Ezekiel 21

The word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel (verse 1). He is commanded to set his face toward Jerusalem and to speak, or: let his words flow, against the sanctuaries (verse 2; cf. Eze 20:46). After the Negev in the previous verses (Eze 20:45-49), by which Judah is meant, it is now Jerusalem’s turn to hear words of judgment. Judgment is directed primarily against “the sanctuaries” by which, given the plural, is possibly meant the temple complex (cf. Lev 26:31; Mt 24:1). Ezekiel is also to prophesy against the whole land of Israel.

The whole land has so forsaken the LORD that He will cut off from it both the righteous and the wicked (verse 3). They are the green and the dry tree of the previous riddle (Eze 20:47). The fire, spoken of there, has now become a sword. The LORD will draw His sword out of its sheath to exercise the judgment. This refers to the carnage that will be wrought by Nebuchadnezzar, who is His sword.

The word ‘sword’ occurs no less than thirteen times in the following verses. This does show the severity and certainty of the judgment. It is also a general judgment, for the sword will be against “all flesh” (cf. Eze 20:48), “from south [to] north” (verse 4), including the princes (verse 12). The judgment will be unstoppable (verse 5).

As Ezekiel lets his words flow, he must “groan with breaking heart [literally: loins] and bitter grief” (verse 6). The groaning must be so deep that he is like a broken man, like someone bent or huddled with his hands on his stomach because of an excruciating stomachache. Strength to walk is not there. He has to show this dejection because there is no hope of recovery from the pain. When the people ask him why he is doing this, he must say that he is weighed down by the burden the LORD is placing on him (verse 7).

The prophet is committed to his message and he is deeply burdened by it himself. The inner feelings and expressions that show this show that he does not bring his message with pleasure. The suffering he has to announce that will come upon his people affects him deeply.

If we have to admonish someone, we must have the right inner mind for it and give it the right expression. Do we also know the groaning because of the disasters that will befall the world and professing Christianity?

Just as the imminent suffering coming upon his people deprives him of all strength already now at its announcement, so it will be with those over whom the sword of God’s judgment will soon come. Ezekiel uses four expressions to describe the physical and spiritual reaction to the news of the fall Jerusalem:
1. “And every heart will melt (cf. Psa 22:14; Isa 13:7; Nah 2:10),
2. all hands will be feeble (cf. 2Sam 4:1; Isa 13:7; Jer 6:24; Eze 7:17),
3. every spirit will faint (cf. Isa 61:3) and
4. all knees will be weak [literally: flow] as water” (Eze 7:17).

When the news of the fall and destruction of Jerusalem comes, it will take away the courage of all who hear it. And it will surely come, for the LORD has said so. This is what Ezekiel needs to show and let hear to the exiles with whom he is.

Again the word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel (verse 8). He is now commanded to prophesy about the sword, about the coming of the sword and what the sword will do (verse 9). He speaks in poetic language, in the form of a song, about the horrors that the sword will bring. He begins by describing the sword. The sword is mentioned twice in succession, because of the impression it makes. It is not a sword that hangs on the wall for decoration, but a sword that has been sharpened and polished for use.

The sword is sharpened to make a slaughter, and it is polished to make it shine when it is struck back and forth flashing (verse 10). It will come with the speed of lightning. At that sight, all joy disappears. It is, says the LORD, the rod with which He must discipline His son Israel because he has despised every tree, which means every other rod of wood. God’s people have been unwilling to listen to any discipline (cf. Deu 21:18-21).

God gave the sword to Nebuchadnezzar (verse 11). Nebuchadnezzar took it in his hand to carry out God’s counsel. However, in doing so he has only pursued his own evil, cruel plans. Like “the slayer”, he has acted with the sword given him by God. He has carried out the task given to him only to his own honor and pleasure.

That is why Ezekiel is commanded to cry out and wail (verse 12), because God’s people are suffering so much. God is not indifferent to what people do to His people of their own accord, driven by murderous motives. He wants to punish His people, but those who are used by Him want to exterminate His people. That is what concerns Him. Here we see that God is not a cruel God, but uses everything to His ends, without in the slightest diminishing the responsibility of those whom He makes use of. The people and their officials have been given up to the sword. This is a matter to be intensely grieved over, of which the striking of the thigh is an expression (Jer 31:19a).

But what happens when this tried rod has also done its work and is taken away, the LORD asks (verse 13)? In order to avoid having no effect, the prophet must continue to prophesy (verse 14). He must clap his hands together as a sign of dismay. For the sword will come down on Judah with double strength, yes, with triple strength. It will come down in such fury upon the great ones, the forefathers of the people, that many will fall down mortally wounded. It will cause great fear. Many will be brought down and thus become a stumbling block to those who want to flee (verse 15). And when they come to the gate to go out of the city, they will run into the sword there and be killed. After all, the sword was polished for that purpose.

Then the sword is addressed (verse 16). The short sentences sound like sword strokes. The sword is under God’s command, and the command is that the sword is to spread death and destruction in all directions, whichever way it turns. What Ezekiel has to do in verse 14, God Himself will also do (verse 17) when His sword is busy sowing death and destruction. He will clap His hands together and bring His wrath down upon the people. He will appease His wrath through the judgment on the wicked and encourage the sword to destroy, until His wrath is stilled. He has spoken it and so it will happen.

Again the word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel (verse 18). He is commanded to make [or: set for himself] two ways (verse 19; cf. Eze 4:1). He has to set them “for himself”. This indicates that he is to enter in the spirit of what is about to happen. In the same way, we are to be concerned with future events. We must be able to set them for ourselves, as it were, so that what is going to happen to Israel, Europe and the world becomes clear to us.

The ways that Ezekiel has to make or draw starts as one way, which later splits into two ways. It is the way that the sword will go to get into Judah. Now the name of him who holds the sword is also mentioned. It is the king of Babylon. The two ways go out from one land. At the place where the way splits into two ways, Ezekiel is to make a signpost. On it are two destinations. One way leads to Rabbah, the capital of the sons of Ammon; the other way leads to Judah with its fortified Jerusalem (verse 20). The way from Babylon to Rabbah and to Jerusalem is the same way until Damascus. At Damascus one must choose where to go.

Then the LORD tells Ezekiel why he should set out the way and the split into two ways. At the split, the king of Babylon will stop to consider which direction he will go (verse 21). Will he take the way to Rabbah or the one to Jerusalem? To determine his choice, he will use idolatrous methods of divination, as is customary for him, to reach a decision. He uses three methods. This does show how uncertain he finds a particular method. It is obvious to assume that by using three, he will take the path indicated by at least two methods.

The ‘shaking the arrows’ could mean that he takes two arrows and puts the name of a direction on each. He then shakes them and draws one. That is then the direction he will take. When consulting the “household idols” they seem to be teraphim or small household gods taken by the owner on a journey (Gen 31:19). To “look at the liver” is to examine the color and characteristics of the liver of a sacrificial animal. This form of divination is in use throughout the Babylonians at this time.

We see here that God knows all of Nebuchadnezzar’s deliberations and that He determines the outcome. He will cause the king of Babylon to go up to Jerusalem (verse 22). Nebuchadnezzar thinks his gods have given him counsel, but God determines his way. Nebuchadnezzar has his battle plan and his weapons ready to begin the siege of a strong fortress like Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem will experience this as a “false prophecy”, because they have promised allegiance to the king of Babylon after all (verse 23; Eze 17:16-18).

But their promises or oaths are worth nothing. Several times Zedekiah and the officials committed themselves with solemn oaths to remain faithful to the king of Babylon. But they have done so in order to deceive him, for secretly they have made agreements with Egypt (Eze 17:7,15,17; Jer 37:5; 46:17). It is precisely their unfaithfulness that is a reason for Nebuchadnezzar to go up against them. He will remind them of their own iniquity and seize and carry them away for it.

Judah itself ensures that their iniquity is remembered because they continue to sin (verse 24). There is no need for a prosecutor, for the people are indicting themselves with their sins that are becoming public. These are what cause them to be given over to the judgment of Nebuchadnezzar’s hard hand.

The great culprit is the “slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel”, by which Zedekiah is meant (verse 25). In its full application, this is about the antichrist. The day of reckoning has come because his iniquity has risen to its height. He will lose his kingship. The crown as a sign of it will be taken away from him (verse 26). The turban will also be taken away from him. The turban is an ornament of the high priest (Exo 28:4; 29:6; Lev 8:9). It is possible that he has assumed a priestly dignity.

There will be a complete change in his circumstances. This is done according to the principle that God exalts those who humble themselves and humbles those who exalt themselves (Lk 14:11). Those who bow down to His judgment that He brings on them through Nebuchadnezzar, He will exalt (cf. 2Kgs 25:27-30). Those who exalt themselves against that judgment, He will abandon to judgment, as Zedekiah will experience.

The three times repeated “a ruin” indicates the judgment on Jerusalem (verse 27). That city will become an unprecedented ruin. That it is repeated three times indicates that judgment will be irrevocable and extremely forceful.

However, the destruction of Jerusalem and the dethroning of Zedekiah – and the future dethroning of the antichrist – will not be the end. God will change this state of affairs as well. The prophecy of doom ends with a promise. God will give the land and the crown to One Who is entitled to it, that is the Messiah. To Him He will give the throne of David.

Nebuchadnezzar’s decision to go up to Jerusalem (verses 20-22) does not mean that the Ammonites will escape judgment (verse 28). Their defamation over humiliated and devastated Judah is an additional reason to judge them. The sword of judgment that is in Nebuchadnezzar’s hand will massacre them as well (verses 9-10,15).

The Ammonites think they will be spared (verse 29). That is what their lying prophets with their false visions have caused them to believe. Those deceivers have even said that they will go up to Judah with Nebuchadnezzar, whose side they have chosen (2Kgs 24:2). They will then set their feet on the necks of the unholy wicked who belong to Zedekiah and whose iniquity has reached its zenith (cf. verse 25).

The call sounds to them that they should not arm themselves. They will not fight with Nebuchadnezzar and will not be able to resist him (verse 30). They will be judged in their own land and will not be led into exile like Judah. God will pour out His indignation on them and blow on them with the fire of His wrath (verse 31). He will do this by giving them into the hand of brutal men who have their destruction in mind.

The fire, picture of judgment, will do its destructive and consuming work among them (verse 32). The land will be full of the blood of the defeated in the midst of it. Their role will be utterly finished and they will no longer be asked for. They will have disappeared from memory. It happens that way because the LORD has spoken it.