald…rubbed bare: Arthur Custance suggested that this may mean the besiegers were on the job so long (13 years) that their body armor chafed at them so much that they went bald! They found little when they finally broke through, for during the siege the inhabitants had stealthily moved their wealth over to the island that sat off its shore! He did not besiege it as well, possibly because it was too well-fortified, though the on-shore part of the city fell into ruin.

This giving over of the apostate Church to the commercial system with which she is in love is paralleled in Rev. 17:3-18 by the vision of the woman (a harlot) riding the beast, which then turns violently against her.

Because Nevukhadnetzar did not plunder Tzur (according to its own historian Menander), and therefore received no payment for his service to YHWH in humbling its arrogance, he was given Egypt as a recompense. (Custance)

A horn: or, a ray of light. In Daniel 7:8, 24, we see a horn with a mouth that speaks blasphemies. Opening of the mouth: or, loosing. In 21:22 it is an idiom for a battle-cry and/or opening the city’s gates with a battering-ram. This mouth (led by the Messiah) will overcome that arrogant mouth. (2 Thess. 2:4-8) Compare the silence imposed on Y’hezq’el in chapter 24. In their midst: that is, Egypt’s. Y’hezq’el’s mouth (through the pattern of the Temple that he revealed in 43:10) is again showing the house of Israel the way home. The gate is open for the slaves to escape what first showed them hospitality but then held them in bondage, and return to their true inheritance. The next three chapters show just how strong a hold haSatan has in the religious system, as he does in the world economic system. But YHWH makes war on everything that holds us captive. All He wants is to set us at rest in His presence, but we cling to so many other “securities”, so He has to destroy them in order to get us back.

2. “Son of Adam, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Howl, [all of] you! Alas for the day!

3. “‘“A day is near; indeed a day is approaching for YHWH—a cloudy day, a time of the Gentiles it will be.

Cloudy day: One would see “clouds” as an army approached, kicking up lots of dust. Thus they are a sign of coming destruction. This phrase, literally “day of clouds”, appears in Yoel 2:2 and Tz’fanyah 1:15 in reference to YHWH’s wrath upon Israel. But in Egypt’s memory, clouds would specifically evoke the pillar of cloud that protected Israel and spelled doom for Pharaoh in the Reed Sea. Time of Gentiles: alluded to by Yahshua in Luke 21:24, in the context of Yerushalayim being trodden underfoot by the Gentiles. When the last of such times is over, Yerushalayim will be restored to what she was meant to be.

Ethiopia: probably the case here, but the actual Hebrew term is Kush--the ancestor of both the Ethiopians and Nimrod the hunter of Bavel, so in the broader sense this may apply to Bavel as well--the greater Kush that would bring trouble upon the other part of Kush that was allied with Egypt. But on the metaphorical level, the collapse of the Church, which must come after YHWH removes all those who have provided its covering, will strike terror in the hearts of the commercial system that has formed such intricate ties with it. Abundant wealth: or, tumultuous multitude.

Khub: thought to be Libya. Sons of the land of the covenant: in this case, probably not Israel but those allied with Egypt.

Migdol: means “a tower”, and the text could as well read “[the] tower of Sweneh”.

8. “‘“Then they will know that I am YHWH when I appoint a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers will be shattered.

9. “‘“On that day, messengers will go out from My presence in naval vessels to terrify the confident Ethiopia, and [anguished] writhing will come upon them, as in Egypt’s day, because indeed, it is coming.”’”

10. This is what the Master YHWH says: “I have put a stop to the noisy confusion of Egypt by the hand of Nevukhadretzar, king of Bavel.

11. “He and his people with him, who strike the nations with terror, will be brought to ruin the land, and they will draw their swords over Egypt and fill the land [with the] mortally wounded.

12. “And I will dry up the rivers and sell the land into the hand of malicious [ones], and I will ravage the land and what fills it through the hand of strangers. I, YHWH, have spoken.”

Sell the land: as in Yoseyf’s day, but into the opposite hands. Strangers: literally, those who have become estranged or alienated—i.e., those who were once part of it, but have parted ways from it and not amicably. Remember that Egypt is a picture of the Church, whose main focus is on preparing for life after death. These strangers could also be those who sneak into its ranks with their own private agendas and pretend to be benefactors. With its “Come one, come all”, over-friendly stance, the Church is not on the alert for the wolves in sheep’s clothing who come in to devour the flock, and this could be its downfall; at best, its energies are co-opted and diverted from their intended course.

Rolling idols: possibly the Egyptian amulets shaped like a scarab beetle, which rolls a ball of dung to serve as the feeding place for its larvae. Worthless: empty or vain, things that do not really exist. Nof: also known as Memphis.

No: also known as Thebes.

16. “And I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish, and No will be split open, and Nof will be in tight spots daily.

17. “The prime young men of Aven and Pi-Beseth will fall by the sword, and their [women] will go into captivity.

18. “At T’khapenkhes, the day will grow dark when I break the yokes of Egypt there, and the pride of her strength will come to an end in her. [As for] herself, a cloud will conceal her, and her daughters will go into captivity.

19. “Thus I will carry out judgments on Egypt, and they will know that I am YHWH.”

This is ultimately a positive outcome, because He promises to preserve Egypt (29:14) and even give them a place as possibly the “least in the Kingdom”. She will have no authority but some restoration. This is because there is a remnant of His people there (Yeshayahu/Isa. 19:25), and because it deserves some honor for the initial hospitality it offered to Yaaqov’s family because of Yoseyf’s being set in place ahead of time. (Gen. 47:5-6)

21. “Son of Adam, I have broken the arm of the king of Egypt, and it has not been bound up to provide healings—to put a bandage to bind it up to strengthen it to wield a sword skillfully.

The leader of mystical “Egypt” is the pope, and his power was broken by the Protestant Reformation.

The pope has been seeking the restoration of both aspects of his power—the physical (temporal, political) as well as the spiritual. But YHWH is saying that not only will the one that was lost not be restored; in the end he will lose the other as well.

The Catholic system sent armies to conquer, but the Protestants sent missionaries to capture the hearts of the nations and the governments they were allied with did not have to fight to gain influence there for the sake of commerce. Yet still it spread the “mother church’s” teaching, while appearing to be separate from it. It was a house divided against itself. Israel has been a sojourner among both, but it is now obvious that she never fit in either.

On the physical level, most of this has taken place millennia ago, but YHWH left tiny bits unfulfilled to remind us that “what has been is what will be” (Eccles. 1:9)—that there is another level still to be fulfilled. Bavel (the system of commerce) had already brought the system of Tzur (wealth) under his control, so YHWH gives Egypt (the religious system) over to him as well, so that He can destroy both of them at once, for they were all trying to rebuild the original Bavel. The crown passed from one conqueror to another, and now the United States, which has been the leader of the commercial world since World War II, has militarily taken over the literal Babylon, so now the heirs to both aspects of Babylon are unified again for the first time. This will undoubtedly cause eventual friction with the Israelites living under that crown. Oddly enough, the unification of all mankind that Bavel has always sought is also one of the Christian doctrines, though it is not in agreement with the Torah, which specifies that Israel is to be set apart from all other nations. Only thus can it bring about the true unification, which haSatan can only counterfeit. HaSatan can only act when YHWH “writes the check”. YHWH never promises that weapons will not form against Israel, only that they will not prosper. YHWH allows other systems to come into being, and uses them for His purposes. In the process they may benefit Israel, but they she is never to trust in them or promise her heart to them. When He is done with them, they will be set in the order He chooses for them—whether exalted or humbled. Though they have our respect insofar as they inhibit other evils, their authority over us ends once they cross YHWH’s will. Y’shua declared Israel a nation again, though its war of independence as a nation under Torah again has still not been fought. He said that if we merely got one thing right, we would have our inheritance back. So HaSatan has put up deceitful signposts directing our conquest toward the wrong goals, saying that if we capture this or that, we will have succeeded in be a nation again. Y’shua said it is to be brought about by loving one another and keeping YHWH’s commandments—things we have set as lower priorities than more measurable results such as numbers of poor (outside Israel) being fed or numbers of souls claiming to want to go to heaven. Only as we refocus where He told us to focus will these other things be able to be resolved in the proper way as well.

We hardly see Egypt fighting back, for the Church has little by little surrendered to Babylon because is global connections have appealed to the Church as a way to gain a broader ministry base. But anytime something is brought in from another nation, the spiritual forces that drive it gain a foothold as well. Bavel was the most benevolent of masters, giving a broad range of freedom and even honor to those worthy of it among those that surrendered to it—which is why so few Jews returned from there when they could after the 70-year captivity. The Church, too, has found the system of commerce so comfortable that she does not wish to leave it behind when YHWH has said He wants those within her who are truly His to be known as Israel again instead, and to make all the lifestyle changes that entails. But when He says, “Come out of her My people”, it is so they will not partake of the plagues that must come upon her. (Rev. 17-18)

By the repetition here of elements of vv. 19 and 23, we can see an example of the common practice of prophets singing out their prophecies.

2. “Son of Adam, say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and his crowd, ‘To whom do you compare in your greatness?

3. “‘Indeed, Ashur [was like] a cedar in Levanon, beautiful [in] branch, peaceful from shade, and lofty in height, and his top was among the interwoven foliage.

Though Ashur (Assyria) and Egypt were two different nations, here they both represent the same thing, because Ashur means “advanced” or “making progress”. The Pope claimed the power to change the Torah by making Sunday the “new Sabbath”. In the mind of many Christians, the “New Testament” is more advanced than the “Old”, rendering the latter antiquated and inferior, when in fact it was intended to renew our connection to the former. This abuse or counterfeit of the Kingdom renders “Pharaoh” another of many scepters of the adversary (Heb., Satan).

5. “‘For this reason his height was raised above all the [other] trees of the field, his boughs grew large and his branches long due to the abundance of waters while he was shooting [them] forth.

6. “‘All the birds of the heaven made nests in his boughs and all the wild animals gave birth under his branches, and in his shadow lived all [the] great nations.

Yahshua alluded to this passage when making a comparison about the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mat. 13:32) It is in context of the parable of the wheat and tares, showing that there are two aspects to those that appear to be in the Kingdom. This mustard seed parable, like the one that follows about the leaven hidden in three measures of flour, shows that the Kingdom should indeed multiply itself like the stone that becomes a mountain in Nevukhadretzar’s own dream (Daniel 2:35), but there is a contrast. The Holy of Holies is a small place that remains hidden like the leaven until all is ready; a mustard plant is not supposed to grow big enough to be considered a tree. The Kingdom is not meant to be so all-encompassing and ostentatious while still being built that its enemies are able to use it as their covering, for the fowls of the air that nest in it are often idiomatic of demons in Scripture. The Church—the outward appearance of the beginning of the Kingdom—allowed just that, and became a haven for the Beast’s system, and thus must be cut down like the tares before the true Kingdom can function properly.

8. “‘Cedars in a garden of Elohim could not eclipse him, and the fir-trees could not compare with his boughs, nor were the oriental maples like his shoots. No tree in a garden of Elohim could compare with his beauty.

This strongly suggests an allusion to the forbidden tree in Eden (see v. 9), whereby the one who aspired to the highest position (v. 5) tempted Adam and Chavvah to have the same ambition.

10. “‘Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says: “On account of [the fact] that you were exalted in stature and he has positioned his highest branch among the interwoven foliage, and his heart is magnified in his haughtiness,

11. “‘I have also handed him over to the hero of the nations, and he will certainly deal with him. I have expelled him in his wickedness!

Hero: in this case, Nevukhadretzar, king of Bavel.

13. “‘All the birds of the heavens will sit on his fallen remains, and all the wild beasts will come onto his branches,

14. “‘in order that none of the trees of the waters might be lofty in stature, nor position their highest branches among the interwoven foliage, nor their mighty trees remain standing in their haughtiness—any that drink water, because all of them are appointed for death to the lowest land, among the sons of Adam—to those descending [into] a pit.’

That drink water: an idiom for studying YHWH’s Word, but just as goats are clean animals but are separated from the sheep by their behavior, looking to the wrong leader for protection will get them destroyed along with him. They are meant to look on his downfall and learn this before they “go down with him”.

Withered away: or, were encrusted, enwrapped, disguised, overlapped.

Consoled: because Adam had to stop tending them when he was ousted from the Garden.

18. “‘Who can be compared to you in weightiness and size among the trees of Eden? Yet you have been brought down to the lowest land with the trees of Eden. You will lie with those pierced by the sword among the uncircumcised—that is, Pharaoh and the whole motley crowd,’ declares the Master YHWH.”

Compare the similar description of haSatan in the context of Bavel in Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 14:12-22.

2. “Son of Adam, take up a lament over Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and tell him, ‘You were comparable to a young lion of the nations, but now [you are] becoming like a crocodile in the sea, and you burst forth into your streams and stirred up the waters with your feet and fouled their streams [by trudging through them].

Recall that Pharaoh is a type of the pope and his Catholic system, which includes the Protestants which are still in their orbit. The young lion is symbolic of Yehudah, which the “church” was comparable to when it began, but it came to look more like the beast, for it troubled the waters of Torah by its feet (another name for holy festival days in Ex. 23:14, where “three times a year” literally reads “three feet each year” in Hebrew). The Church’s festivals confused truth with pagan error and clouded every definition of holiness for those truly righteous who were caught within its realm of influence for lack of being taught YHWH’s true appointments. (Compare 34:19.)

4. “‘“Then I will let you loose on the land, and hurl you down on the surface of the field, and cause all the birds of the heavens to sit on you, and from you I will make the living creatures of the whole earth full to satisfaction.

This is the background for the feast of Leviathan as described in Rev. 19:17-21.

I.e., you will no longer stand out in prominence.

7. “‘“And when I extinguish you I will conceal the heavens and make their stars grow dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

According to Yoel 2:10; 3:15; Yeshayahu/Isa. 13:10; 24:23; Mat. 24:29, and Rev. 8:12, the time frame for this scenario is the “latter days” after the time of “Great Tribulation”.

9. “‘“And I will provoke the hearts of many peoples to anger when I bring your shattering among the nations, over the lands that you have not known.

You: Egypt, and by metaphor, the Church. So these lands must be those that have not accepted the authority of the pope or, possibly, simply the “Gospel” in the Christian sense.

I.e., “If this is what befalls those who are supposed to be most righteous of all, what on earth will become of us?”

The commerce with which she allied herself will turn on her.

13. “‘“I will also make all her beasts disappear from over the great waters, and the foot of a human being will not trouble them any longer, nor will the hoofs of beasts stir them up.

Beasts: evil usurpers of Yahshua’s position. The foot of a human being: see note on v. 2.

Run like oil: slowly. But in Scripture, the imagery of water represents the Torah—or in this case, the Church’s substitute for Torah, which must stop flowing for the anointing oil to begin flowing instead. One can study all one’s life but unless he lives it out, there is nothing for the Spirit to work with, and so there is no anointing.

16. “‘“This is a dirge, and they will chant it [to lament] her; daughters of Gentiles will wail [for] her. On account of all of Egypt and all her confused crowd they will lament [over] her,” declares the Master YHWH.

17. Now what took place in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, [was that] the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

Assumedly this is the fifteenth of the twelfth month (based on v. 1).

19. “‘Who are you more pleasant than? Go down and be laid out with the uncircumcised!’

How is the Church any different from others in the world? There are now acting just like others who also live for self. There is nothing set-apart about that! Uncircumcised: a few literally circumcised Egyptians have been found by archaeologists, but very few. But in the metaphorical sense, most Christian nations now consider circumcision normal, though it is rarely done on the eighth day as YHWH commanded. Christians do not consider themselves uncircumcised, though they think physical circumcision profits nothing. If the heart is not circumcised and the selfishness removed, they are right. But YHWH wants His people to be circumcised in both ways, and those who do not obey His Torah will indeed be surprised to find themselves cast out with the evildoers with whom they think they have nothing in common.

21. “The strongest among the valiant will speak to him from within the underworld. They have sunk down with those who help him. They have lain down [as] uncircumcised, mortally wounded by a sword.

22. “Ashur and all its congregation are there, surrounded by her graves; all of them are mortally wounded—those felled by the sword--

23. “whose graves are set in the recesses of a pit, and her congregation has surrounded her grave, all of them mortally wounded, felled by the sword by which they perpetrated terror in the land of the living.

24. “Eylam is there, and her whole confused crowd surrounds her grave, all of them mortally wounded, felled by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the land of the lowest [things], who perpetrated their terror in the land of the living, yet carried their disgrace along with those going down into a pit.

25. “In the midst of the slain they have placed a bed for her among all of her confused crowd. Her graves are all around him, all of them uncircumcised, mortally wounded by a sword; though their terror was perpetrated in the land of the living, they also carried their disgrace along with those going down into a pit. He is appointed [to be] among the slain.

A pit: not merely the grave, for they have caused Israel trouble, and they are being stored up for a resurrection to judgment. (Rev. 20:5-6)

27. “Nor will they lie down with fallen heroes from among the uncircumcised who have gone down to the underworld with their weapons of war. They have even put their swords under their heads, but their perversions will be over their bones, because they [were] the terror of the mighty ones in the land of the living.

28. “And you yourself will be shattered in the midst of the uncircumcised, and will lie with those mortally wounded by a sword.

29. “Edom is there—her kings and all her rulers, who despite their bravery are appointed with those mortally wounded by a sword. They themselves will lie with the uncircumcised, and with those who are going down into a pit.

If Egypt and Edom both picture the church, why are they listed separately in the same chapter? Because Pharaoh is more symbolic of the head of the Church (the pope)—the aristocracy and the religious system--and Edom symbolizes the masses who are led around and enslaved by the Church but are actually kindred with Israel, for Israel will one day take possession of a remnant of them (Amos 9).

31. “Pharaoh will see them and be consoled on account of his whole confused crowd [who are] mortally wounded [by] a sword—Pharaoh and all his army,” declares the Master YHWH,

32. “because I had permitted his terror in the land of the living, but he will be lain out among the uncircumcised, with those slain by a sword—Pharaoh and his whole confused crowd,” declares the Master YHWH.

None of these nations have given YHWH credit when He used them to chastise Israel at one time or another; they took the credit for themselves. Egypt also defeated these peoples, yet now she comes to the same end as they, so where is her advantage? She surrounds herself with graves as well; the centerpiece of her culture is preparation for the afterlife (much as it is in the Church). They took pride in their crypts, but their actual experience after death will involve no such glory. Instead, they are placed in a hole in the ground! What they have stored up for was not the kingdom, so moth and rust will devour it before they can receive any dividends from it. But those who walk out Torah with confidence in YHWH, and give Him the credit for their successes, will be resurrected to a reward.

2. “Son of Adam, speak to the sons of your people and tell them, ‘When I bring a sword over a land and the people of the land take one man from [within] their borders and employ him as their watchman,

Borders: literally, extremities. Those whom others consider extreme are often the ones who are best at guarding the territory, and this is done best on its edges. They are usually not those known as leaders and rarely popular, but like half the tribe of Menashe who were better at overseeing the tribes who wanted to live east of the Yarden, YHWH positions those who are best at the task where they will be most useful.

4. “‘then whoever has heard the sound of the shofar but does not take warning, then a sword comes and captures him, his blood will be upon his own head.

Take warning: or, receive teaching, accept the light shone upon him, be admonished.

Preserve his life: literally, let his soul escape.

His guilt: It seems that ideally, in Israel, only those who are being punished will be killed in war or siege.

Compare 3:17ff. He is given the task of warning people who have long been exiled from the Land. How could he communicate with them when he himself was a captive in Bavel? This dilemma points to the main thrust of this message being for those of the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” (the Northern Kingdom) who would later read his writings, brought to them by Y’shua’s disciples hundreds of years later. As with Yirmeyahu, Y’hezq’el is a prophet to the nations, though he did not go out to the nations in his lifetime. Both of their prophecies are very much focused on the regathering of the House of Israel that is taking place right now.

Compare Lev. 19:16-17. Warn…from his path: literally, shine a light to guide; i.e., to make him realize that the path he is on is the wrong one. This should be all that it takes, as the adage says, “A word to the wise is sufficient.”

10. “So you, son of Adam, say to the House of Israel: ‘This is what you have said: “Since our [deliberate] crossings-of-a-line and missings-of-the-target are upon us and we are being consumed away by them, then how can we survive?”

11. “Tell them, ‘“[As] I live,” declares the Master YHWH, “if I would take pleasure in the death of the wicked…! Rather, that the wicked one [should] turn back from his path and survive! Turn back, turn back from your wicked ways—then why would you perish, O House of Israel?”’

If I would: an idiomatic way of swearing, “I will not!” in Hebrew.

13. “‘When I tell the righteous, “You will live for sure!”, and he is bold about his righteousness and commits [flagrant] injustice, none of his righteousness will be remembered, but for his injustice that he has committed—for it, he will die.

Bold: feeling secure that he has done enough that merely one wrongdoing will not outweigh all he has done in the past, even if it is a major sin. YHWH says in effect, “What I meant was, you will live if you keep going in the right direction! Christianity says that what we do is irrelevant, but YHWH will not accept excuses if the general trend and lifestyle are now wrong. “Don’t rest on your laurels” is essentially the idea here. If one brought last season’s firstfruits to the priest, but did not do so this year, he is considered guilty. It takes many times the equivalent amount of added white paint to cover up a single drop of black that one mixes into the original white.

15. “‘the wicked brings back what he had held as a pledge, brings compensation for what he had taken by force, he walks in the prescribed customs of life without committing injustice--then indeed he will live; he will not die.

YHWH places much more value on one’s current attitude than on the history of what he has practiced in the past. This gives the lie to the Christian idea that grace entered the picture after the “Old Testament”. Repentance is the pivot point that tips the scale But the first three phrases in this verse are the specifics of what is meant by “turns back” in verse 14. It is not enough to say, “I’m sorry” or even “Yes, I’m guilty.” Repentance entails doing something about it—repairing what we broke.

Compare Y’shua’s parable of the two sons. (Mat. 21:28ff) The one who did the right things was counted righteous, no matter what he had said he would do.

Meted out fairly: i.e., measured the same way to one as to another; balanced. Our way is to think a tiny bit of iniquity should be overshadowed by many better deeds. But the goal of one’s path is what is counted, not how far he has traveled down it. One may be doing exactly the same thing outwardly, but if it is being done for self, he is on the wrong path.

19. “while if the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, on account of them he will live--

20. “‘yet you say, “The Master’s way cannot be meted out fairly”?! I will judge each of you by his own ways, O House of Israel!’”

By his own ways: to prove His own way righteous, YHWH related to us as individuals in our exile. But now He wants to deal with us as a unit again (See v. 24.).

22. Now YHWH’s hand had come to me the evening before the fugitive arrived, and opened my mouth by the time he arrived in the morning; when my mouth was opened, I was no longer bound by silence.

23. And the word of YHWH came to me to say,

24. “Son of Adam, those who inhabit the desolate places—the ones on the soil of Israel—are saying, ‘Avraham was [only] one, yet he was inheriting the land, but we are numerous, and the Land has been given to us as an inheritance!’

Desolate places: or, ruins. Numerous: as if they deserved more because of greater numbers. These people were living in the land of Israel, but wanted to inhabit the “real Land”, like Yehudah today, for though they are on the soil, it is not the inheritance of Avraham if they are not keeping the Torah. Like Avraham, we must again become as one man in order to truly inherit what he received. Otherwise, we are merely trespassers on His Land.

Eating meat with blood (even if clean types of meat) is considered worse by YHWH even than idolatry! The life (soul, self, or motivation) is in the blood. Meat with the blood still in it, in Hebraic metaphor, symbolizes a “Gospel with one’s own soul still in it”—i.e., with self at the center, emphasizing “personal salvation”. The main reason we cannot possess the Land is if we want it for our own purposes, not YHWH’s. Shed blood: the ultimate contrast with loving one’s neighbor as himself.

27. “Tell them this: ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “[As] I live, if those who inhabit the desolate places do not fall by the sword…! And whoever is in the field, I will give him to the animals to eat, and those in the strongholds and in the caves will die by the plague,

28. “‘“and I have made the Land a wasteland and a [horrifying] desolation, and the arrogance of her strength has been stopped, and the mountains of Israel are deserted since no one crosses over.

No one crosses over: “Crossing over” is the root meaning for “Hebrew”. If we are not acting as Hebrews, we cannot live in the Land of Israel.

This reality reached its peak in the mid-19th century when Mark Twain epitomized it with his comment that not even a chicken could scratch out a living in that desolate place.

31. “And they come to you like the arrival of a nation [of kinsmen], and they sit in front of you as My people, and they listen to your words, but they do not carry them out, because they are acting affectionate with their mouth [while] their heart is going after profit acquired unjustly.

As if he were just one of many spectactular novelties, they say, “Hey, you’ve got to come hear this speaker!” But they leave out the crucial element of being “doers” of the word he brings. (Compare Yaaqov/James 1:22.) As My people: thus this warning applies to those who today know they are Israel, not just Christians.

33. “So when it comes—indeed, it is coming—then they will know that a prophet has been among them!”

CHAPTER 34

2. “Son of Adam, prophesy about the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them—to the shepherds, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Alas for the shepherds of Israel, who have been pasturing themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds pasture the flock?

3. “‘“You eat the choicest part and clothe [yourselves] with the wool! You slaughter the best-fed; you do not feed the flock.

Slaughter the best-fed: i.e., as their own food. Modern pastors (the Latin word for shepherds) often take advantage of the willingness of the best-taught to be the hardest workers. Slaughtering in a present-day context often involves discrediting those who might call their bluff. Remember that Y’shua said that if they persecuted Him, they certainly would do so to His followers.

Force and harshness: This is the prophet’s domain, but the pastor/shepherd is in the position of first gently loosening YHWH’s people from the stalk they grew on and acclimating them to new standards. (Eph. 4:11ff as correlated to the counting of the Omer) These lazy shepherds have not shaken the people loose or, like Moshe, brought them to the border of the Promised Land, but have kept them wherever they are comfortable. But sheep will use up the entire pasture if they do not keep moving on.

Though there are people in the position of shepherds, they are not truly shepherds, and the end result is the same. When Israel needed to be rescued from Egypt, YHWH made Moshe a shepherd first. When it was time for Israel to have a king, YHWH chose one who had been a shepherd, for he would know how to lead YHWH’s people in the proper way. 1 Kefa 5:1-3 and Hebrew 13:17 outline the characteristics YHWH wants in those who shepherd His flock. Wild animals: literally, animals of the field, which can mean a place with no boundaries. By not keeping the standards high and enforcing them, the sheep are prey to any religion, philosophy, or temptation.

Mountains…hill: places typically used for pagan worship.

8. “‘“[As] I live”, declares the Master YHWH, “If My flock has not become spoils and my sheep, food for any wild animal because of having no shepherd and [because] My shepherds did not search for My flock, but the shepherds pastured themselves and did not pasture My flock.”

At this time, only Yehudah had one foot on form footing to rescue the kinsmen who had lost their land, but they were failing to look for Efrayim because they had “become nothing but Gentiles” now.

10. “‘“This is what YHWH says: ‘Here I come toward the shepherds, and I will require My sheep from their hand, and make them stop pasturing a flock. Then the shepherds will no longer pasture themselves, and I will snatch My sheep from their mouths, and they will not be food for them [to devour].’

This snatching of His sheep from the jurisdiction of pastors is being done right now.

12. “‘“‘As a shepherd is concerned for his flock on the day he comes to be among the sheep clearly distinguished as his, so I will care for My sheep and will recover them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and heavy darkness.

Clouds and heavy darkness: the same phrase is used to describe Mt. Sinai. (Deut. 5:19)

Settlements: literally, sitting-places or places of assembly.

Home: or, resting-place. The word for meadow here is the same in Hebrew. This term is also used of Yerushalayim, as the place where righteousness is at home. (Yirmeyahu 31:23)

16. “‘“I will search out the lost and bring back those that were chased away. I will bandage the crippled and strengthen the sick, but the fat and the stubborn I will destroy; I will feed them with judgment!

17. “‘“And [as for] you, My flock, this is what the Master YHWH says: Here I come as judge between lamb and lamb, between rams and he-goats.

Between lamb and lamb: not only the shepherds are to blame for His flock’s condition. Yahshua came to make His sheep responsible for the other sheep that were not of the same fold. (Yoch. 10:16) Anyone who does not help Him bring back the sheep is culpable. Rams and he-goats: the root words mean “prominent ones” and “prepared ones”. This is the background for Yahshua’s prophecy that when He comes back He will separate between the sheep and the goats. (Mat. 25)

Settled waters: those that are not frothy from constant motion, but are still and deep, easy to drink from. Flock animals do not enjoy drinking from rougher waters. (Compare Psalm 23:2.) This water would also give a better reflection. (Compare Yaaqov/James 1:23ff) Feet: an idiom for YHWH’s festivals (Ex. 23:14), so here it would symbolize the confusion that resulted when pagan holidays were mixed in with the biblical ones, then eventually replaced them altogether within the Church. There is no pure water (also an idiom for Torah) left there to drink. And even goats will not eat what has been underfoot.

20. “‘Therefore, this is what the Master YHWH says to them: “Here I come! I Myself will judge between the fatter lamb and the leaner lamb.

21. “‘“Since you have shoved with side and shoulder, and gored the weaker ones with your horns until you have made them scatter to the outside,

Outside: of the feeding area. They are barred from the best food and water by the stronger bullies.

23. “‘“and I will raise up over them one Shepherd, and He will pasture them—that is, My servant David. He will feed them, and He will serve as a Shepherd for them.

Yahshua said He was this very Shepherd, who would work out in the physical realm what YHWH said He would do. (Luke 19:10; Yoch. 10) The Messiah in one sense is actually David, being his seed, which keeps David’s line alive after each generation dies. He is also the one who sits on David’s throne.

No one may dispute it! Among them: as one of them, though their leader.

Wilderness…forests: usually places unsafe due to the wild animals YHWH has just banished.

Showers of blessing: neither too soft a rain, which provides inadequate water, not too driving a rain, which causes flooding and erosion.

28. “‘“And they will no longer be booty for the nations, and the land animal will not devour them, but they will dwell in safety, and no one will make them tremble.

29. “‘“And I will raise up for them a plantation for renown, and they will no longer be those gathered away from famine in the Land, and they will no longer bear the reproach of the Gentiles.

Gathered away from famine: as we see in the book of Ruth, it was common to leave the Land when it no longer produced crops. The city of Carthage was founded as a place to gather tens of thousands of people wanting to flee the famine called down by Eliyahu in the days of King Ahav. Reproach of the Gentiles: a phrase used to describe why they could not leave the altar intact after the Greeks defiled it by sacrificing a pig on it, though stone cannot become ritually impure. (1 Maccabees 4:44-46) It reminded them of this act of humiliation and insult. The term for reproach can also mean “confusion”, for we once thought we were Gentiles, but that error has been cleared up in our thinking!

My people: a reverse of the temporary curse placed on the Northern Kingdom in Hoshea 1:9-10.

You: plural, but Adam is singular. The unification of Israel into “one man” will be complete, and the Adam who fell from grace will be restored! There was a teaching common in Yahshua’s day that only the Jews were human beings, or Adam. To a great extent, there were very few other truly righteous people in the world, but there were some, and the returnees from the Northern Kingdom were becoming too numerous to be excluded with the rest. In the Talmud, there is argument over whether or not Efrayimites were truly human. Here, YHWH emphasizes that this group, too, is part of Adam. They are Yahshua’s “other sheep” (Yoch. 10:16).

CHAPTER 35

2. “Son of Adam, set your face on Mount Seir, and prophesy about it,

Mount Seir is the home of Edom, the descendants of Esau. (Gen. 32:3; 36:8ff; 36:19, 43) Its name means “shaggy goat”, and as such represents those who are clean animals, yet resist being brought together in true, unified flocks like sheep. The Jews have traditionally seen a link between Edom and Rome or Christianity.

4. “‘“I will lay your cities waste, and you will become deserted. Then you will know that I am YHWH,

5. “‘“because you had a permanent enmity and poured out the descendants of Israel onto the hands of a sword in the time of their calamity—in the time perversion was cut off.

Permanent: long-lasting and constant since antiquity. The Church (with a few notable exceptions) has done this to the most recognizable aspect of Israel (the Jews) throughout its history, and though it is no longer conducting physical crusades against them, it involved in character assassination of both the Jews and those formerly within its ranks who are awakening to the fact that they are meant to be Israel instead.

7. “‘“I will also turn Mount Seir into a ruin and a desolation, and will cause the one who passes through and the one who returns to be cut off from it.

The one who passes through and the one who returns: literally, the Hebrew and the repentant. These are the people that YHWH has already begun taking out of the Church.

9. “‘“I will assign you perpetual ruins, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am YHWH.

10. “‘“Because you have said, these two nations and these two lands will become mine, and we will dispossess them—though YHWH was there--

These two lands: Israel and Yehudah. The Church’s goat-like nature (see note on v. 2) has dovetailed nicely with democracy, which keeps both the Land of Israel and the United States, in which much of the northern Kingdom is assembling, from seeing who they really are. Mine: Esau tried to get Yaaqov to come back with him so he could control him. The Church tolerates us as long as they can keep us where they want us. If Israelites meet in a church building, we are to some extent under the authority of the system that we are renting from.

12. “‘“And you will know that I am YHWH. I have heard all the contemptuous things you have said about the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘[They are] deserted! They are given to us for food!’

Food: what was foremost in Esau (Edom)’s mind and what he sold his birthright for. He later tried to steal back what he had sold away. The Church has claimed to have replaced Israel (swallowing it up), since YHWH supposedly terminated His covenant with them. But He will prove one day that the opposite is the case.

14. “‘“This is what the Master YHWH says: ‘As the whole world rejoices, I will prepare devastation for you!

Though today the world tolerates the Church since it is much “closer to home” than Israel, it hates her as well, and will rejoice when its “oppressive” presence is no longer there.

It will actually be the other way around! Israel will possess the remnant of Edom. (Amos 9) As the Church thinks it was grafted into the vine in place of Israel rather than simply at the place where it was split, since it has not borne worthy fruit, it will be removed to make room for the part of Israel it had forgotten existed. (Rom. 11:17-24)

CHAPTER 36

2. “‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Because the enemy has said about you, ‘Aha! Even the ancient heights have come to be a possession for us!’

Heights: may refer to the Golan and the mountains of Shomron (Samaria), both territories being sought by Israel’s enemies as high ground from which to launch attacks on the rest of Israel. Alt., cultic platforms.

Rest of the nations: perhaps an allusion to an alliance of them all such as we are seeing form today—the unification which counterfeits the one man seen in 34:31 and in the remainder of this chapter below; alt., the remnant of the Gentiles. Language: literally, lip. Slander: including the idea that the Torah has become a relic of the past.

He is speaking to the Land itself, giving it the hope that one day it will no longer have to suffer defilement. One who goes there does indeed have the sense that this Land has a living soul. But allegorically, the Land of Israel is made up of the united dust of the descendants of Avraham (Gen. 13:16)—especially those who, like mountains, rise up.

All of it: thus this prophecy can apply on different levels to the literal Edom, the symbolic Edom (Rome), and its extension, the Church. Rude: or contemptuous, spiteful, scornful, from a word meaning to shove another aside. Stolen: not rightfully dispossessed as was done by ancient Israel and will be done again by Israel. Give themselves: in contrast with YHWH giving it to Avraham. (Gen. 12)

7. “‘“‘“‘“So this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘I have lifted up My hand [to swear]: if the nations that surround you will not themselves bear their own disgrace…!

8. “‘“‘“‘“‘But you, O mountains of Israel—you will send out your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel, because they are about to arrive!

Are about to: literally, have come close to. The fruit needs to be already being borne by the time we get there.

10. “‘“‘“‘“‘and I will cause humanity to increase upon you—the whole House of Israel, all of it! Then the cities will be lived in and the ruins rebuilt!

Humanity: actually the singular “Adam”—the real unified man, not the nations’ counterfeit.

Ancient past: before the late eighth century B.C. E., when the climate was much greener and somewhat cooler, and the nation of Israel had not yet been exiled.

13. “‘“‘“‘“This is what the Master YHWH says: ‘You are a devourer of humanity, and you have bereaved your nations [of their children].

14. “‘“‘“‘“‘Therefore you will no longer devour humanity, and you will no longer cause your nations to stumble,’ declares the Master YHWH.

Humanity: again, Adam in Hebrew. Your nations: Israel and Yehudah.

16. Then the Word of YHWH came to me to say,

17. “Son of Adam, [when the] House of Israel lived on their soil, they defiled it with their ways and by their practices. Their habits were in My face, like the uncleanness of a woman’s [time of] separation.

18. “So I poured out My rage on them on account of the blood that they had shed on the Land and because of their rolling idols [by which] they defiled it.

19. “And I scattered them among the nations and they were sown on the lands; according to their habits and practices I judged them.

20. “And wherever they went among the nations, there they profaned My set-apart Name by saying to them, ‘These are YHWH’s people, yet they have left His Land.’

21. “But I spared My set-apart Name, which the House of Israel had profaned wherever they went among the nations.

Spared My Name: partly by allowing it to be substituted with other names so it would not be used flippantly as they have come to be. He thus separated His true Name from His reputation (though in Hebrew a name and a reputation are one and the same) in order to preserve it unbesmirched to the end of the age.

Name, which you have profaned: compare Luke 15:12-16. This time He allowed us to recognize we were Israel before He revealed His Name on a wide scale in order to safeguard it from the start. Yehudah has had little to do with His Name since after the Hasmonean era, but this gives Efrayim the special responsibility of being watchful about its sanctity. (v. 23) Now that He has restored it after such a long time of being hidden to all but a few, the bar is raised and everything we do either upholds or profanes His Name. We can profane it by making covenants with those with whom YHWH has no covenant (Deut. 7).

As at the Exodus, when it was obvious to all that YHWH was in a category of His own.

25. “‘“and I will sprinkle pure water over you and you will be purified from all your defilements and I will ceremonially cleanse you from all your rolling idols,

26. “‘“and I will give you a renewed heart and I will put a renewed spirit in your innermost part, and I will remove the stony heart from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh.

Heart of flesh: i.e., one that is sensitive and pliable, not callous and all but dead.

Bestow My breath (or spirit): as in Gen. 2:7 and Yochanan 20:22.

You will settle: a return after coming previously (v. 24), possibly to fall in love with it as the ten “spies” were to do (Num. 13:16-17), then going back out to prepare ourselves to be the right kind of people it deserves as its citizens. When Israel is established within us as a people, then we can go into the physical Land with the same name. Trying to get permission from those of Yehudah who call themselves Israel (Yeshayahu 48:1) yet do not use His Name, let alone respect who He is, makes us partakers in that illegitimacy. It must be clearly YHWH’s doing, not men’s!

30. “‘“and I will increase the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, in order that you may no longer receive the shame of being hungry among the Gentiles.

31. “‘“Then you will remember your evil ways and your practices that were not beneficial, and you will detest yourselves in your own presence on account of your perversions and your disgusting [habits].

32. “‘“I am not doing [this] for your sake,” declares the Master YHWH. “Let it be clear to you! Be ashamed and humiliated from your own ways, O House of Israel!

33. “‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “On the day I purify you from all your perversions, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

34. “‘“And the Land that had been made desolate will be cultivated in the place where it had been laid waste in the sight of every passer-by.

35. “‘“And they will say, ‘The Land that had been laid waste has become like the Garden of Eden! And the cities that had been laid waste, made desolate, and broken down have become fortified and inhabited!’

36. “‘“And the nations that remain around you will know that I, YHWH, have rebuilt what was broken down and replanted what was deserted. I, YHWH, have spoken, and have accomplished it.”

37. “‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “I will still let Myself be consulted this [way] for the House of Israel to act on their behalf: I will multiply them like a flock of men--

38. “‘“like a set-apart flock, like the flock of Yeruyshalayim at her appointed times. This way the ruined cities will be filled with flocks of humanity. Then they will know that I am YHWH.”’”

Like Yerushalayim at her appointed times: So full of people—and with so holy a purpose!

CHAPTER 37

2. And He caused me to pass over them, around and around, and indeed, [there were] very many on the surface of the plain, and they were amazingly dry.

Amazingly dry: As long as there is some marrow left in the bones or teeth, DNA samples can be taken from even ancient mummies, but these bones are too dry for that. Y’hezq’El could not tell whose they were. There is no genetic evidence left that they were once Israel. But DNA and ancestry is not what will constitute our claim to be Israel, but the fact that we live as Israel now.

4. So He said, “Prophesy about these bones, and say to them, “O dry bones, listen to the word of YHWH!

5. “This is what the Master YHWH says to these bones: ‘Watch! I will make breath enter into you, and you will come to life!

6. “‘Then I will put sinews on you and make flesh come up onto you, and spread skin over you [to cover you], and I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am YHWH!’”

He tells them twice that breath (spirit) will come into them. The first time, with the coming of the Messiah, we were reborn as individuals. He was authorized to give life to whomever He chose. (Yochanan 5:21; compare Yoch. 20:22) The second time, it must be corporately. This infusion of breath came with the departure of YHWH’s wrath from the Northern Kingdom only a few years ago.

Bone to its bone: compare Adam’s realization that “at last this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh!” (Gen. 2:23) It could also be read, member to its corresponding same; i.e., YHWH puts us in the right order, e.g., not expecting an eardrum to function correctly if attached to a finger. What holds them all together is the exercise of the giftings YHWH has given each of us to supply the rest of the Body so it can function properly. (Eph. 4:16)

Flesh: from the same root word as “Gospel” (glad news). So it is clear that the Gospel is not all YHWH intends for us. We are the ones who must flesh out the remains of our scattered ancestors by keeping the particular commands of the Torah.

Note that this third time, it is Y’hezq’El’s responsibility to call the breath into them. This is the spirit of Eliyahu—that of the restoration of all things. (Mal.4:5ff; Mark 9:12) Even many of those who have the true Gospel and know they are Israel are still lacking in the area of living according to the Torah, and we are not ready to go to the Land until all three stages are complete. In the shakharit morning prayers, we blow the shofar to call Israel back from all four directions. Slain ones: an allusion to a tradition that 30,000 Efrayimites, knowing redemption was coming and that they were meant to go back to the Land of Israel, left Egypt on their own before Moshe came, and came to a valley in the Promised Land, but were killed there by the Filistines. This re-emphasizes the fact that this passage is not referring to Yehudah, whose ancestral connections were never lost, but the Northern Kingdom. Verse 16 uses the same terminology as v. 11 (“the whole House of Israel”) with reference only to the House of Yoseyf (Efrayim). This is also a warning to those of us who would try to go back to the Land too early—before all Israel is ready to go together. The Palestinians call themselves Filistines too!

The root word from which the Hebrew word for “bone” is taken actually means vast, mighty, or numerous!

Bones…dried: or, members…withered away [for lack of water]. Our hope is lost: or, our rope has been cut. The word for bone also means “to tie tightly together”; bones have no value otherwise. Separated: or, divided in two. To ourselves: to living as individuals and even letting our spiritual lives and salvation focus on that level alone.

13. “‘“Then you will know that I am YHWH, when I open your graves and cause you to ascend from your graves, My people!

The bones were on the surface of the ground; now the imagery changes to graves, because though it was our ancestors who were scattered, we are the ones who must come out of the churches, often even surrounded by graveyards, to become what our ancestors were meant to be.

Spoken: This is how YHWH created the first time, and how He now re-creates us. (Compare Ps. 104:30.)

16. “As for you, son of Adam, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Yehudah and for the sons of Israel, his companions.’ Then take one [more] stick and write on it, ‘For Yoseyf, the stick of Efrayim, and the whole House of Israel, his companions.’

17. “Then bring the one close to the [other] one for yourself as one stick, and they will come to be united in your hand!

This stick was once united before, and it represented the brotherhood of Yehudah and Israel. (Zekharyah 11:10-14; compare Numbers 17:2.)

19. “tell them, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Watch Me take the stick of Yoseyf, which is in the hand of Efrayim, along with the tribes of Israel, his companions, and I will put them on it--the stick of Yehudah--and make them into one stick, and they will become one in My hand.”’

Compare Yeshayahu 11:13; Zekharyah 10:6.

21. “And tell them, ‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “Watch! I am taking the descendants of Israel from among the nations into which they have gone, and will collect them from every side and bring them onto their own ground.

22. “‘“Then I will make them into one nation in the Land—on the mountains of Israel—and one king will be king to all of them, and they will never again become two nations, nor will they any longer be halved into two kingdoms ever again.

23. “‘“And they will no longer be defiled with their rolling idols or their detestable things, or by any of their rebellions, but I will deliver them out of all their places of assembly in which they have sinned, and I will purify them so they can become a people for Me and I will come to be an Elohim to them,

24. “‘“with My servant David as king over them all, and they will walk in My legal procedures and guard My prescribed customs and carry them out.

David: through his descendant, Yahshua. (Compare 34:23.)

26. “‘“And I will cut a covenant of peace for them. It will be an eternal covenant with them, and I will set them in place and cause them to greatly increase, and I will put My sanctuary perpetually in their midst.

Covenant of peace: see 34:25 and Yeshayahu 54:10. The first time this terminology is used, it was of Pin’has (Num. 25:12), who, though a Levite priest, was given land in the region of Efrayim. (Y’hoshua 24:33)

Over them: meaning that hey will be inside the tent—or that He will have a permanent sign of His presence above them, possibly the pillar of cloud and fire that stood over the tabernacle in times of antiquity.

This event will be so miraculous, overshadowing even the first Exodus by far (Yirmeyahu 16:14ff), that there will be no way anyone could give credit to anyone but YHWH for it.

CHAPTER 38

2. “Son of Adam, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, leader of the head of Meshekh and Tuval, and prophesy about him,

Magog was originally a son of Yafeth (Gen. 10:2). Later it was known as a great and powerful people inhabiting the extreme recesses of the north. From ancient times the writers of the Pseudepigrapha (a mostly-eschatological part of the Apocrypha) recognized that this war of Gog and Magog was related to the coming of the Messiah. The ancient Sybilline Oracles identified Gog and Magog as from the region called Assyria. By tradition, this is what Eldad and Medad were prophesying about in Numbers 11, when Moshe told Y’hoshua not to forbid them to prophesy. Joseph Good notes that the ancient Jewish view is that the battle of Gog and Magog would cause every war that they encountered before then, but that this war would make all the rest insignificant (even Sennacherib, Babylon, Antiochus, and the Romans!) Eliezer ben Hyrcanus (a believer in Yahshua) connected this battle with the Birthpangs. (Shabbat 118a in the Babylonian Talmud, et al.) The Jewish Encyclopedia (s.v. "Gog and Magog") traces the “legend” all the way back to the Babylonian-Assyrian creation accounts (the fight with and defeat of the Dragon). Magog is also identified in the Yerushalmi Magillah (3:9) as the one who destroyed the Scythianswhich, historically, was the Goths, who were Scandinavian. St. Petersburg, Russia is thought to have originally been a Goth fortress. Targum Yonatan on Genesis 10:2 (the table of nations) identifies Magog as Geramemia or Germaniah, a nomadic people who then lived in the Caucasus Mountains. We can easily see the similarity to "Germany" in this name.

Head: or, Rosh, also the proper name of a northern nation, called Rus or Rusians by the Greeks who lived on the Volga River. Meshech (Strong's #4902) was a barbarous people inhabiting the Moschi Mountains between [eastern] Iberia, Armenia, and Colchis (Ps. 120:5), almost always joined with the neighboring Tibareni (also called Tubal, Gen. 10:2; Ezk. 27:13; 32:26; 39:1). Herodotus (a Greek historian, called the "father of history"; iii.94; vii.78) calls them the Moschi and Tuboroni. In the Latin Vulgate they are called the Mosoch. Tuval (Strong's #8422, or the Tubalkites) was a nation in Asia Minor near the Euxine Sea, to the west of the Moschi (Isa. 66:19), from which we derive the name “Moscow”. Their capital became Tobolsk (a city in Russia east of the Ural Mountains and the capital of Siberia).

5. “‘“Persia, Kush, and Put are with them, all of them [with] shield and helmet!

Russia's allies here are thus Persia (Iran), Ethiopia (which was also Marxist), and Libya (Qaddafi was well-supplied by the USSR). If this is to take place close to our own day, this attack may be carried out to fulfill a political promise of help with an Islamic jihad against Israel in order to buy their alliance because of oil reserves.

“Gomer and all her hordes" are Ashkenazic (Germanic)—not necessarily Germany, but possibly the Czechs, Finns, etc. "The House of Togarmah" is Turkey, though not necessarily today's Turks. It could be those who came from that region in the past (as it borders right on Russia at Mt. Ararat): the Huns, who became the Hungarians, Bulgars (Bulgaria), Slavs (Slovaks, Yugoslavians), and the Serbs, all of whom have been satellite nations of Russia.

8. “‘“From many days you will be mustered; in the last of years you will enter the Land that is [intensely] brought back from a sword and collected together out of many peoples on the mountains of Israel that had been constantly laid waste, but she has been brought out from the peoples, and they will all be dwelling securely.

Mustered: 1 Enoch 56:5 says, "In those days [a term for the day of YHWH], the Angles will assemble and thrust themselves to the east at the Parthians and Medes. They will shake up the kings (so that) a spirit of unrest shall come upon them, and stir them up from their thrones, and they will break forth from their beds like lions." This may indicate the identity of some of these peoples. This takes place not just in the latter days in the broad sense, but the very last. Rev. 20:7-9 tells us Gog and Magog will be involved in the very final war earth ever sees, centuries after any other war has taken place, when haSatan is loosed at the end of the Messianic Kingdom, having been bound for 1,000 years, which is a big reason they can dwell securely.

Rushing: the same term used in Hebrew for the Holocaust (sho’ah). Thus we would expect at least parallel threats.

11. “‘“and you will say, ‘I will go up to a Land of unwalled towns lying still, all of which sit securely, where there is no wall or bar or doors,

No wall or bar or doors: This may only mean the cities will have no gates, since at that time the Torah will have gone out so far and wide with a Yahshua’s rod of iron that no one would dare rob another, and possibly by this time such defenses will have been forgotten, being a relic of the ancient past. But could it also mean the houses have none either? A hallmark of Israel is living in tents, which have no doors as such. This is supported by Revelation 20:9, where Gog and Magog "surround the camp of the set-apart ones", suggesting either that this takes place at Sukkoth, that they have anticipated the battle and gotten into army formation, or that when the Messiah came and was ready to distribute the tribal inheritances, these people decided they would rather stay in close proximity to the Temple and Messiah than enjoy their own separate existence in houses, which was somewhat of Israel's downfall the first time.

Center of the earth: the Land where three continents converge and which YHWH chose as a place to influence them all; alt., highest part of the land, the navel of the earth. The Targumim (Aramaic paraphrases) say that the Messiah son of Efrayim (ben Yoseyf) will assist them in conquering Gog, but the ingathering of the exiles would come only after the victory. However, this verse casts doubt on that view, and Rev. 20 (see note on v. 8) does too. There may be earlier fulfillments of this prophecy, however—possibly soon after the return of the exiles, while there are still other nations that oppose Israel. Psalm 2 (a coronation song for the kings of Israel) seems to describe this assembly.

None of the peoples who come with Gog and Magog are descendants of Shem.

15. “‘“So you will come out of your place—from the recesses of the north—you and many peoples with you, all of them mounted on horses, a vast company and a huge army!

16. “‘“And you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the Land; it will come about in the lattermost of days. And I will bring you onto My Land, so that the nations may know Me when, before their [very] eyes, I am honored as in a category of My own because of you, O Gog.”

Compare Psalm 2.

We are hard put to find any such prophecies other than this one. Somewhere we should have major information on it, but it must be in some other way, or under some other name. Joseph Good points out that the same things said here about Gog are also said about Ashur (Assyria) in Micha 5:3-6. So there appears to be an identification of some sort between them, or at least a scepter passed from one to the other. In Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 10:12 we see a remarkably similar situation when Assyria attacks King Hizqiyahu. So every time Assyria appears in the ancient prophets prior to this, it is also telling us something about the battle of Gog and Magog--and all of Yeshayahu, Mikha, Hoshea, and Amos deal with the Assyrian wars! Leonard Cohen, in the section of Everyman's Talmud on "Eschatology", tells us Sennacherib stands for Gog and Magog. 2,000 years ago, the compilers of the Talmud realized this. They say Hizqiyahu stands for the Messiah, because he is thrown against Sennacherib and keeps the people together. He is a picture of Messiah ben Yoseyf. He also sifted the faith of the Jews, showing them how many pagan forms were mixed into their worship to YHWH, and removed the high places on which they did this.

19. “‘“and in My jealousy, in the fire of My overflowing fury I have promised, ‘If there will not be a great earthquake on the soil of Israel on that day,

20. “‘“‘so that the fish of the sea and the birds of the skies and the things living in the field and all the creeping things that teem on the ground and all the human beings on the face of the earth will tremble at My presence…!’ And the mountains will be thrown down and the steep places will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground.

Fish…birds…living things…creeping things…humans: all the categories of living beings listed at creation (Gen. 1) and that we are commanded not to worship. (Deut. 5:8) Mountains thrown down: This is a catastrophic event of ancient proportions rather than a typical earthquake as we experience them today. They used to be anticipated due to regular bypasses of Mars when its orbit crossed earth’s, so that sieges could be timed to coincide with them so the huge crustal tides could do all the work of breaking down the walls, but since we have not experienced this phenomenon for nearly 3,000 years, it will take them by surprise.

The name Gog means “mountain”. YHWH may be saying, “So you think you’re a mountain? Wait until you see what My mountains can do!” A sword: After a thousand years in which the nations have not learned war (Yeshayahu 2:4), it is time to forge them again. A sword: After a thousand years in which the nations have not learned war (Yeshayahu 2:4), they are being forged again. In his own brother: as with Yehoshafat’s battle (2 Chron. 20:23), as well as Gid’ons (Judges 7:22), YHWH may have these armies kill one another rather than having Israel fight them.

Hailstones associated with fire are not the tiny ice pellets we are familiar with, but probably meteors.

CHAPTER 39

Gog is usually identified as the ruler of Magog, a Yafethic people. Meshekh means “drawing out”, and Tuval means “you shall be brought”. They were both brothers of Magog. Yet the fact that Gog and Magog show up again after the Messianic Kingdom (Rev. 20:7-9) to lead an army assembled by haSatan indicates that there is a spiritual dimension behind their identity, much like the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia or the Prince of Greece whom Mikha’el told Daniel he had to fight. (Dan. 10:13, 20) The Septuagint version of Amos 7:1 identifies the “king of the locusts” which eat the “latter growth” (see also Rev. 911) as none other than Gog. This is especially intriguing since Prov. 30:27 says the locusts have no king. So these are clearly not literal locusts. The only other mention of someone named Gog in Scripture is in 1 Chron. 5:3, 4, where he is identified as a descendant of Re’uven and the leader of a dynasty in that tribe. So an Israelite is leading Gentile peoples to battle against the rest of Israel. All of Yahshua’s other enemies have been put under His feet by the end of the Millennial Kingdom, so this final attempt at rebellion has to originate with an insider who has experienced the benefits of the kingdom all along.

Make you walk slowly: or possibly, divide you into six parts, or leave only one-sixth of you.

This specific description means that one group these cannot be is the Assyrians, because all their archers were trained to be ambidextrous so that they could attack cities designed particularly to be very hard for right-handed archers to shoot at. They will somehow lose control of their weapons. They may even literally “backfire in their own face”.

5. “‘“You will fall onto the surface of the field, because I Myself have spoken,” declares the Master YHWH.

They are not buried, which is both a disgrace and means they are not gathered to their fathers to await the resurrection, as is the hope of every Hebrew who dies.

Magog is often seen as the land ruled over by Gog. But the name means “overtopping”, which also relates to Re’uven’s lack of self-control. (Gen. 49:4) To feel safe: These people are on the sidelines, thinking they are far enough from the conflict. They may be the three nations listed in 38:13 who are curious about the purpose. Apparently since they do nothing to avert the attack, they are considered complicit and are destroyed too.

8. “‘“Look, it has come and it has been brought about,” declares the Master YHWH. “That is the day of which I have spoken!

9. “‘“Then the inhabitants of Israel’s cities will go out and set [on fire] and burn the weapons—both shield and siege-buckler, bow and arrows, hand-staves and lances, and they will burn them with fire for seven years!

Weapons: from a word meaning to handle, but also to kiss or touch gently. Shield and siege-buckler: or, defense-mechanism and what penetrates or pierces. Bow and arrows: or any type of launcher and projectiles. Staves: any kind of hand-size stick or rod, from a word meaning to germinate. It could refer to some way of releasing biological warfare. Lances: anything that can be hurled. These may not be the ancient examples of such generalized terms, but a very up-to-date form that we cannot imagine now, for what bows and arrows would take seven years to burn? But if they are nuclear armaments, “burning” them might mean using them for fuel to power the nation of Israel’s infrastructure!

11. “‘“Then what will take place is that I will give Gog a place there—a grave in Israel: a valley of those who cross over, east of the sea, and it will muzzle those who pass through, and there they will bury Gog and all her noisy crowd, and call it the Valley of Gog’s Noisy Crowd.

East of the Sea: probably the Salt Sea (now called the Dead Sea, though that will change. See 47:9-11) Muzzle: i.e., stop up the noses due to the odor and bacteria. East of the sea is downwind from Israel, so the foul odors will not be brought back to the Land proper.

13. “‘“As all the people of the land bury, it will come to serve as a name for them—a day I am honored,” declares the Master YHWH.

A name: a reputation of renown, something to be remembered—i.e., a memorial holiday.

Set aside…continually: i.e., hire professionals who know how to deal with radioactive waste or disease-ridden corpses. (Missler) Note that they cannot even begin the cleanup for seven months after the disaster. By that time, after they have been carrion for the birds and beasts (v. 5), there are not even corpses left, only isolated bones:

Human bone: or, a member of Adam’s body, or, something that is the same as Adam. A signpost: to mark it and make it conspicuous to those who come to collect them all. But the Hebrew word is tziyun, spelled just like Tzion!

17. “And [as for] you, son of Adam, this is what the Master YHWH says: ‘Say to the bird of every wing, and to every wild animal, “Assemble yourselves and come, gathering yourselves to one another from all around onto My sacrifice which I am slaughtering for [all of] you—a great slaughter on the mountains of Israel so you can eat meat and drink blood!

18. “‘“You will eat the flesh of heroes and drink the blood of the earth’s exalted [rulers]—rams, he-lambs, and he-goats, all of them fattened bulls of Bashan!

Rams, he-lambs, and he-goats: the root words mean “prominent, plump, and ready”, and this is exactly what birds of prey would want. Bashan: called the Golan Heights today--Israel’s finest pastureland which produced extremely robust cattle in ancient times. These people are the cream of the crop, whom even haSatan thought could probably not be defeated. Since this invitation to a “feast” of carnage is reiterated in Rev. 19, which is before the Messianic Kingdom, we have more evidence that there may be an incomplete first fulfillment before the final one.

20. “‘“So you will be filled up at My table [with] horse, mighty charioteer, and every man of war,” declares the Master YHWH.

21. “‘“Thus I will allow My [weighty] reputation [to be] among the nations, and all the Gentiles will see My sentence that I have carried out, and My hand that I have laid upon them.

Sentence: Their crime cannot be merely seeking plunder. Though by the end of the Kingdom Israel will be supremely wealthy, this common motive does not seem adequate to justify this strong a response from YHWH. Yes, He guards Israel as the pupil of His eye. (Zkh. 2:8) But what sort of plunder would this mainly-Yafethic horde led by an Israelite from the tribe of Re’uven be seeking? In the context of 1 Chron. 5, where Gog’s genealogy is cited, it specifically states that the birthright was taken from Re’uven and given to Yoseyf, and the throne given to Yehudah. Gog’s great-grandson is named Ba’al, and his tribal land was Ba’al-Meon--the habitation of Ba’al (v. 8). This heavy connection with the name of Ba’al (one of the main ancient manifestations of haSatan) suggests an antipathy for YHWH early on. Heylel (haSatan’s title in Yeshayahu 14:12) was also a “firstborn” whose position, like Re’uven’s, was given to another because he did not prove to deserve it or live up to his potential (Gen. 49:3-4), since the firstborn is to be priest to the family. So there is a strong undercurrent of envy and the wish to regain a lost estate rather than mere material spoils. But why, then, are all these Yafethites interested in joining this futile jealousy? Because Noakh pronounced the blessing that Yafeth would inhabit the tents of Shem (Gen. 9:19ff) because these two sons together covered up their father’s nakedness. Re’uven’s particular sin is described in Torah law as “uncovering his father’s nakedness”. (Lev. 20:11) But for this, Re’uven would have remained leader (as Gog is described in 38:2; both literally say “head”). So Re’uven undid what his ancestor and that of Meshekh and Tuval had done. “Tents of Shem” is an idiom for being under his teaching. Yafeth has indeed benefited from having the Hebrew scriptures, but has often been mistaught from them, expecting to receive personal rather than national salvation. Though the Church as such is done away with as the Kingdom begins and the Torah goes forth from Yerushalayim to all the world (Havaqquq 2:14), there will apparently still remain many “Christian nations” among the Yafethites (as Russia and the West have usually been), who also resent Yoseyf’s, Levi’s, and Yehudah’s positions of privilege during the Kingdom (thinking, as in Christian teaching, that they deserve equal treatment though they did not respond to the Torah until conditions were more favorable, though they still live for self, and though they never chose to be as holy as these living in tents around Yerushalayim did). They have had enough of the direct, untempered Torah, and prefer the sugar-coating of the “New Testament” instead. (The Arab nations, who were Christian before they were Muslim, also seem included in chapter 38’s litany, since they are also descendants of Avraham and harbor deep resentments over YHWH’s choice of Yitzhaq over Yishmael. This may be why the horde is described as being “like the sand of the sea”—an idiom for Avraham’s seed-- in Rev. 20:8.) They still have something within them that answers to haSatan’s whispering after living under a perfect and benevolent King for so long. YHWH uses the wicked to punish Israel; haSatan uses those who seem righteous—who by human reasoning have the right of the firstborn—to try to destroy us. They are not plainly identifiable as enemies, or we wouldn’t have been fooled into allowing them into the covert positions through which wars are usually won. They did not fall solidly in the category of YHWH’s enemies at the beginning of the Kingdom and were spared because YHWH is merciful and they had honored Him to some extent, though by the name of Ba’al (“Lord, lord”) rather than by His true covenant Name. He allowed them a full thousand years to mature (Lk. 13:8), so punishment is swift and decisive now that their cup is full. This sentence deals a final blow to any rebellion every rearing its head again. As there are contradictions or overlaps in most attempts to identify precisely who the players are, it seems that genealogy is not the most important factor, but which spirit they end up following and which camp they are in by this point. There are parallels here with the sons of David (a type and title of Messiah) vying for who should be his successor, and David in his last words telling the successor he chose to kill someone he had promised that he himself would not kill, because he had acted insolently in the face of David’s undeserved mercy. (2 Shmuel 19:21-23; 1 Kings 2:8ff)

Though the message is available to all nations at that time, only Israel fully “gets it”.

24. “‘“I have done to them according to their defilement and their rebelliously crossing boundaries, and have caused My face to be hidden from them.”

They are described as clean animals (v. 18), yet YHWH leaves them to be eaten by animals who drink blood and have no concern that this is not kosher. He does not want them for Himself because of their attitude. This is a dividing between sheep and goats like in Mat. 25.

26. “‘“as they have borne their disgrace and all their betrayals by which they have acted unfaithfully toward Me while dwelling safely on their soil with none to make them tremble [with fear].

27. “‘“When I bring them back from the peoples and collect them from their enemies’ lands and have been treated as set-apart among them in the eyes of many nations,

28. “‘“then they will recognize that I am YHWH their Elohim in causing them to be taken into exile, when I have wrapped them back toward their own soil, and I will not let any of them be left there any longer,

29. “‘“and I will never again hide My face from them when I have poured out My spirit on the House of Israel,” declares the Master YHWH.’”

This section probably pertains chiefly to the first incidence of Gog and Magog’s attack, but reiterates the finality of YHWH’s choice, not to be changed even at the end of this world-age.

CHAPTER 40

That particular day: The tenth day of the first month as designated by YHWH at the Exodus is the day the lamb is selected to be slain as the Passover. (Ex. 12:2-6) Though he had been gone from the Land 25 years, Y’hezq’el must have felt a keen sense of mourning as he awoke that day, when he, as a priest, would have been participating in that prescribed ritual. His deep sense of loss would have only been compounded by the fact that the Temple itself had also been gone for 14 years, so no one could fully keep this commandment. But YHWH recognized his righteous intent, and so on the very day we are to begin examining the lamb, Y’hezq’el is given a vision that parallels the one Yochanan was later given in which he is shown “the bride, the Lamb’s woman”. (Rev. 21:9) There is to be one Passover lamb per household (Ex. 12:3), and its purpose is the survival of the firstborn, who represents the whole household. The House of Israel has been represented in its exile by one perfect “Lamb”, who is called the firstborn (Mat. 1:25 in Hebrew; Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:18; Heb. 12:23). But Y’hezq’el is seeing even beyond this to the fulfillment of the Lamb’s mission. He is seeing Yerushalayim not only rebuilt, but in its final, perfected state—far better than the city he had known. This is what Yahshua, the antitype of the Passover lamb, came to accomplish—to present back to YHWH His bride, who was divorced from Him while still betrothed and never committed to another (though she played the prostitute with many), yet still taken back, though, like Hoshea’s estranged wife, she has been kept apart from Him for a long time until she is fully purified. (Hos. 3:3-4) Thus far we have brought shame to YHWH’s Name among the nations, who, looking at our record, would accuse Him of not being strong enough to maintain a following. Our exile was for the purpose of allowing us to become decent people who could uphold YHWH’s name and become worthy of being tenants in His Land. Now, like the Passover lamb, she is also to be presented to YHWH without spot or blemish. (Eph. 5:27) The bride is meant to become as mature and perfect as the Lamb is, since we, too, are called to be YHWH’s sons (1 Yochanan 3:1-2; Heb. 2:10; 12:7-8).

A very high mountain: Yeshayahu 2:2 and Mikha 4:1 tell us that in the latter days the Mountain of the House of YHWH will be lifted higher than any other hill. (Every other mountain and hill will be lowered as well, according to Yeshayahu 40:4). This is the context in which we must see this mountain. (Compare 17:22ff)

4. And the man said to me, “Son of Adam, look with your eyes and listen with your eyes, and fix your mind on all that I let you see, because it is for the purpose of showing that you have been brought here; declare to the House of Israel everything that you see.

The House of Israel had already ceased to be a Household as such over 100 years prior to this. Only today is it being prepared to again be one single entity. So the House of Israel as a House has never heard this prophecy. It was written to be read some 2,500 years after Y’hezq’el lived! The purpose of the vision, as clarified in chapter 43, is to make the House of Israel act on it and become what YHWH wants us to be.

House: an abbreviation for the House of YHWH or House of the Sanctuary (Beyt haMiqdash). While we are told in Rev. 21:22 that the city in Yochanan’s vision (the bride, the New Yerushalayim) had no temple, it says that both YHWH and the Lamb are its Temple. Remember, this is a vision, and what he is seeing may or may not be literally embodied in the way he saw it; it may all be symbolic. If we follow the chronology of the last two chapters and of Revelation 20-21, this vision refers to the “eighth day”, the New Yerushalayim that comes to a renewed earth after the 1,000-year Messianic Kingdom. It is possible that during that time, after the Counterfeit Messiah defiles the third temple with the Abomination of Desolation (Mat. 24:15), there will only be a tabernacle in the “camp of the set-apart ones”, and not a temple as such. What is clear is that measurements are being taken: Is this Temple (1 Cor. 3;16; 2 Cor. 6:16) what it is meant to become? Every detail is being scrutinized. And when the picture is laid out, it even looks like a lamb with four legs spread out and the sanctuary as its head. It is enclosed by a wall all around, depicting the house that the Passover lamb was brought into on the tenth of Aviv. The purpose of the measurements is not so much the blueprint for a physical structure, but a signpost to lead us in the direction of Cubit plus a hand-breadth: While the cubit in Shlomo’s temple measured only about 18 inches (nearly half a meter), the Hasmoneans built according to this prophecy with a cubit that was 21.8 inches long, possibly because they thought the temple they were building was this one. In any case, this represents the fact that the latter-day temple complex would not be built according to measures we are accustomed to—whether the Hellenized “Jesus”, the misinterpreted Paul, or the Talmud of Pharisaical/Rabbinic standards, which also distorted and tried to override Torah. If we look at it either of those ways, we will not see what we are meant to see—the Temple as YHWH wants it, not as David wanted it.

7. And the guard-room was one reed long and one reed wide, with five cubits between the guard-rooms, and the threshold of the gate adjoining the porch of the gate [measured] one reed out from the edifice.

From the edifice: or, from the inside. Threshold: in the second Temple, the threshold and gateway were considered as having the same level of sanctity as the courtyard they led into. Guard-room: Aramaic, cell.

9. And he measured the portico of the gate, eight cubits, and its pillars, two cubits with the porch of the gate from inside.

10. And the guard-rooms of the gate of the eastern direction [were] three on this [side] and three on that; the three of them had one [and the same] measurement, and the pillars on each side had the same measurement.

Rashi depicted the three rooms on each side of the gate being outside this middle wall, side by side parallel to it. Other artists have interpreted this as the gateway having three rooms on each side of the gateway, running the depth of the gateway, perpendicular to the outer wall with which the gate is flush. The latter interpretation would mean the measurements given from the inner face of one gateway to that of the other (v. 15) would not be the entire depth of the courtyard they both open into. Ancient gates were usually, but not always, on the outside of the city wall surface. Sometimes they were mainly outside, but extended partially inward as well. The gate structure included, like this, guard-rooms for defense purposes, but also judgment halls where city court proceedings were held.

12. And the enclosure in front of the guard-rooms was one cubit, and one cubit the enclosure on [the other side], and the guard-room was six cubits on this side and six cubits on the [other] side.

Enclosure: apparently a wall one cubit thick.

Roof: apparently the eaves of a roof that stretches all the way across the entire gateway. Corresponding to: or, directly across from.

15. And [from] on the surface of the gate of the entrance onto the front of the porch of the inner gate was fifty cubit.

Fifty cubit: sometimes the singular form is used for plural measurements in this passage. Typically this constitutes the majestic plural which implies that there is something greater about these measurements than those that use the normal plural-plural combination. Though awkward to our ears, the literal wording is left in this translation to show the reader which is which.

17. Then he brought me into the outer courtyard, and here there were chamber-halls and a pavement [of glowing stones] fashioned for the courtyard all around on every side—thirty chambers [facing] toward the pavement.

18. And the pavement toward the corner of the gates exactly paralleling the length of the gates was the lowest pavement.

19. Then he measured the width from in front of the lower gate to in front of the outside of the inner court: a hundred cubit of the east and the north.

20. And he measured the length and width of the gate that faces the direction north belonging to the outer court.

21. And its guard-rooms were three on this side and three on that side, and its pillars and colonnades corresponded to the measurement of the first gate—its length fifty cubit and its width twenty-five by the cubit.

22. And its windows, its porches, and its palm-tree figures corresponded to the measurement of the gate that faces the way east, and they went up to it by seven steps, and its colonnades were in front of them.

23. And the gate of the inner court was directly in line with the gate for the north and for the east, and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits.

24. And he had me walk in the southward direction, and here there was a gate [for] the way south, and he measured its pillars and colonnades, which corresponded with these.

25. And the windows belonging to it, as well as its porches all around on every side corresponded to these windows. Fifty cubit was [its] length and [its] width twenty-five cubits,

26. with seven steps going up to it, and its colonnades in front of them. And it had palm-tree figures, one on this side and one on that side of its pillars.

27. And there was a gate to the inner court [in the] southward direction, and he measured from gate to gate in the southward direction a hundred cubits.

28. Then he brought me into the inner courtyard by the gate [to] the way south, and he measured the southern gate in correspondence with these measurements.

29. And its guardrooms, its pillars, and its porches corresponded to these measurements, as did the windows belonging to it, as well as its colonnades all around on every side—fifty cubit long and twenty-five cubits wide.

30. And the colonnades all around on every side were twenty-five cubit in length and five cubits in width.

31. And its colonnades were toward the outermost court, with palm-tree figures toward its pillars, and the ascent to it had eight steps.

32. And he brought me into the inner court in the eastern direction, and he measured the gate in correspondence with these measurements.

33. And its guardrooms, its pillars, and its porches corresponded to these measurements, as did the windows belonging to it, as well as its colonnades all around on every side—fifty cubit long and twenty-five cubit wide.

34. And its colonnades were toward the outermost court, with palm-tree figures toward its pillars on each side, and the ascent to it had eight steps.

35. And he brought me to the north gate, and measured in correspondence with these measurements,

36. as did its guard-rooms, its pillars, and its colonnades all around on every side—fifty cubit long and twenty-five cubit wide.

37. And its colonnades were toward the outermost court, with palm-tree figures toward its pillars on each side, and the ascent to it had eight steps.

38. And the chamber-hall and its entryway were at the pillars of the gates; there they rinsed the ascending-offering.

“Northward from the altar” is where Lev. 1:11 specifies the sacrificial animals must be slaughtered.

If this is indeed a post-millennial time frame, it is very significant that such “sacrifices” are still being offered. At the very least its setting is the millennial kingdom, which we have not experienced. Anyone who interprets the book of Hebrews to say that Yahshua’s superior sacrifice puts an end to the others is ignoring this very important passage. Hebrews was written at a time when the sacrifices were about to temporarily cease, and provided comfort and a coping mechanism to deal with that loss, but since the offerings are an integral part of the Torah and Yahshua will uphold the Torah completely during His reign, there is no reason to see in them a contradiction with the work He accomplished for us through the offering of Himself. Rather, they will bring home the significance of His sacrifice to the slaughterer in a way that nothing but direct experience ever could. It is no wonder that we who have been without this direct experience for two millennia have to un-learn many of our ideas about Yahshua.

41. Four tables were on this [side] and four tables on [the other]; for the corner of the gate, eight tables on which they slaughter.

42. And [the] four tables for the ascending offering were of cut stone, one cubit and a half in length, one cubit and a half in width, and one cubit in height. On them they would also set down the implements with which they slaughtered the ascending offering and the sacrificial offering.

43. And [double] hooks one hand-breadth wide were fastened within the House all around on every side and toward the tables of the meat [for] the drawing-near [offering].

44. And from the outside to the inner gate was for the chambers of those who sing in the inner court, which is toward the corner of the northern gate, and they faced in a southerly direction; [the] one toward the corner of the eastern gate faced toward the north.

45. And he told me, “This—the chamber that faces in a southward direction, is for the priests who are in charge of guarding the House,

46. “and the chamber that faces in a northerly direction is for the priests who are in charge of guarding the altar. They are the descendants of Tzadoq, those of the sons of Levi who come close to YHWH to minister to Him.”

Minister to: or, wait on.

With the altar: that is, including the altar within this square courtyard.

Toward the porch: many, including the Aramaic targum, read it as “a pillar of the porch”, but this would mean “pillar” was spelled defectively (with one letter missing). But the five-by-five measurement could then correlate with the doorposts that appeared square (41: 21). They seem to be the front part of the outer wall of the edifice which is actually six cubits thick (41:5), but look like doorposts because they jut inward from behind the supports on the very corner (41:1), and “appear” square because the gateway sits one cubit forward from their inner side or takes up the final cubit. Gate: possibly a frame 3 cubits wide on each side of the 10-cubit-wide opening of 41:2.

This may be a sideward view of the porch’s length, since the front of the house adds up to 20 cubits in width, and the combined depth of the outer supports (41:1) and the shoulders of the opening (41:2) adds up to eleven.

CHAPTER 41

Supports: or pillars; LXX, porch. Since the side-wall of the house was six cubits thick (v. 5), this may simply have been an extension of it, or separated by only a short distance to make them look like a separate entity, but still be counted into the length of the house. Tent: This corresponds with Yochanan’s statement that he saw no temple as such in the New Yerushalayim. The tent is more the ethos of Israel than the building. But by the rest of the description here, this was something of a vestibule by which to approach the sanctuaries inside. It would thus recapitulate the history of the Tabernacle as a contiguous “lead-in” to the Temple. It may simply be that Y’hezq’el, being a priest, was so “Temple-minded” that anything that reminded him of the measurements of any past sanctuary would strike him as significant, which may be why YHWH chose him for this task. The man connected with the two Houses of Israel being reunified (ch. 37) must know the Temple (ch. 43). The measurement of a total of 12 cubits hearkens back to Ex. 26:15, 22-23, where we are told that the back of the tabernacle consisted of 8 planks 1.5 cubits wide, including the two corner pieces. Thus this new Temple carries the authority that YHWH vested directly in the original tabernacle. Building YHWH a dwelling place that He might dwell in Israel’s midst (Ex. 25:8) is not a temporary command. Pillars: the root meaning is “he-goat” or “oak tree”, denoting strength. This Temple is a “big, strong version of the Tabernacle”. From here…from there: possibly, six cubits in each direction—i.e., “six this way and six that way”.

Shoulders: or possibly, corners; LXX, side-pieces. Its length: The room beyond the entryway (which, by the total length of the house as given in v. 13, may have been 21 cubits long) corresponds to the Holy Place (haQodesh) within the former Temples and Tabernacle. The proportions are the same for them all; the exact measurements are the same as for Shlomo’s Temple (1 Kings 6) and twice those of the original tabernacle (inferred from Exodus 26). The entryway, if indeed slightly larger than the Holy of Holies (v. 4), is like a room added onto the past Temples—an annex, so to speak. This correlates perfectly with the ancient Israelite custom of adding a room onto a father’s household when his son got married. In that case, this is Y’shua’s chamber—possibly a throne room. Access to the sanctuary proper would only be through this room. He said, “I am the doorway for the sheep” (Yoch. 10:7, 9) and “No man comes to the Father except through Me” (Yoch. 14:6), and in that very context, “In My Father’s House are many rooms/chambers.” (14:2; compare v. 6 below.)

Inside: LXX, into the inner court. The width of the doorway: LXX, side-pieces of the door, seven cubits on one side and seven cubits on the other. This may have been added to remove the ambiguity, but may not be authoritative. More likely, there was a half-cubit border around the door itself on each side.

LXX: …length of the doors, 40 cubits and their breadth, 20 cubits. Surface: in this case, apparently the wall at the very back, but the LXX takes it as the front.

Side-chamber: cells just outside the thick outer walls of the structure housing the sanctuaries. If there are thirty on each level, there is a five-cubit buffer on each side of each cell, probably connected by a hallway. The word for “side-chamber” is the same as the Hebrew word for “rib”, and comes from a root word meaning to curve. Figuratively the “ribs” surround the “heart” of the Temple.

Three: based on v. 7, it appears to mean three tiers or stories. I Kings 6 bears this out. Thirty occurrences: i.e., a repeated pattern. These appear to be different from the thirty chambers around the very outside of the whole outer courtyard (40:17). Apparently there is a separate wall of the building housing the side-chambers which sits directly beside the wall of the Temple proper, but is not actually connected to it. LXX: There was a space in the wall of the House at the sides round about, that they should be for them that take hold of them to see, that they should not at all touch the walls of the House. 1 Kings 6 tells us that in Shlomo's Temple the "out-chambers" rested on cedar beams that in turn rested on ledges built into the outer wall of the Temple, each narrower than the one below to support the chambers that were each wider than the one below--the lowest 5 cubits wide, the next 6, and the top ones 7 cubits wide (but here we are told that they are each 4 cubits wide in the other direction.

Turned about: apparently a winding staircase. Each story juts further inward toward the sanctuary buildling than the one below it. The middle one: 1 Kings 6 tells us that there was a staircase directly to a door to it on the right side of the Temple. Here we are told there was also one on the other side. LXX: The breadth of the upper side was made according to the projection out of the wall, against the upper one round about the house, that it might be enlarged above, and that [men] might go up to the upper chambers from those below, and from the ground-sills to the third story.

Foundations: LXX, space between the sides. If this is correct, this may refer to the lowest-level cells being 4 cubits by 5 cubits, with an additional cubit as the hallway added to total 6 (the length of the reed). Joined cubits: described in 40:5—a regular cubit plus a handbreadth.

10. And between the chamber-halls and surrounding the House was [a space] twenty cubit wide all around on every side.

LXX (including the last phrase of v. 9): the spaces that were left between the sides of the House and between the chambers were a width of twenty cubits the circumference of the House.

LXX: And the doors of the chambers were toward the space left by the one door that looked northward, and [there was] one door southward...

LXX: The partition [wall] in front of the remaining space toward the west…

LXX: And he measured in front of the House a length of a hundred cubits, and the remaining spaces and the partitions, and the walls thereof were in length 100 cubits.

15. And he measured the length of the building up to the surface of the separate area which was on its rear, with its offset galleries from this [side] and from that: a hundred cubit. And the inner temple and the porches of the courtyard,

Offset galleries: from a word meaning to decrease or draw away, but translated into Greek here as partition, and elsewhere in the LXX as stoa, which in the second Temple was a long open-air portico or colonnade which housed shops and the money-changers’ tables that Yahshua overturned.

Panelled: or wainscoted. Wood often represents perishable men. Narrowing: from a root meaning to contract. We know that in the Second Temple there were windows that were broader on the outside and narrow on the inside of the wall they were set into. The explanation was that they were not to let light into the Temple, but to let light out from within. But these windows appear to Covered: the implied purpose based on the etymology is to conceal them, but the LXX says, the window shutters folded back in three parts for one to look through, and that the latticed windows gave “light round about to the three [stories], so as to look through”..

18. being made [with] kh’ruvim and palm-tree figures, with a palm-tree figure between kh’ruv and kh’ruv, and [each] kh’ruv had two faces:

19. that is, a human face toward the palm tree from this [side] and the face of a young lion from that, being fashioned toward the whole house, all around on every side,

The Hebrew term for the young lion (k’fir) is rooted in the word for atonement (kafar, to pacify, cover over with a coating).

21. The Temple [had what appeared to be] squared doorposts, and [the] front of the Holy [Place had] the appearance like [in] the vision.

Doorposts: mezuzoth, from a root meaning to be conspicuous. Or, the appearance of the squared doorposts of the Temple was like the appearance of the front of the Holy Place. Squared doorposts: LXX, the holy place and the Temple opened on four sides. They looked as if they were five cubits square, because the last cubit of the front wall of the house, of which they seem to be a part, was hidden behind the gateway.

The LXX adds that its breadth was also two cubits. Corner-buttresses: LXX, horns. Wood: apparently not overlaid with gold like the former sanctuaries’ furniture, because he could tell that it was wooden. The dimensions are not the same as either the altar of incense (1 cubit square and 2 cubits high) or the Table of the Bread of the Faces (2 cubits by one cubit and 1.5 cubit high), or the Ark of the Covenant (1.5 by 2.5 cubits), the article that had been most directly in YHWH’s presence. It may function as a combination of all three. Yet how can anything be burned atop a wooden altar without burning it as well? Based on this verse, the rabbis have drawn a parallel (at least in our exile) between our dining table and the altar. Indeed, it should not be host to any unclean or improperly-slaughtered meat, and the conversation about the table should bear some of the dignity of the altar, for the purpose of both is to draw near.

24. with two doors for each of the doorways: two doors that turned [around], two belonging to the one doorway and two belonging to the other,

25. and there were fashioned on them (on the doors of the Temple [building] kh’ruvim and palm-tree figures, like those fashioned on the walls, with an offset projection of wood on the face of the outside porch,

Offset projection of wood: or possibly simply a thick plank (the LXX has “stout planks”).

LXX, There were secret windows. Corners: LXX, roofing. With offset projections: LXX, closely planked.

CHAPTER 42

Outer courtyard: the LXX adds “eastward”. Northern road: LXX and Aram., northern gate. Separate area: LXX, vacant space; Aramaic, balcony.

The width: either of the courtyard or of the entryway itself.

LXX, ornamented/sculptured accordingly as the gates of the inner court, and arranged accordingly as the peristyles of the outer court, with triple porticos fronting one another. Offset gallery: Aram., balconies. Thirds: Aramaic, at three levels..

One cubit toward the inward direction: Aram., the width inside the passage was one cubit, and their gates faced north.

Shorter: Aram., narrower…because the balconies took space away from them. LXX: And the upper walks were in like manner, for the peristyle projected from it, even from the range of columns below, and there was a space between…and so there were two porticoes.

Threefold: Aram., on three levels. Pillars: A picture of those who overcome… (Rev. 3:12) Yahshua is called the cornerstone and His followers the rest of the “living stones” fitted together to become YHWH’s true Dwelling-place. (Eph. 2:20-22/1 Kefa 2:5-6) This is the main point of what this whole vision depicts. Courtyard: LXX, outer ones. Were more withdrawn: LXX, they projected.

Fence: something built by masons to close something off, etymologically; Aram., outer wall. LXX: and there was light without, corresponding to the chambers of the outer court looking toward the front of the northern chambers…

On the face of the Temple: LXX, these are the ones that front the others; the whole was a hundred cubits.

10. In the fenced expanse of the court in the eastward direction facing toward the separated area and facing toward the building, [there were] chamber-halls,

Aram., along the width of the wall of the court, eastward, in front of the balcony which was in front of the building. LXX: by the opening of the walk at the corner...

Plans: the same word as “justice” or “right legal procedures”, emphasizing the correctness of their angles and measurements, and the proper rectitude of their fittings; Aram., general appearance. LXX: turnings and lights.

Directly ahead of: or, suited to. Road: Aram., passage. Where one enters: Anciently the eastern gate to the entire complex was the main one, and it was by this gate that the ashes of the red heifer (Num. 19:2ff) were brought in to sanctify the high priest on the few occasions when this was necessary. It led directly into the sanctuary, as in this third Temple. However, it was the eastern gate to the Garden of Eden that was sealed off and guarded by kh’ruvim (Gen. 3:24), which fits the symbolism of the Eastern Gate being walled up today (accomplished by a Muslim ruler who wanted to prevent the Messiah from returning through it, as foretold in 46:2 below). During Second Temple times, the long way back to Eden was suggested by the fact that normally one had to enter the Temple complex by first completing a ritual bathing (miqveh), then walking up a long underground ramp, across a wide courtyard, around a corner, and only then being at the point the Eastern Gate would have brought one directly to with no delay at all. That the eastern road is “where one enters” Y’hezq’El’s Temple highlights the restoration of the original design of the former Temples and beyond that, symbolizes the reopening of Eden to the restored Adam through the “Latter Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), for it is now safe for him to have access to the Tree of Life. (Rev. 2:7; 22:2)

The priests: the LXX adds “the sons of Tzadoq”. Guilt-offering: for sins of ignorance.

Whenever they come close: LXX: when they come in contact with the people (since they have a lesser degree of holiness); Aram., and then mingle with the people.

All around on every side (saviv saviv): LXX, round about in order (diataxei). Compare the measurements of Shlomo’s Temple (1 Kings 6:2-5).

East wind: i.e., eastern side; etymologically, the spirit of what had come beforehand. Instead of “coming around”, the LXX says, “he stood behind the gate.”

North wind: or, spirit of hidden treasure. In circumference: LXX, the front of.

South wind: of uncertain derivation, but possibly meaning bright or clear, as opposed to the obscure north.

West wind: or, the spirit of the roaring sea.

Compare Rev. 11:1-2, where the outer court is still under the jurisdiction of Gentiles, and Rev. 21:13ff, where the outer wall is described as surrounding a square city with three gates on each side. Indeed, this whole vision of Y’hezq’El’s begins with him seeing a city (40:1-2), which is not mentioned again until chapter 45, where the land around it is described in a way reminiscent of the Levitical cities (Num. 35). But this square three thousand cubits long in each direction appears to be the city in which everything is counted as “set apart unto YHWH” (Z’kharyah 14:21) But there is no description of what lies between these outer gates and the gates mentioned in 40:6ff, which appear to be some 1,350 cubits further inward. It may be a larger open space to accommodate the crowds that come from all over the world for the Appointed feasts (e.g., Zkh. 14:19). It may be the place they set up their sukkoth and/or tents then and during all the pilgrim festivals and any other time they may come to visit the Temple.

CHAPTER 43

2. And lo and behold, the weightiness of the Elohim of Israel [was coming] from the eastern direction, and His voice was like the sound of a multitude of waters, and the Land was illuminated by His splendor.

Was coming: His voice…: LXX, there was a voice of an army, like the sound of many redoubling [their shouts], and the earth shone like light… Compare Rev. 18:1.

Destroy: more literally, spoil, corrupt, ruin. This alludes back to the vision in chapters 1 and 10. Aramaic, when I had prophesied concerning the destruction of the city. LXX, to anoint the city. Like the vision: LXX adds, of the chariot. The sound mentioned in v. 2 fits the description of the living creatures in 1:24.

The One who carries YHWH’s authority (the anointed Prince) will also enter by this gate. (46:2)

Wind: or spirit. YHWH’s splendor filled Shlomo’s Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11) and the post-exilic Temple, but we do not see it in Herod’s reconstruction of the Temple until the Shavuoth after Yahshua’s resurrection. (Acts 2)

A man: David, to whom the first vision of the Temple was given by the Spirit (1 Chron. 17:15; 28:12, 19), in this case possibly by way of his descendant, Yahshua, but possibly not, since David will be resurrected as well, and Yahshua says his father will let Him sit on His throne. (Rev. 3:21) Should “father” be capitalized? Not if we let Scripture interpret Scripture, for the father on whose throne Yahshua sits is not YHWH, but David. (Luke 1:32)

With the place: LXX, you have seen the place; Aramaic, this is the place. Compare Psalm 99:1; Yeshayahu 60:13; 1 Chron. 28:2. My throne: Is this still David speaking for both himself and YHWH? Forever: Thus the Temple described here is the final one. The House of Israel: Apparently it is the Northern Kingdom that will take the first steps and break through to bring this vision to reality. This—not the “Church”—is what will provoke Yehudah to jealousy. (Rom. 11:11) Statues: possibly stelae (standing stones, idolatrous phallic symbols that marked pagan worship sites); literally, corpses or weak things, hence the LXX translation as “murders of their princes”; Aramaic, shrines of the corpses of their kings. Statues are similar to corpses in that they are lifeless, resembling something that was more than they are now, yet still purport to carry on a power that no longer exists. The images of kings are often on coins as well (Luke 20:24), but it is the image of YHWH—the ever-living one—whose image we should focus on becoming and exhibiting.

Bowls: commonly carved into thresholds to catch blood from the animal sacrificed to dedicate a building. Aramaic, by placing…their buildings beside My Temple court with only a wall between My Memra (living Word) and them. This is one reason the outermost court (42:15-20) is so huge. I.e., to prevent this kind of profanation, He now made the entire mountain-top holy. (v. 12) The first occurrence of the word “doorposts” here could be interpreted as the articles called mezuzoth (boxes nailed to the doorpost in which to put portions of Scripture), for that is the actual Hebrew word for “doorposts”. I.e., they are attempting to put their own words on His doorposts (trying to obligate Him to their agendas), rather than writing His words on our doorposts, as He commanded. (Deut. 11:20) Wall between Myself and them: Not even a veil is mentioned between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in chapter 41; it may be His intent to no longer have one in this third Temple. LXX, they made My wall as if it were adjoining Myself and them, or, adjoining itself to me and them. Anger: literally, nose.

10. “You, son of Adam, show the House of Israel the House, so they may be ashamed of [the ways] they deviate [from it] when they have measured the pattern.

Show: make conspicuous to, proclaim to, announce to. The ways they deviate: literally, their twistings or distortions. The House of Israel has built a distorted dwelling-place for YHWH on the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, of which Yahshua is the straight and square cornerstone. Pattern: or proportion; the root term has the connotation of being tested against the pattern, adjusted, and corrected. When we dig through all the trappings that have obscured the cornerstone and see the direction it actually sits in, we will be able to do this. LXX, that they may cease from their sins.

If they are ashamed of: LXX, they shall bear the punishment for; Aram., humble themselves. Exits: or possibly, sources, places from which it issues. But the exits are listed before the entrances because we have to leave other things behind before we can enter His set-apart place. All its delineated edges: Aramaic, its entire framework. Instructions: the plural form of the word torah—directions, codes of law, manners, directives; LXX, regulations. Aram., everything to which it is entitled. Engrave: write or etch; i.e., burn it into their memories through a vivid depiction that remains with them forever. As a “photo-graph” is a different type of “writing”, burned onto film with light, only the actual thing does a better job of guaranteeing our retention than a picture or, better yet, a 3-dimensional model. And that is what this is traditionally taken to mean. The Jewish scholar Rashi said that whoever would see this model would see the Messiah’s coming! David also appears to have made a model of the Temple for King Shlomo to build (1 Chron. 28:11), or at least a blueprint or figure (illustration).

13. “And these are the measurements of the altar in cubits (a cubit [being] a cubit and a handbreadth): Now the cubit-[deep] enclosed hollow [area] was also a cubit wide, while the border-area toward its edge all around is one span. Now this is the [most] prominent surface of the altar.

Measurements: Aramaic, dimensions. Cubits: Aram., long cubits. Every time the sanctuary was built, the altar was built first—in the wilderness, Shlomo’s Temple, upon the return from exile, and by the Maccabees. Enclosed hollow part, the cubit: can also be read, the bosom of the mother. LXX, the cavity shall be a cubit deep, and a cubit the breadth. This is often taken to mean a base, and as such we can read this as a trough or gutter running one span away from the edge of the lowest tier of the altar, probably to catch the runoff of blood and other materials from atop the altar. It very likely has a drain at its bottom for the waste to run out of the holy area without a mess. In the Second T emple, the altar was washed every Sabbath. This is a picture of letting past sins be left behind once they are dealt with. Yahshua spoke of not letting tomorrow burden us today; neither should we let yesterday’s offenses clutter our thoughts. Each week has enough sins of its own! Deal today wit the issues that are actually in question right now, not emotional baggage from things that have already been resolved. Border-area: or boundary, enclosing section. Apparently this is at ground level (v. 14) and forms a sort of molding-base between the altar and the trough. Edge: rim, brink, lip, termination. Span: the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger on a maximally-extended hand, while the handbreadth is the width of an unextended hand. Prominent surface: a convex, pre-eminent part—the widest part of the whole altar, because the rest of its stands atop this; the same term used of the brow over one’s eyes (the most prominent part of the head), the “boss” (projected central portion) of a shield or large building block, figuratively used of advancing an argument.

LXX, From the bottom at the commencement of the hollow part to this great mercy-seat… The large ledge appears to be the top of the altar, larger because it is taller and because the whole thing (which may have also included the hearth of v. 15, which is the same height) was much wider, though the length of the top ledge would actually be two cubits shorter than the lower one.

Hearth: first spelled like “mountain of El” (har’el), then the second time spelled ‘ari’eyl, as if a transposition of Ari’El (lion of El), but it seems to mean “lion-ram”! There may be two separate things being described, or there may be a significance to the difference the numerical value of the two spellings makes to the total value of the sentence or phrase. The Aramaic merely has “the altar” in both cases, indicating that this was the altar proper, while the rest was to support it. Horns: horn-like projections, not literal animal horns.

LXX, square on its four sides.

The hearth may rise another four cubits above the second ledge, but the two could be concurrent, with the hearth being part of the upper ledge, separated from the border-section by a cubit-deep trough just like the one at the base, and with the same purpose of draining away the residue when the altar-top is washed off. The phrase “half of the cubit” suggests the one cubit in each direction that the 14-cubit-long ledge is wider than the 12-cubit-wide altar. Both the cubit-deep trough and the half-cubit thick boundary could constitute this remaining cubit, which would mean the trough is a half-cubit wide as well. Ascending-ramps: or steps, but steps to an altar were forbidden in Exodus 20:26, and a ramp was used in the second Temple—unless because they are provided with breeches, the priests’ nakedness is no longer exposed and this command is no longer relevant. The term is exactly the same as what was forbidden, so the precise meaning is unclear. Face: or turn, for if someone was facing east when ascending them, his back would be toward the sanctuary—something that was never permitted in the Second Temple. The altar at the Second Temple (which was much larger than this), of which we have many more descriptions, was of stone overlaid with plaster and whitewash, but King Shlomo’s altar (which was very close to the same size as this one) was made of bronze (2 Chron. 4:1), and it was made according to a pattern shown to David; the Tabernacle altar, though much smaller, was also of bronze, according to the command YHWH gave to Moshe. So it is reasonable to think this final one (cf. v. 7) will be bronze.

19. “‘When you have given to the priests—the Levites who are from the seed of Tzadoq—who come close to Me,’ declares the Master YHWH, ‘ to minister to Me, a bull, the son of a herd, as a sin offering,

20. “‘then take some of its blood and put it on its four “horns” and on the four corners of the support-ledge, and on the boundary [that runs] all around. Thus you will [purify] it from sin and cover it over.

21. “Then take the bull of the sin-offering and burn it at the appointed [place] of the House outside the sanctuary,

Appointed: or visited, place to which one is summoned. The appointed place is designated in 40:47—the inner courtyard directly in front of the Temple.

23. “When you finish [cleansing it] from sin, you will present a healthy bull, son of a herd, and a healthy ram from the flock,

24. “and bring them near the face of YHWH and the priests will throw salt on them and cause them to go up as an ascending [offering] to YHWH.

25. “[For] seven days you must prepare a hairy [goat] buck [as a] sin offering for [each] day; they must also prepare a bull, son of a herd, as well as a healthy ram from the flock.

Healthy: unblemished, perfect, reminding us that the day Y’hezq’El saw this vision was the day a worthy lamb was selected for the Passover, then examined even more closely for four days to be sure it was suitable in every way. In the same way, the House of Israel must go over the description of this Temple with a “fine-toothed comb” to determine how the puzzle all fits together, in the same way we should do with all of Scripture. We have to get “between the bone and marrow” to make sure the Temple of which we are a part is built properly, for if not, the life of the firstborn is at stake! YHWH said “Efrayim is My firstborn.” (Yirm. 31:9) It must be preserved at any cost!

Cover: either literally, for the term means to coat with pitch to form a complete seal, or figuratively to effect an atonement or propitiation by means of the offerings for the once-common materials that are now being set apart for sacred use. Consecrate it: literally, fill its hands, an idiom from the ritual used to do the same for the priests (Ex. 28:41; 29:9, 33-35; 32:29; Lev. 8:33)—i.e., ordain it, employ it for its intended task.

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2. Then YHWH said to me, “This gate will be shut; it will not be opened, nor will a man enter by it, because YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, has entered by it, so it will be shut.

Aramaic, it must remain closed; it must not be opened. Has entered by it: LXX, shall enter by it.

The Prince: traditionally interpreted by both Jews and Christians to refer to the Messiah. Does this stand up when tested? This person is not called the king, but David is said to be the prince at this time (34:23-24; 37:24-25). His is a ruling dynasty, but when the original head of the family is resurrected, how can the whole royal line reign? So just as when he chose which son of his would be the next king when this was in dispute (1 Kings 1), he will also allow one of his descendants to sit with him on his throne (Rev. 3:21 in conjunction with Luke 1:32). He is also called “son of the Most High”, but this is a title for the king of Israel, and YHWH said the same of David’s other son Shlomo, who prefigured Yahshua. (2 Shmuel 7:14) The term for prince here means “an exalted ruler”, rooted in the term “to raise up”. We are told that Yahshua is exalted (by YHWH) to the highest reputation because he did not strive to usurp another’s position as several of David’s sons had done. (Phil. 2:8-9) Note the prince’s intimate relationship with YHWH. David actually did eat some of the Bread of the presence once when in need. (1 Shmuel 21:6) Will David serve as a figurehead, and Yahshua essentially as prime minister—simply “not called king in the presence of the king”? The fact that we see this prince offering sacrifices in chapters 45 and 46 strongly vouches for this being the Messiah, who it is known will be both ruler and priest (Heb. 5:5; 7:26; 8:1; Psalm 110:4, in the context of David actually calling the Messiah his master!) YHWH’s is “the” throne—the heavenly one, surrounded by 24 other thrones (Dan. 7:9; Rev. 4:4); Yahshua’s is earthly, surrounded by 12 thrones to judge the 12 tribes of Israel. (Mat. 19:28) I.e., He administers the carrying out of Torah. We can never say Yahshua fulfilled the entire Torah; He did His part and made it possible for the rest of Israel to do so, for it is the responsibility of the whole people, as the covenant reads.

5. Then YHWH said to me, “Son of Adam, direct your heart, observe [carefully] with your eyes and listen with your ears to all that I am saying to you [in regard] to all the prescribed limits of the House of YHWH and all its instructions, and direct your heart to the entrance of the House whenever [anyone] goes forth from the sanctuary.

Direct your heart: or mind. I.e., concentrate! Aramaic, note well. To the entrance: or, to entering. Its instructions: LXX, regulations; Aramaic, everything that is proper for it. Whenever anyone goes forth: He is to pay attention to who goes in and who comes out. As further detailed in the next few verses, he is to notice who is serving, and who is not; he is to notice that there are no foreigners in charge of the sanctuary, and this is what he needs to compare the House of Israel’s record to (43:10):

Rebellious: LXX, provoking. More than all: i.e., This is your very worst offense:

Brought the sons of foreignness: Paul was wrongly accused of doing this (Acts 21:28), but it shows that the Jews in his day were taking this rebuke seriously and trying to avoid doing the same. The problem was that they were now screening out those of the House of Israel who were coming back to the Torah. But when did the Northern Kingdom let foreigners administer the Temple? They were already long gone from the Land at the time Y’hezq’El prophesied. This must refer to what the exiled Northern Kingdom would do from the time He prophesied until this Temple is built. And indeed, as the Church, they have welcomed anyone in without fulfilling any preliminary obligations such as circumcision or at least evidence of a circumcised heart. (Which had to come first was the dispute in Acts 15 and Galatians, not whether or not the command had to be followed.) We were not following Yahshua’s instructions to inquire who is worthy. (Mat. 10:11) We thus gave what was holy to dogs. (Mat. 7:6) Many of these foreigners to the covenant even became the Church’s “priests”! Treat it as common: or, worse, to defile or pollute it. Uncircumcised: Aramaic, wicked. Rendered ineffective: Aramaic, altered.

9. “‘This is what the Master YHWH says: “No sons of foreignness, uncircumcised of heart and uncircumcised of flesh, may enter My sanctuary, [and that also goes] for any son of foreignness who is [right] among the descendants of Israel!

Foreignness: etymologically this term includes the idea of disguising oneself, acting as someone recognized or for the sake of recognition, so that people misconstrue one to be an insider when he truly is not. What would his purpose be but subterfuge?

Being about Me: Aramaic, My worship.

Overseers: LXX, porters.

The Levites were the ones responsible to guard the Torah and not allow it to become fuzzy. By being slack in what they allowed, they were encouraging Israel to go astray. Some Levites agreed to administer Yaravam’s rival temples when the Kingdom split; they should have known better, so they are counted the most guilty in this matter. Lifted up My hand: Aramaic, sworn by My Memra [Living Word].

14. “‘“But I will appoint them as keepers of what is to be guarded [within] the House and all its servile labor and anything that needs to be done in it.

15. “‘“But the priests—the Levites [who are] sons of Tzadoq, who guarded the [ceremonial] functions of My sanctuary when the descendants of Israel strayed away from Me, they will come near to Me to minister, and they will stand in My presence and bring the fat and the blood near for Me,” declares the Master YHWH.

Fat: the best part. Any non-Tzadoqite priest (though also a son of Aharon) was thus lowered to the status of any other Levite for the reasons given here.

My table: i.e., the combination Table of the Bread of the Faces and altar all in one. (41:22)

18. “‘“Linen turbans must be on their heads, and they must have linen undergarments over their hips, and they must not bind onto themselves anything that causes perspiration.

No reminder of the curse (Gen. 3:19) may be upon them in this place that restores the atmosphere of Eden. Linen in Egypt was spun as fine as cotton is today, and Egypt would have been where the first priests of Israel obtained the linen for their garments.

20. “‘“And they may neither shave their heads nor let their [hair] extend out [loose and] unrestrained, but they must trim their heads by clipping.

Unrestrained: Aramaic, wild. Trim by clipping: or shearing, cutting—i.e., not with a razor, but neither should they go to the other extreme of not cutting it at all. A neat cut that neither draws special attention to their individual uniqueness nor distracts them from their duties by either blowing into their faces or taking too much attention to maintain is what is most appropriate to their office. Aramaic, they must only trim. LXX, they shall not shave their heads nor pluck off their hair; they shall carefully cover their heads. This would permit a Nazirite like Shmuel to also serve as priests. (He was not redeemed as a boy, so he was able to serve in the Tabernacle as belonging to YHWH in the same way the Levites, who usually substituted for the firstborn Israelite sons who were redeemed, as per Exodus 13:15; Numbers 3:12.) those from other tribes will be permitted to serve as if they were Levites and priests during Yahshua’s kingdom. (Yeshayahu 66:21)

They must have all their wits about them to avoid carrying out any of the prescribed procedures wrongly, for the weight of the world rides on their doing their job rightly. (Compare Prov. 31:4.)

House of Israel: probably in the broader rather than narrower sense, but possibly excluding Yehudah.

Direct: teach or instruct on the difference; literally, shoot like an arrow.

The case of a dispute: Aramaic, matters of judicial litigation; LXX: a judgment of blood. Set My Sabbaths apart: consecrate them-- i.e., be the ones to declare their beginning and ending, and define how they are to be treated as in a separate category than other days.

Must not approach toward a dead human being: Aramaic, shall not enter where there is a dead person. The exception was the high priest (Lev. 21:11), but he is not mentioned here at all, further strengthening the notion that the prince at this time is also to fulfill the role of high priest. (See note on v. 3.) The whole argument of the book of Hebrews is based on this passage, for this has not yet taken place.

27. “‘“and on the day he goes to the sanctuary (to the inner courtyard to serve in the sanctuary), he must bring his sin-offering near,” declares the Master YHWH.

Sin-offering: LXX, propitiation.

I am their possession: This is a treasure worth giving up all the rest! (Mat. 13:46) Aramaic, the gifts that I give them are their possession.

Every devoted thing: Aramaic, every thing that is set apart as sacred.

First batch of dough: LXX, your earliest produce.

I.e., Don’t you dare bring them any such animal as your offering! The animal must be killed in a kosher manner.

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Lift off: Aramaic, set aside. A contribution: LXX, first-fruits. This is the prime “real estate” in the Land of Israel. 25,000 by 10,000 cubits: approximately 12.5 km. (7.75 miles) by 5 km. (3 miles). Cubits is assumed because of the fifty cubits in v. 2, but it could be measured in reeds, and thus be six times as large.

Five hundred cubits: assumedly implied, as per the Aramaic targum, but the LXX says “reeds”, and this would agree with 42:16-20, but 500 cubits was the size of King Shlomo’s original Temple precinct. Open land: LXX, vacant space—possibly to expedite “crowd control” at festivals and to leave a buffer between it and anything profane. (43:8) It would also give plenty of room for miqvaoth (ritual baths) for immersion prior to entering, as well as a campground area since tents are mandated for Passover (Deut. 16:7) and temporary dwellings at Sukkoth. (Lev. 23:42)

4. “‘“It is set apart from the Land; it will be for the priests who serve the sanctuary—those who come near to wait on YHWH. It will belong to them [as] a place for their houses and a sacred place for the sanctuary.

Sacred place: Aramaic, precinct. I.e., the rest of the area designated in verse 1, after cutting out the square for the sanctuary itself described in verse 2, will belong to the priests.

Segments: or, chamber-halls, the same term as that for the buildings surrounding the sanctuary. (ch. 42)

Alongside: or, parallel with. (See map below.) This is further detailed in 48:15ff.

Aramaic: a portion on both sides of that which is set aside for the sanctuary, and the city property, and the length will correspond to one of the portions extending from the western border to the eastern border. This “sanctuary” would, however, seem to include all the land given to both the priests and Levites. Parcels: shares, portions, tracts; those directly bordering the Prince’s are the tribal territories allotted to Yehudah (48:8) and Binyamin (48:22). Having his land on both sides of the set-apart area would mean both borders of the Land are under his protection. This also suggests the “double portion” given to the firstborn, which Yahshua and most of the kings are—though Shlomo was not and David himself was not. In the resurrection, there would also need to be room to house the inheritance of not just Yahshua, but Yoshiyahu, etc.--any righteous king in David’s line.

I.e., specific land would be deeded to the prince, and plenty of it, so that he would not even consider taking anyone else’s land as Ahav wanted to do (I Kings 21):

Cruelty and violence: Aramaic, violence and robbery.

Just: Aramaic, accurate. Eyfah…bath: particular weights and measures of equivalent amounts, the former for dry materials and the latter for liquid:

Quantity: Aramaic, volume. I.e., there must be no variation in the measurements called by the same name. (Lev. 19:36) Chomer: the equivalent of 65 to 80 imperial gallons (300 to 400 liters); thus a bath would have been from 6.5 to 8 gallons (30-40 liters). The discrepancy in sizes may reflect the very thing YHWH is saying may not be done any longer—varying the definition of what a chomer is so that not everyone receives their merchandise equally.

The sheqel is a unit of weight equal to 1/10,000 of a talent of gold, 1/3,000 of a talent of silver, and 1/1,500 of a talent of copper. A gerah is the weight of a kernel of barley. There may be a coin in this amount. Ways of reckoning: or, common usage—possibly the denominations of coins to be used (if they are actually in that form), or the three different measures may reflect the above distinctions between metals, since these metals are of differing weights; alt., a maneh (or mina, the equivalent of 60 sheqels, the total of these three amounts). In any case, they are predetermined by the Prince who micro-manages even how the coins are minted so that there cannot be crooked dealings. No foreign currency is used, since Israel is not occupied by any other nations any longer. The Temple tax will not therefore bear any foreign king’s image as it had to at certain times in the past. Everything here is holy.

This is 1.67%. Note that the wheat and barley are assessed at the same rate.

Compare v. 11. Kor: in dry measure, the equivalent of 6.25 bushels (220 liters); in liquid measure, the equivalent of 58 gallons (263 liters). The Aramaic substitutes kor for chomer in this verse.

This is 0.5% of the flock, but is above and beyond all of the tithes.

17. “‘“and the ascending [offering]s and a tribute and the libation at the pilgrimage festivals and at the new moons and on the Sabbaths—at all the appointed times of the House of Israel—will be on the Prince. He must prepare the sin [offering], the tribute [offering], the ascending [offering], and the peace [offering]s to effect a covering for the House of Israel.”

I.e., the Prince is responsible to make the contribution out of what the people all bring to him. On the Prince: that is, his responsibility; alternately, about or concerning the Prince. This may be our authority for saying that every one of them is a picture of the Messiah.

This is a one-time event inaugurating the usage of the new Temple and rendering it fit to use; thereafter, Torah specifies that the atoning bull be brought on Yom Kippur each year by the high priest.

20. “‘“And you must do the same on the seventh of the month for [each] man who goes astray and for the naïve; thus you will effect a covering for the House.

Goes astray: swerves, reels, or staggers as if intoxicated. Naïve: or simple, open-minded—those who make mistakes in ignorance. There has never been a sacrifice available for intentional sin. (Heb. 10:26) It would be a mockery to ask forgiveness for what we have done when we already knew better.

Note that the month called the first is the month in which Passover falls, not the month of “Rosh haShanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkoth. And this demonstrates that the lunar calendar has been re-established as the norm.

Sin offering: This is not a normal Passover offering, but Deut. 16:12 does allow the Passover to be brought from the herd as well as from the flock. It is to preserve the life of the firstborn. As Yahshua’s flock, we are members of the household of the Firstborn. (Mat. 1:25 in Hebrew; Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 12:23) Ephraim (Yirmeyahu 31:9) and Israel as a whole (Ex. 4:22) are also called YHWH’s firstborn. So the Prince, of course, brings the more valuable of the two. Of course, this bull must be a year old or younger, so it is really a calf. This is the same offering the High Priest is to bring on Yom Kippur to atone for himself and his household. (Lev. 16:6) By this time, our habits will have changed dramatically as the Torah lifestyle in the Land has become the norm, but there will still be some occasional sins committed. If this Prince is indeed Yahshua, He does not have his own sins to atone for, but chooses to take responsibility for His household’s missing the mark, instead of running from it, as Adam did, for He knows that in Israel there really is no “Him personally”. If His people miss the mark, it still reflects on Him. On behalf of: Aramaic, as a substitute for.

This is when Yahshua ends His Nazirite vow and is able to fulfill His wish of eating the Passover with all of His disciples in His Kingdom (Mat. 26:29) –along with all those who have come into the Kingdom because of them. (Yoch. 17:20)

Tribute offering: or grain offering; LXX, a cake. A hin is the equivalent of about 6 liters.

The Feast: i.e., the pilgrimage-festival of Sukkoth. It is known as “THE Feast” because it is the grandest of all.

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Closed: otherwise the Temple itself would become mundane. Day of the new moon: literally simply, day of the renewing. This is the gate that the “eastern road” leads to (40:22), and what “eastern road” also means in Hebrew is “ancient path”. (Compare Yirm. 6:16.) It is the way back into Eden. (Gen. 3:24) Doors open to us in the spirit on these days, allowing intimacy with YHWH that is not available on other days when Israel is not assembled. It is certainly not open on Sunday (except Shavuoth)! The Sabbath and New Moons are the only way to “set our clocks” on His calendar; the rest of it depends on them. In ancient times, the new moon was a time to assemble either as a household (1 Shmu’el 20:18) or a community (2 Kings 4:23). Buying and selling was suspended, at least in Yerushalayim. (Amos 8:5) It appears that to some degree these customs will resume, though we are not told if they will be mandatory for all Israelites or voluntary. But the penalty for profaning the Sabbath is death. (Ex. 31:14)

Over the doorpost: apparently on a second tier, possibly a balcony above the gateway.

4. “‘“And the ascending [offering] that the Prince will bring to YHWH on the Sabbath say [is] six unimpaired [male] lambs and an unimpaired ram.

The six lambs may relate to the other six days of the week, and the ram the superiority of the Sabbath.

Gift from his hand: Aramaic, as much as his hand can grasp, an idiom for as much as he desires or can afford. (This is more explicit, though possibly slightly different, in v. 7.)

7. “‘“Also, he must prepare as a tribute [offering] an eyfah [of grain] per bull and an eyfah per ram, and for the [male] lambs, as much as he can afford, and of oil, a hin per eyfah.

Can afford: literally, whatever his hand can reach or secure. There will be times the people can give more than the minimum and times they cannot, and it is from their contributions that he draws his offerings. (45:16-17) At the harvest time more will be given and as the tribute of foreign nations increases as the Messiah’s kingdom spreads (Yeshayahu 9:7), the prince will be able to brig much more. Thus the new moon offering is exactly the same as the Sabbath with the one bull added, suggesting that the new moon is considered a more important day than the normal weekly Sabbath. But Numbers 29:3-4 indicates that at the new moon, twice as much grain would be brought for a ram as for a lamb, and three times as much for a bull as for a lamb. The offering prescribed for the Sabbath was a lamb in the morning and a lamb in the evening, along with their accompanying grain and libation offerings. (Num. 28:1-9) These referred to the communal offering of Israel; what is described here is not a negation of or an amendment to the Torah, but an additional offering the ruler is now to bring.

9. “‘“but when the people of the Land come before YHWH at the appointed times, one who enters by way of the northern gate must depart by way of the southern gate, and one who enters by way of the southern gate must depart by way of the northern gate; he may not return by way of the gate by which he came in, but must go out opposite [it].

This arrangement will improve the orderly flow of traffic through the Temple, preventing chaos or bottlenecks at one gate (if something interesting is going on outside it) while the other is nearly empty. Once we ascend to the Temple, we cannot backtrack; we must keep progressing onward. (Deut. 17:16) When the event is over, we are not permitted to go back to our comfort zone until we are comfortable wherever YHWH sends us. The term for “north” means “hidden treasure”, and the term for “south” is negev (parched), the proper name of the desert in southern Israel. It is important that each person experience some of each. Everyone will be going somewhere they have not been that day. Even those who study the most still often tend to stay in their area of expertise. Seeing from the perspective others have already known helps unify the nation. Opposite: literally, straight across from, or directly ahead of him—so all would have to pass directly by the altar. The only other time this same term is used is in Ex. 14:2, the account of when Israel became backed up at the Reed Sea and YHWH brought deliverance. By using it again here, it appears He wants to remind us of that event.

He is present among the people so we might see how he carries himself and learn from his example. Yet he enters and exits by a different gate than they do. He does not exalt himself above his countrymen (Deut. 17:20), but YHWH dignifies him by keeping him in a separate category. (Phil. 2:9)

12. “‘“And whenever the Prince prepares a voluntary ascending [offering], or peace [offerings] as a freewill offering to YHWH, [they] will open to him the gate facing east. When he has prepared his ascending or his peace [offerings], as he would on the Sabbath day, and has departed, [they] will shut the gate after his departure.

Whenever: at other times besides the appointed feast days and Sabbaths. Prepares a voluntary ascending: literally, makes a stairway of willingness. It is spontaneous, but he may not bring just anything he fancied, as Qayin tried to do. (Gen. 4:3-5) He must still follow the pattern of the Sabbath offering, and in Lev. 22:21-23 YHWH specifies what one must bring when his heart desires to do something extra for Him. If we really want to please Him, we will find out what He says pleases Him, not do what we assume would be appreciated, and especially not just bring what is convenient for us.

Prepare: Aramaic, provide. A year old: literally, son of its year. Morning by morning: Aramaic, every single morning.

To moisten: It could not be cooked into anything while still dry, without the oil that anoints. Without Messiah (the anointed One), our community cannot stay together, though all the individual pieces may be willing to please the Master. Fine flour: from a word meaning to strip (down).

Constant: or regular, from a root meaning “to stretch”. If this is indeed after the 1,000-year Messianic Kingdom, there is no endpoint to it, and no reason to think it should ever stop.

Again we may have to think “outside the box” about who this prince is. If it is David, there is nothing out of the ordinary; he had many descendants. If it is Yahshua, however, then contrary to popular belief, He must have been married and had children, for He Himself said that once resurrected, no one would marry or be given in marriage. (Mat. 22:30) Or it may be that the ruler appointed by both Houses of Israel (Hos. 1:11) is yet someone else who rules in a different capacity. Scripture tells us that a little child shall lead in the Kingdom.(Yeshayahu 11:6) Does this only apply to the animals who live in harmony or to the people as well? David is promised a son on the throne perpetually—but only as long as they continue to obey YHWH. (1 Kings 2:4) Could this prince be someone predating Yaaqov, who does not already have inherited property in the Land as all of Yaaqov’s sons do? Could it be Avraham—or even Adam? He will need land to work in the time of the restoration of all things! The point is that we need to be sure that our assumptions are truly based on Scripture in agreement with the rest of Scripture, for the power of the counterfeit messiah’s deceit will be in popular misconceptions. Demystification brings us closer to a true view of who YHWH and Yahshua really are, for YHWH said His word was not so far away that someone had to go up into heaven to retrieve it for us. (Deut. 30:12) We have to distinguish between what is truly spiritual and what is merely spiritualized. (Compare Heb. 4:12.)

Liberty: literally, flowing or running free. Even what is given away freely must be returned to its proper owner at that time.

This is what was taking place in Y’hezq’El’s lifetime: nobles stole land from common men without returning it in the fiftieth year. Ancestral possessions meant nothing to them by this time. This is a large part of what caused the dispersion, since YHWH only puts up with such things for so long. He placed the responsibility on the nobles. (Chapter 22) This prince, however, will not act that way. Scattered: has the connotation of overflowing, like water displaced as something “presses” on it from outside, which is the effect the prince would cause if he started this domino effect, for others would have to move also to make room for the displaced.

Those facing north: a reference back to 42:4. Recesses: or simply sides, flanks.

It is commonly thought that with haSatan bound, there will no longer be sin in the Kingdom. Without dispute, sin will be greatly decimated since the Torah will be enforced with an iron rod, and the Messiah’s influence will reach every part of the world. Possibly those who are resurrected will no longer sin, but it is doubtful that this will mean they are incapable of sinning. It will no longer be the norm to sin. If we obey Torah, our oxen will no longer gore people, nor will anyone fall off our roofs, so there will be vast improvements in the world. But there will still be exceptions--people who survived the time of Yaaqov’s trouble who remain unchanged, people who are still just beginning to learn Torah and slip up often, and everyone becomes slack at least once in a while. The offerings listed here can remedy those times. “They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain” (Yeshayahu 11:9; 65:25), but the rest of the world may not fully reach that standard. How else would the priests eat? There is no free ride if we do not keep our part of the covenant. Everyone since Adam has been seeking the fairy tale that we will one day be free from the responsibility. But there can come a day when we stop blaming someone else, make our confession, bring the penalty, and stop the vicious cycle right away. We cannot get Home until we reach some measure of this attitude, which begins with the confession, “Our fathers have inherited lies.” (Yirm. 16:19) Yahshua even took responsibility for sins that were not His. Do not look to Him for an excuse to be lazy! The goal is to focus on giving to one another, not taking and giving ourselves the advantage.

In each corner: Literally, the phrase simply repeats twice, a courtyard in the corner of the court.

23. And there was an enclosing-wall all around within them—around the four of them—and places for cooking were prepared from underneath the rows [of stones] on every side.

Enclosing-wall: the term suggests an orderly row or arrangement that surrounds. Rows of stones: or battlements, tent encampments, walled dwelling places.

These are separate cooking areas than those mentioned in v. 20. Since the priests are the ones cooking in the inner courtyard (v. 20), the cooks here are apparently the other Levites. It is the offerings being eaten in the inner courtyard (see Numbers 18), and though not mentioned here, the peace and thanksgiving offerings are also cooked in the inner court on or by the altar. Though it was forbidden to sit down in the Second Temple, this is not required in Torah, and neither is turning one’s back on the Temple building itself, though this is a worthwhile picture. (There is now a new Sanhedrin in Israel which aims to rectify errors in practice that have come from giving the Talmud too much authority.) There might even be picnic tables set up near the altar to share the fellowship over food with the priests and others who care to hear what you are thanking YHWH for. What is cooked here in the outer courtyard is the animals worthy of the altar (male lambs, goats, and bulls) which are not being sacrificed, but cooked for the owner and his household to eat. (Deut. 12:10ff; Lev. 17:3ff) It may be taken back home, but a portion is left for the Levites.

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This would be near where the king’s seat sat in the Second Temple, and Rev. 22:1 says the water comes from under the Throne. The laver in the previous Temples was also very close to where this water would be flowing from, suggesting that in this Temple a laver would not be needed, since flowing water is constantly available, and indeed the only temple furniture mentioned in this vision is the table/altar inside the building. (41:22) No laver is mentioned. When General Gordon explored underneath the Temple Mount in the early 20th century, he found a cistern right at this spot, and a duct to carry water and blood out of the altar area is still there today; this water could be partly to wash away the blood, etc. In ancient times, the richest fields in all of Yerushalayim were in the Qidron Valley, where this duct empties out. The barley to be watched to determine when it was the month of Aviv grew in some of these fields. Blood and water flowing from the side is also a picture of the Messiah. (Yoch. 19:34) Water coming forth also symbolizes the Torah (instruction) going forth from Tsion. (Mikha 4:2) Shoulder: or simply, side, as interpreted in the Aramaic targum.

3. As the man went out eastward, [with] the measuring-cord in his hand, and measured a thousand by the cubit, and had me step into the water—water [covering only the] soles [of my feet].

Had me step in: or, start to cross. Soles of my feet: literally, [there was] nothing [to it]; Aramaic, up to the ankles.

Up to my knees: LXX, water of a fountain. It is unusual to have water deepening so quickly without other tributaries. The Gihon Spring might again feed into it, but this itself suggests an allusion to Gen. 2, where we see one river flowing out of Eden, which was located at the site of Yerushalayim, then dividing into four “heads”. This passage only mentions one river, but Z’kharyah 14:8 says another will flow from Yerushalayim westward toward the Mediterranean Sea.

Overpowering: or risen up (as in triumph), deep; LXX: acted proudly. For swimming: Aramaic, that one had to swim across. Four measurements of water suggest the four levels of interpreting Scripture, the last of which is the deepest.

7. As I came back, there on the bank of the river were very many trees from this [side] and that.

No trees are present until after the fourth measurement; we are not totally fruitful until we have used all four measures on a passage of Scripture.

District: Heb., Galilah--literally, region of rolling hills. The LXX takes it as the “Galilee of the east”. The northern region actually called Galilee (Heb., Galil) is the same term. Aravah: the “transitional zone” between vegetated and desert, but a specific term for the Great Rift Valley; LXX, Arabia. The Qidron Valley already extend all the way to the Dead Sea and forms a natural channel ready for this river to flow down. Healed: Aramaic, purified. The waters: that is, in the Dead Sea, which are now far too caustic from the high mineral content to support any life except a tiny bit of algae.

This is part of the answer to how such a barren Land, also ravaged by war by this time, will again become a land flowing with milk and honey, the envy of the whole world. A climatic shift may also take place again, returning Israel to the latitude it was at before 701 B.C.E. The Hebrew word for “river” is nahal, and the word for inheritance, nahalah, is based on it, through the idea of flowing down. Fish are symbolic of Efrayim and Manashe. (Gen. 48:16), so this is a picture of the restoration of the inheritance of the tribes that left YHWH as they come back to life. (Yirm. 16:16; Mat. 4:19)

Eyn Gedi: “spring of the goat”. Eyn Eglayim: “spring of the pair of calves.” There are no fish in this sea (the Salt Sea) today, giving it the nickname “the Dead Sea”. According to its kind: a phrase also used of YHWH’s creation of the various species of animals (Gen. 1:21, 25); LXX, distinct. Thus this indicates that a variety of species of fish will also return to this sea. This also suggests that it will remain a saltwater sea, which is supported by v. 11: Numerous: Aramaic, plentiful. It may no longer even be called “the Salt Sea”, though salt mines will remain along its edges, according to the Aramaic translation of verse 11:

Swamps and marshes: LXX, at the outlet of the water and where it overflows its banks. Thus it seems this area will be like the Nile Valley—seasonally watered as the water rises, possibly in spring. As to an outlet, see note on v. 19. Salt: The Aramaic translation specifies “salt mines”. It may include other minerals as well, as are mined there today by the process of evaporating the water. Salt marshes will constitute part of the ecosystem in the restored Land—important because salt is needed daily for all contribution-offerings brought to the Temple. (Lev. 2:13)

Tree to eat from: LXX, fruit tree. Its leaf will not wither: David said the same about a man whose delight is in the Torah of YHWH and who meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1); LXX, it shall not decay on it. Grow: Aramaic, spring up. Be exhausted: that is, run out or be used up. By its months: LXX, they shall bring forth the first-fruit of their early crop. For healing: or medicine. Rev. 22 adds the details that these are the tree of life—a restoration of the tree in Paradise that was lost—and the healing is for the nations (which can just as well be translated tribes, which is more likely in the context of Israel). It clarifies that the tree bears fruit every month—or possibly, every new moon to be even more precise. The gate is opened every new moon, but no one enters through it; is it opened to let the waters out? There are twelve kinds of fruit, according to Rev. 22. Is there a specific fruit that brings healing in a special way for each tribe? Is one tribe magnified each month and given a special place in the Temple—to administer a special type of healing for the whole nation--at that time, like the 24 courses of Levites that used to each serve on a particular week? David claimed his entire family had a sacrifice on the new moon (1 Shmuel 20:29); his extended family was the tribe of Yehudah. This may be the reinstitution of an ancient practice. Yahshua cursed a fig tree that had leaves, but no fruit. (Mat. 21:19-20) How many who claim to be His followers produce healing, but no fruit, since they practice lawlessness, that is, say the Torah is not for today? (Mat. 7:22-23)

Will receive: implied, as interpreted by the Aramaic translation, based on his being counted the firstborn, who receives a double portion (Deut. 21:17) and since Yaaqov adopted Yoseyf’s two sons as his own (Gen 48), and thus gave Yoseyf an extra portion of land. (48:22) The first Y’hoshua did the same (Y’hosh. 17:14, 17), but only after these two tribes reminded him that they needed more space.

As his brother does: LXX, each according to his brother’s portion—i.e., each tribe may receive an equal division of the territory, or each family within the tribe may be allotted an equal portion of his tribe’s land. The first time the land was allotted (by Y’hoshua) according to the size of the tribes.

Great Sea: LXX, the great sea that comes down and divides the entrance of Emaseldam.

Hamath means “walled fortress”. Berothah means “place of cypress trees”. Sibrayim means “dual intention”. Chatzer haTikhon means “most central enclosure”. Chauron means “caverns that are growing pale”. Between the territory: the Aramaic calls it the pond of the Agebeans.

Chatzar Eynon means “enclosure of springs”. Hamath is the principle city of upper Syria in the valley of the Orontes River.

Aramaic: between Chauron and Damaseq and between Gil’ad and the Land of Israel. Gil’ad was an extra area annexed to the Land of Israel proper because of the desires of the tribes with “much cattle” (Deut. 3:19) and as a reward for Makhir’s exploits (Y’hoshua 13). LXX, the Jordan divides to the sea that is east of the city of palm-trees.

Thamar means “a date palm”. The Aramaic takes this as Yerikho since it is known as the “city of palm trees”; LXX mentions both “Taeman” and the city of palm-trees. However, Yerikho is north of the “eastern sea”. Meriboth-Qadesh means “holy contentions”. It may refer to the waters of Meribah at Qadesh-Barnea, a place the Israelites all passed through (Ex. 17:7), complaining of the lack of water; here Moshe struck the rock, bringing water from it at YHWH’s word. Deut. 32:51 identifies it as being in the Wilderness of Tzin. Numbers 34:8 says the ancient border would run from Mount Chor to the entrance to Hamath, so this eastern edge probably ends at Mount Chor, which is very close to Petra (Sela), as far south of the Dead Sea as the Dead Sea is long. But all of Edom belonged to Israel in the days of Shlomo and the Hasmoneans, and YHWH said that wherever our foot treads will be Israel’s inheritance. (Y’hoshua 1:3) Dr. Lennart Möller, in The Exodus Case, locates this rock very close to Mt. Sinai, on the eastern shore of the Reed Sea in present-day Arabia. Wadi: or possibly, river, for it appears that the Yarden may again flow south from the Dead Sea into the Reed Sea as it did prior to the S’dom and Ghamorah catastrophe.

LXX, “This part of the Great Sea forms a border till one comes opposite the entrance of Hemath, even as far as the entrance thereof. These are the parts west of Hemath.”

22. “‘Thus it has come about; so you will let it fall [by lot] as inherited property for yourselves and for the foreigners who are staying among you who have brought forth children in your midst, and they must become to you just like the natives [who grew up] among the descendants of Israel. They are to receive a share with you [by lot] in inherited property within [that of] the tribes of Israel.

23. “‘How it must be is that in the tribe within which the foreigner stays, that is where you must give him his inheritance’, declares the Master YHWH.”

This is where he has chosen to sojourn, so this is where he will be permitted to remain. There are several words for foreigners in Hebrew; this type is one who stays with Israel for a long time for the sake of learning from Israel, and in general intends to eventually become part of Israel. But one who sojourns in another tribe’s territory is also called by the same term, so this could include Israelites who do not know what tribe they are from, but live as Israelites—a large number today. We may be counted according to the tribal identity of the teacher under whom we enter this Torah lifestyle, if it is known. The Aramaic rendering is “proselytes who have converted”. YHWH grants them their wish! Compare Yeshayahu 66:21, in which some are even allowed to be priests and Levites.

CHAPTER 48

Side: literally, hand. Khethlon means “enwrapped” or “hiding place”, much like the term for “north” which means “hidden” or “place of hidden treasure”. In a way this could come from the topography. At Dan on the northern extremity of the Land today, one can look only a short distance north before mountains obscure the view. Only one pass opens the way through snow-shrouded Levanon, where trade routes came from Mesopotamia. East of the sea: or, an eastern extremity [and] the western.

The presence of tribal land for Dan begs the question of why this is reinstated when Dan is not included among the “servants of YHWH” who are sealed before the earth can be harmed during the “Great Tribulation”. (Rev. 7:5-8) Each tribe has 12,000, including Levi and Yoseyf as well as Yoseyf’s son Menashe—but not Dan. In Jewish tradition, the Counterfeit Messiah will come from this tribe, based on Gen. 49:17. One clue is that every time the number 12,000 is mentioned in relation to men in Scripture, it is in the context of war. (Num. 31; Y’hoshua 8:25; Judges 21:10; 2 Shmuel 10:6; 1 Kings 4:26; 10:26; 2 Chron. 9:25; Psalm 60:1 (or the Psalm’s introduction in some versions). But in 17:1 it is in relation to Avshalaom’s revolt—another clear prototype of the Counterfeit Messiah’s attempted usurping of Yahshua’s throne. Could Dan’s 12,000 all be serving the Beast, then repent thereafter? In any case, Dan is placed furthest of any tribe from the sanctuary.

3. “and on the border of Asher, from the eastern extremity to the western extremity, one [for] Nafthali.

4. “and on the border of Nafthali, from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, one [for] Menashe.

5. “and on the border of Menashe, from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, one [for] Efrayim.

6. “and on the border of Efrayim, from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, one [for] Re’uven.

7. “and on the border of Re’uven, from the eastern extremity to the western extremity, one [for] Yehudah.

8. “and on the border of Yehudah, from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, will be the contribution that you must lift off 25,000 [cubits] wide and [as] long as one of the allotments from the eastern extremity up to the western extremity, and the sanctuary will be in its midst.

As long as one of the allotments: i.e., the full length of the land west to east. This also suggests that the eastern border remains equidistant from the coast at all points. Midst: not the exact center, as portrayed in chapter 45, but also not on its edge. It is buffered on all sides by this set-apart portion, though on the south side is the city which is the “ordinary within the holy” like the intervening days during the Feasts of Unleavened Bread and Sukkoth.

11. “for the priests of the sanctuary—from the sons of Tzadoq, who guarded what I wanted guarded, who did not go astray when the descendants of Israel wandered off, just as the Levites wandered off.

45:4 tells us this land is a place for the priests to put their houses. Undoubtedly land-use regulations will be stricter here than anywhere else in Israel.

Sub-contribution: or, further skimming-off, secondary subdivision, the “cream of the cream”. Territory: or border.

14. “And they may not sell any of it or have it exchanged, nor may they let the firstfruits of the Land leave the territory, because it is set apart for YHWH.

Leave the territory: literally, cross over; Aramaic, nor transfer this choice land.

Open space: from a term meaning to thrust outward, push out, or drive away. This would be like a buffer zone keeping anything from encroaching on the city. The city: Aramaic, the precincts of the city.

17. “And the city’s open space will be 250 on the north, 250 on the south, 250 on the east, and 250 on the west.

18. “And what remains of the length alongside the set-apart contribution is 10,000 on the east and 10,000 on the west, and it comes alongside the set-apart contribution, and its produce will serve as bread for those who work for the city.

19. “And the city’s laborer will serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.

The city’s laborer: Aramaic, those who work in the city.

21. “Then what is left is for the prince on this side of the set-apart contribution and the city’s property, and on that, toward the face of the 25,000 of the skimmed-off [contribution] as far as the eastern border, as well as westward on the face of the 25,000 as far as the western border—parallel tracts belonging to the prince. Thus it will serve as a set-apart section skimmed-off, with the sanctuary of the House within it.

22. “And [some] of the Levites’ property and [some] of the city’s property will be in the middle of what belongs to the prince; [that which is] between the territory of Yehudah and the territory of Binyamin will belong to the prince.

23. “Then the rest of the tribes: from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, one [for] Binyamin.

24. “and on the border of Binyamin, from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, one [for] Shim’on.

25. “and on the border of Shim’on, from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, one [for] Yissakhar.

26. “and on the border of Yissakhar, from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, one [for] Z’vulun.

27. “and on the border of Z’vulun, from the eastern extremity all the way to the western extremity, one [for] Gad.

28. “and on the border of Gad, to the southern extremity of the Negev, the border will be from Thamar [to] the waters of Meriboth-Qadesh of the wadi onto the Great Sea

29. “This is the Land [for] which you will let [the lot] fall from [the] inheritance of the tribes of Israel, and these are their allotments”, declares the Master YHWH.

Allotments: divisions or shares. The obvious question that must arise is, why are the tribal lands not laid out according to the borders Y’hoshua appointed (Y’hoshua 19), when the Torah says not to shift the ancient boundaries (Deut. 19:14)? This may be a test of whether we will interpret any other Scripture in comparison to Torah. It has to somehow be in agreement with the Torah, or it is wrong. (Yeshayahu 8:20) And what great sea is as far south as v. 28 describes? The Reed Sea? We could surmise that since the topography will change when the Kingdom is being established (Yeshayahu 40:4; Mikha 4:1; Z’kharyah 14:4-5), the places Y’hoshua set as corner-markers will become aligned with the points of convergence of the parallel “strips” of land depicted here. Or it may be that these are simplified administrative districts similar to those set up by David (1 Chron. 23-28), each headed by someone from a different tribe (the princes, plural, of 45:8 who will not oppress the people) which overlap with the actual boundaries of tribal inheritance rather than canceling them in any way. Or there may be another way of interpreting this that will not come to light until it is needed—as the time to divide the Land approaches.

31. with the gates of the city [based] on the names of the tribes of Israel—three gates on the north: one [being] the gate of Re’uven, one the gate of Yehudah, [and] one the gate of Levi;

The tribes are grouped differently here than in the four quadrants of the wilderness camp of Israel. (Numbers chapter 2)

Each of those who work in the city from the various tribes (v. 19) may enter through the specific gate of his own tribe and gather there in their “work crews”.

34. the western extremity, 4,500, their gates [being] three—one the gate of Gad, one the gate of Asher, [and] one the gate of Nafthali.

Rev. 21 adds the details that each gate was a single pearl, and at each there was a messenger. It says Yochanan saw no temple in the city; Y’hezq’el’s account reveals that the Temple was actually just outside the city! But his measurements are also much larger—12,000 furlongs on each side. A furlong (Gk., stadion, a measure of about 600 feet or 185 meters,thus totally about 7.2 million feet or 1,363 miles on each side! That would not even fit in the Land of Israel, so there are clearly more factors than meet the eye. One measure may be the city in the Kingdom, and the other in the “new heaven and new earth”. The details may not be ours to know just yet; what could we do with them right now anyway? The main point of Y’hezq’el’s visions is that Israel will come back together, and that for that to take place we must confess our ancestors’ sins, repent, and begin to live as Israel again. We need to focus on this rather than becoming sidetracked by the logistics of how it all fits together. That will come when we need it.

From that day: Aramaic, from the day that YHWH makes His Sh’kinah rest upon it. YHWH is there: or possibly “Where YHWH is”; Heb., YHWH Shammah. This will truly be in every sense “the place where He has chosen to set His Name” and a “city of refuge”.