33:1 The word of the Lord came to me:
The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel once again. He was not giving out his own human opinion.
In chapters 12-24, Ezekiel took Jerusalem into the courtroom and exposed their evil. Their judgment would be the Babylonian Captivity. In chapters 25-32, Ezekiel predicted that Jehovah was also going to judge those nations who surrounded Israel. In chapters 33-39, Ezekiel predicted that Jehovah would still fulfill the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenants in the far future. Jehovah will restore Israel back into her land once again. Jehovah is not yet finished with Israel. Jehovah still has a plan for Israel.
33:2 “Son of man, speak to your people, and say to them, ‘Suppose I bring a sword against the land, and the people of the land take one man from their borders and make him their watchman.
Jehovah addressed Ezekiel as a “son of man,” meaning that he was born into the human family of Adam. Ezekiel was to give a message to the captives who were in Babylon. For a second time, God appointed Ezekiel as a watchman over his people.
33:3 He sees the sword coming against the land, blows the trumpet, and warns the people,
The job of the watchman was to sit on the fortress walls and blow a trumpet when the enemy army enters into the land. The trumpet was the shofar, or the ram’s horn. When the people outside of the walls of the fortified city heard the trumpet, then they were to leave their homes, enter into the protection of the walled city, and prepare for war.
33:4 but there is one who hears the sound of the trumpet yet does not heed the warning. Then the sword comes and sweeps him away. He will be responsible for his own death.
If a person hears the warning trumpet of the watchman and does nothing, then he would be killed by the sword of the invading army.
33:5 He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, so he is responsible for himself. If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life.
The responsibility of entering the fortified city belonged to the individual and not the watchman.
33:6 But suppose the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. Then the sword comes and takes one of their lives. He is swept away for his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for that person’s death.’
If a watchman sees the sword of the enemy invasion, but he does not blow the warning trumpet, then Jehovah would hold the watchman responsible for the deaths of those outside the fortified city.
Pastor-teachers are the watchman of the modern church. If they do not warn their congregation by teaching them the truth from the entire counsel of the Word of God, then God will hold them responsible. Believers are also watchman over those whom they come into contact. They are to watch over their souls by sharing the gospel and discipling those whom they meet. They are also to expose evil, so that others can be warned. If a believer fails to tell unbelievers about the Lord Jesus Christ, then the believer is responsible for sending them to hell. Believers have a great responsibility placed upon them.
33:7 “As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf.
Ezekiel was appointed a second time as the watchman of Israel. He must tell them the truth, even if it does not tickle their ears.
33:8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you must certainly die,’ and you do not warn the wicked about his behavior, the wicked man will die for his iniquity, but I will hold you accountable for his death.
If Ezekiel does not warn the wicked of their sins, then Jehovah would hold Ezekiel responsible for their death. He must expose evil and tell them the truth. He must tell them the consequences of their sins.
33:9 But if you warn the wicked man to change his behavior, and he refuses to change, he will die for his iniquity, but you have saved your own life.
If Ezekiel warns the wicked of their sins, then Ezekiel would live and keep on preaching. A believer can never lose his eternal life, but he can lose his physical life. The most terrible thing that a Christian can do is possess the truth of the gospel and remain silent. He is sending people to an eternal death. If a believer does not watch over the people in which God has given him charge, if he does not blow the shofar, then God will bring him home and allow someone else to blow the shofar.
33:10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?” ’
After being held captive in Babylon, Israel finally confessed that her sin had caught up with her. She finally understood the reason for her captivity in a foreign pagan land. Those living in sin were wasting away their lives. Many Christians either live in sin or refuse to study the entire counsel of the Word of God at the deepest level. They are unwisely wasting their lives. Carnal Christians need to "get a life" and share the gospel with others.
33:11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Jehovah is sovereign over all nations, including the captives of Israel who were exiled in Babylon. Jehovah does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. He wants them to change their behavior and live. He wants them to turn from their sin. Jehovah asked Israel, “Why do you want to keep on sinning and die?” (paraphrased)
33:12 “And you, son of man, say to your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him if he rebels. As for the wicked, his wickedness will not make him stumble if he turns from it. The righteous will not be able to live by his righteousness if he sins.’
Ezekiel was to teach that faith alone saves. One who rebels against God is an unbeliever. If a person rebels against God but does good works, then these good works will not save him. If a wicked person does evil works but eventually turns to God, then he will be saved (even if it is the last few seconds of his life). It is never too late for God to save a sinner from eternal death.
33:13 Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, but he becomes confident in his righteousness and commits iniquity. None of his righteous deeds will be remembered; because of the iniquity he has committed he will die.
A righteous person is a believer. He cannot lose his eternal life. However, if he continues to live in sin, then he may commit the sin unto death. He will not lose his eternal life, but he may lose his physical life. God may call him home early and give his job to someone else. Someone else will complete his work and be rewarded with his eternal crowns.
33:14 Suppose I say to the wicked, ‘You must certainly die,’ but he turns from his sin and does what is just and right.
If an unbeliever is warned of physical and eternal death, but God changes the unbeliever's attitude from negative to positive, then he will be saved.
33:15 He returns what was taken in pledge, pays back what he has stolen, and follows the statutes that give life, committing no iniquity. He will certainly live—he will not die.
When a wicked person believes and studies Bible doctrine, then the Holy Spirit will change his motives and actions. If a wicked person believes but does not study Bible doctrine, then he will still be saved, but he will not produce any fruit. He will physically die as a carnal Christian. He may commit the sin unto death and die early. He will still enter heaven, but without any crowns. God will give his job and his crowns to someone else who is more obedient.
Obedience comes from studying and applying the entire counsel of the Word of God at the deepest level. Those who study more will be more willing and more able to execute divine good works. Those who study less will be less willing and less able to execute divine good works.
The fragmented Bible doctrine of carnak Christians will actually cause them to be deceived into many facets of their life. Instead of making divine-viewpoint decisions, they will make human-viewpoint decisions. According to Isaiah, human-viewpoint decisions are dirty menstrual rags to God. God cannot use dirty ambassadors He will not honor them. They are filthy. They aide the satanic world system. God must throw them away, because He will not allow anything unclean into his perfect heaven.
The deception of the fragmented Christian is that he will think that his human-viewpoint decisions are aiding the Kingdom of God, but they actually build up the Kingdom of Satan. A fragmented Christian does not know how to pray, how to study, which church to attend, how to believe, who to elect, or how to live the Christian life. He will be continually AWOL during the angelic conflict. If he does enter the angelic warfare, then he will become an early casualty. Satan knows his weaknesses and will expose them.
A fragmented Christian is walking around blindly in the world without a flashlight. He is like an ostrich who hides his head in the ground to avoid danger. He is like a sheep who strays away from his Shepherd and enters into a forest full of wolves who wish to devour him. He sees himself as a king in a royal wardrobe, when he is actually blind and naked. The biggest sin of a Christian is ignorance of the Word of God. A mature Christian will not stay fragmented. He will study the entire counsel of the Word of God at the deepest level. He will apply what he learns. He will enter into the angelic warfare completely armed with the entire counsel of the Word of God.
33:16 None of the sins he has committed will be counted against him. He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live.
Everyone is born into this world as a wicked person. The satanic world system falsely teaches him that he does not need God. Satanism teaches that all one needs to do is perform good works for society. If there is a God, then He will wink at his sins, praise him for all of his good works, and allow him into heaven. This is the great deception of the enemy.
All of the human good works of the secular world are dirty menstrual rags to God. For example, feeding the poor of a society is feeding those who oppose God. They will energize themselves with food and then use their energy to build up the satanic world system. God has promised all believers food, shelter, and clothing.
If a strange beggar approaches a believer, then the believer’s response should be, “Do you attend a local church?” If he says “Yes,” then remind him that the local congregation is to care for him. If he says “No,” then inform him that his master is Satan and Satan is to feed him. He cannot serve two masters. Believers do not feed the enemy. They do what Peter did. Peter gave the beggar not food or money, but the gospel.
If a wicked person who has done many wicked things desires to believe in God, then God will forgive all of his wicked deeds and bring him into the Kingdom of God. This decision can even come at the end of one’s life. The thief on the cross believed on the last day of his life and Jesus promised him that he would enter into Paradise on that very day. The thief had no time to change his lifestyle, no time to be water baptized, no time to recite a sinner's prayer, no time to repent, no time to walk down an aisle and make a public confession, and no time to perform good works. He simply believed and was given eternal life.
33:17 “Yet your people say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their behavior that is not right.
Many of the people of Israel did not like Jehovah’s salvation plan. They did not think it was right for one to be saved by faith alone. They wanted a works salvation plan. Ezekiel informed these people that they were the ones whose behavior was not right.
33:18 When a righteous man turns from his godliness and commits iniquity, he will die for it.
A righteous man is a believer. If he commits the sin unto death, then God will bring him home. He will not lose his eternal life, but he will lose his physical life.
33:19 When the wicked turns from his sin and does what is just and right, he will live because of it.
When a wicked person turns from his sin because of a new faith in God, then he will be credited with righteousness. He will desire to study Bible doctrine at the deepest level and apply what he has learned. It is the one act of belief, and not the many good works of a man, which makes one righteous with God. This one act of belief comes as a gift from God. God removes the blinders so that man can see the Lord Jesus Christ and believe.
33:20 Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’ House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.
Israel complained that it was God who was wrong and they who were right. The temple had been taken away from the Jewish people. The rituals of the temple pointed toward the atonement of Christ. John the Baptist introduced Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Every lamb sacrificed in the Old Testament pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ. With the temple gone, there was no national ritual which pointed to the Lamb of God. God was no longer working by national ritual through the Jewish temple system. He was working with individual regeneration and sanctification. God would now judge each Jewish individual separately on their personal attitude toward God.
33:21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth of the month, a refugee came to me from Jerusalem saying, “The city has been defeated!”
In Ezekiel 24, Ezekiel had already predicted to the exiles in Babylon that the city of Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed. Eighteen months later (January 9, 585 B.C.), a messenger traveled several hundred miles from Jerusalem to Babylon and confirmed Ezekiel’s prophecy.
33:22 Now the hand of the Lord had been on me the evening before the refugee reached me, but the Lord opened my mouth by the time the refugee arrived in the morning; he opened my mouth and I was no longer unable to speak.
Ezekiel had been silent in Babylon for seven years. He only spoke prophetic judgments from Jehovah. Now that Ezekiel’s message was confirmed, there was no need for him to be silent any longer. He opened his mouth the night before the messenger arrived. This was a tremendous object lesson which proved that Ezekiel was a prophet of God.
33:23 The word of the Lord came to me:
The word of Jehovah came to Ezekiel once again. He was not giving out his human opinion.
33:24 “Son of man, the ones living in these ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land, but we are many; surely the land has been given to us for a possession.’
After Jerusalem was destroyed, there were still a few survivors living in Jerusalem. Jeremiah and Ezekiel both warned them to leave the city and to accept their exile in Babylon. They refused to listen to Jehovah through these prophets. Their reply was that Abraham was given this land by the Abrahamic Covenant, so they were not going to leave the city. Just as God had given Abraham the land, so had God given these men the land.
33:25 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: You eat the meat with the blood still in it, pray to your idols, and shed blood. Do you really think you will possess the land?
Ezekiel answered these men. His words came from Jehovah, who was sovereign over all of history. Ezekiel did not tickle their ears and tell them what they wanted to hear. He told these men that they were living in sin. They were living in Jerusalem against the will of God. They were breaking the Mosaic Law by eating meat with the blood still in it. This violation of the Mosaic Law was often used as a satanic ritual. They were praying not to Jehovah, but to demonic idols. They were guilt of murdering other people. Ezekiel asked them if they really thought that God had given these demon worshipers the land of Abraham.
33:26 You rely on your swords and commit abominable deeds; each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Will you possess the land?’
Ezekiel continued to point out the sins of these rebellious people who refused to listen to the prophets and accept the Babylonian Captivity. Instead of trusting Jehovah and living the rest of their life in Babylon, they were living in Jerusalem by the skill of their swords. They were involved into the abomination of demon worship. They were committing spiritual adultery. Ezekiel asked them again if they really believed that God was giving them this land. The right for Israel to possess the land depended upon their spiritual obedience, and not their numerical strength. Israel violated the conditional Mosaic Covenant, so she forfeited her rights to live in the Promised Land.
33:27 “This is what you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those living in the ruins will die by the sword, those in the open field I will give to the wild beasts for food, and those who are in the strongholds and caves will die of disease.
The prophets warned the people of Judah to move their families to Babylon, to settle down, build homes, and live there in peace for the next seventy years. Many of the believers obeyed the prophets and settled their families in Babylon. They would be safe from war in Babylon, because Nebuchadnezzar was attacking and destroying most of his tribute cities.
After Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, many of the unbelieving and disobedient Jews who stayed in Jerusalem were killed by the sword, starvation, or famine (just as the prophets predicted). Some of the survivors were living in ruins, open fields, or caves. Ezekiel warned these survivors that they would all die. Those living in the ruins of Jerusalem would die by the sword. Those living in the open fields would be devoured by wild beats. Those living in the caves would die of disease.
33:28 I will turn the land into a desolate ruin; her confident pride will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be so desolate no one will pass through them.
Jehovah would empty Israel of people. She would become a desolate ruin. She would no longer possess the arrogant pride of living in Jerusalem and thinking that the temple was a good luck charm which would protect them from foreign nations. The mountains of Israel would be so desolate, that their would be no more reason for travelers to take this road.
33:29 Then they will know that I am the Lord when I turn the land into a desolate ruin because of all the abominable deeds they have committed.’
When Israel became desolate of people, then all of the nations would know that Jehovah is Lord. They would know that God keeps His promises.
33:30 “But as for you, son of man, your people (who are talking about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses) say to one another, ‘Come hear the word that comes from the Lord.’
The Jewish people in Babylon finally realized that Ezekiel was a true prophet of God.
33:31 They come to you in crowds, and they sit in front of you as my people. They hear your words, but do not obey them. For they talk lustfully, and their heart is set on their own advantage.
Ezekiel eventually had a large congregation. They sat in front of Ezekiel, pretending to be men of God. They heard the words of Ezekiel, but they did not obey them. They still spoke lustfully, as they were preoccupied with sex. Their heart was into materialism, but not with God.
33:32 Realize that to them you are like a sensual song, a beautiful voice and skilled musician. They hear your words, but they do not obey them.
Ezekiel was nothing but entertainment to the people. His words were like a sensual song to them. They heard the words of Ezekiel, but they did not obey them. There were a lot of verbal “Amens” resounding through the congregation, but this was all just for show. The modern application is that there are many modern churches who faithfully teach the Word of God, but the members motivation for attendance is entertainment. They want to hear the Word of God, but they do not wish to apply it in their lives.
33:33 When all this comes true—and it certainly will—then they will know that a prophet was among them.”
Which prophecies will come true? Ezekiel had already predicted the fall of Jerusalem. This prophecy had been fulfilled. Ezekiel may have been referring to the fact of individual responsibility and judgment that God imposes on all people. Each person would be held accountable for his own actions and his own responses to God’s Word. When their own day of accountability came, then those “hearers of the Word but not doers of the Word” would be forced to acknowledge that Ezekiel was a true prophet of God.