Wicked Leaders to be Judged
Evil in High Places
11:1 Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of Jehovah's house, which looketh eastward: and behold, at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
The Holy Spirit transported Ezekiel from the Babylonian canals to the Eastern Gate of the Outer Wall of the Jewish Temple. These priests were not the same 25 priests who Ezekiel observed earlier. These were princes, the civil leaders of Judah, who were responsible for giving wise leadership to the people. They were responsible for leading and acting wisely and responsibly.
11:2 And he said unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity, and that give wicked counsel in this city;
The civil leaders used their wisdom to devise evil. They gave wicked counsel to the city.
11:3 that say, The time is not near to build houses: this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.
Jeremiah commanded the people to go peacefully into the Babylonian exile. The civil leaders disagreed with Jeremiah and asked the civilians to stay in Jerusalem and prepare for war. Their point was that Jerusalem was a cauldron that would protect the citizens from destruction.
It is important to note that Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel were all prophesying at the same time. Daniel was prophesying to the royal house in Babylon. They were taken captive during the first exile. Ezekiel prophesied to those taken to the Babylonian canals during the second exile. Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem and prophesied to the Jews were would be taken in the third and finale exile. Some of the third exiles would also die in either Jerusalem or Egypt.
11:4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy against these evil civil leaders of Jerusalem.
11:5 And the Spirit of Jehovah fell upon me, and he said unto me, Speak, Thus saith Jehovah: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.
Ezekiel began his prophecy of judgment against Judah. Jehovah knew their thoughts and actions. This is why the cherubim possessed numerous eyes in every place of their body.
11:6 Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
The actions of the Jerusalem civil leaders would cause the deaths of many Jerusalem citizens.
11:7 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it.
The city of Jerusalem was not a magic charm. Even though God had protected Jerusalem during the Assyrian attack 120 years earlier, He would not protect Jerusalem from the third Babylonian siege. Sarcastically Jehovah would provide security only to those who were already dead. Those living in Jerusalem would be brought out of the cauldron and thrown into the fire. Those living in Jerusalem would not be protected. Instead, they would face death. For this reason, Jehovah commanded them to leave the city of Jerusalem and accept the Babylonian Captivity for seventy years.
11:8 Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Judah feared the sword, but it would be the sword that they would get.
11:9 And I will bring you forth out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
The strangers that Judah would be delivered to were the Babylonians. The Babylonians would inflict God's judgements upon Judah.
11:10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
The border of Israel was the city of Riblah, where the leadership of Judah met. They would be judged in this exact city.
11:11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; I will judge you in the border of Israel;
The leaders would not be protected by the city of Jerusalem. Instead, they would be executed in this city. This fulfillment would be found in 2 Kings 25.
11:12 and ye shall know that I am Jehovah: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye executed mine ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.
The reason for this judgment was because Judah failed to keep the Mosaic Law. Instead, they followed the other nations into demonic idolatry.
A Promise of Restoration
11:13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
Ezekiel was disturbed by this vision. He asked God if He was going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel.
11:14 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Jehovah answered Jeremiah's question.
11:15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from Jehovah; unto us is this land given for a possession.
Jehovah gave Ezekiel some hope by giving him a glimpse of the future restoration of Israel. All of the Jews who were taken by Babylon in the first and second deportation had lost their property. This included Daniel and Ezekiel. The surviving remnant who remained behind claimed their land. Finders keepers, losers weepers. This made the surviving remnant in Jerusalem feel that they were superior to those Jews who were exiled to Babylon.
11:16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they are come.
Ezekiel predicted that the Jews would be scattered into all of the nations of the world. However; the Jews would survive as a distinct entity, but not as a nation. They would assimilate into other nations. Other nations would lose their cultural identity, but not the Jews. For example, the Germans and the Italians who migrated into America assimilated into the American culture. The Jews would not be assimilated. They would live in all nations as distinct cultures.
11:17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
Jehovah would regather all of the Jews out of all of the nations sometimes in the last days. Two restorations were predicted in Scripture. One regathering will be in unbelief. The second regathering will be in belief. The first regathering will be fulfilled during the Great Tribulation. This will result in unbelieving Jews being slain by the Antichrist. The second regathering will be during the Millennial Kingdom. These Messianic Jews will all believe. They will populate Israel during the Millennial Kingdom.
11:18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
When the Jews return during the Millennial Kingdom, there will be no more idolatry. All of the Jews and their children will worship the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah.
11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;
At the time of this future restoration, Israel will receive a new heart and a new spirit. The new heart will be a new attitude about the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The new spirit will be the Holy Spirit, who possesses all believers. All of Israel will believe in their Messiah and be saved. This regeneration was predicted by the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31.
11:20 that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
After this national conversion of Israel, the Jews will have the spiritual ability to keep the commandments of God. This commandments are not those of the Mosaic Law, because the Mosaic Law will not be re-instituted in the Millennial Kingdom. This new law will be the Millennial Law of the Millennial Kingdomm. These new birth Jews will be empowered to keep this new law in their regenerated condition.
11:21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Those Jews who continue in idolatry will be judged, according to the prophecies of Ezekiel.
God's Glory Leaves Jerusalem
11:22 Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
The Shekinah Glory began to move to His fourth location.
11:23 And the glory of Jehovah went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
The Shekinah Glory had now left the city of Jerusalem and was hovering over the Mount of Olives. Rabbis teach that the Shekinah Glory waited 3.5 years on the Mount of Olives for Israel to repent, but this is rabbi superstition. This length of this event was not recorded in Scripture. This departure of the Shekinah Glory was a fulfillment of Deuteronomy 31 and Hosea 9. The Shekinah Glory did not return after the second temple was rebuilt during the days of Haggai. However; Haggai did predict that the Shekinah Glory would return to that second temple. The second temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Therefore, the Shekinah Glory had to return before 70 A.D. The Shekinah Glory did return to the Second Temple in the form of Jesus. According to John 1:14, Jesus became flesh and dwelt, or “made His Shekinah dwell” among His people. Jesus waited 3.5 years for the Jews to repent and turn to Him, but they refused.
11:24 And the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
Ezekiel was transported by the Spirit of God back to the canals of Babylon. This vision disappeared. Again, Ezekiel was transported spiritually, because he still had ten more days to lay on his side.