Tag Archives: end times

Revelation Friday: Ezekiel 4-7 Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

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Did you read the ground rules? Any bible passages can be read by moving your mouse over the passage (I am using ESV). Ok lets get started…. (if you don’t have time to read all of it now, see the note below*)


Ezekiel 4-24 covers the Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. It is broken down as such:

Ch 4-7  Symbolic Actions

Ch 8-11 Ezekiel’s first “temple vision”

Ch 12-14   Idolatry will be punished

Ch 15-23 Parables and Metaphors

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Today I will be touching on Ezekiel 4-7
(I really try not to make these long each Friday, but sometimes it is hard. That is why I give you the option of being able to print it out in my BlogFrog Community, it may be easier to read that way).

Even though Ezekiel is far away from Jerusalem in Babylon, he is given prophetic warnings to those who are still residing in Israel about the coming invasion. At the time, there were false prophets telling the people there would be peace, but God tells the people that disaster is coming.  Sounds like the world today telling us we are working towards peace, but as Christians the book of Revelation tells us it is going to get worse before it gets better. Who do you believe?

Ezekiel was instructed to take a clay tablet with the city of Jerusalem drawn on it and camp around about it (Ezekiel 4:2). Ezekiel then took an iron pan to symbolize a wall between him and the city. This was God’s warning through Ezekiel that the Chaldeans would seal off Jerusalem. Do you think anyone was listening to Ezekiel? Ezekiel 2:4 tells us he was speaking to impudent and stubborn people.

Sin of Israel: (these sins are important to remember because later you will be asking, why is God so angry.  Below is WHY.)

And he (God) shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin (1 Kings 14:16). Jeroboam caused the ten tribes to rebel against the authority of the house of David when Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, came to reign.

Simply put: they lacked the fear of God!

Ezekiel 22:3-11

“You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! 4 You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries.  Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult.”

They lacked the Fear of God.

“Behold the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst.  In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity.  One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter.  In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

I don’t know about you, but I get a shiver of fear while reading the sins Jerusalem committed and God’s punishment. Some (if not all of the sins) are prevalent today.

God then instructed Ezekiel to lay on his left size for 390 days~appox. 13 months (we are not told how long each day he had to do this). Then lay on his right side for 40 days. Left side symbolized the days of judgment Jerusalem would have against them and the right side symbolized their time in captivity. (Ezekiel 4:4-6)( In the BlogFrog community I break down this important calculation).

Symbol of Ezekiel’s sharp sword (Ezekiel 5):

God orders Ezekiel to shave the hairs off his head and his beard, then to distribute them into three parts.  God is using Ezekiel’s hair to symbolize how Israel will be defeated.  Also shaving the head was a sign of mourning.

  • 1/3 of his hair was to be burned inside the city when the siege is fulfilled
  • 1/3 of his hair was smitten with the knife
  • 1/3 of his hair was to be scattered in the wind and God would draw out a sword against them.
  • A few strands were to be bound and then cast into fire.

    • Ezekiel 5: 7-9

    Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you (meaning the Gentiles), and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations.  And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.

    God will go to great lengths to make His people understand that He, and He alone, is God.

    God’s Judgment (what the distribution of Ezekiel’s hairs represented):

  • 1/3 will die by plague and famine
  • 1/3 would die by the sword
  • 1/3 would be scattered (a remnant)
  • God would make her an object of horror to the nations
  • God would destroy her with famine, wild beasts, plague and bloodshed.



    • Chapter 6 is the Destruction Against the Mountains of Israel

    In this chapter (now let this sink in, this is important) this describes the lengths to which God will go to make His people understand that He, and He alone, is God. Yahweh also gives us a truth,  He has been hurt. God has been hurt by the adulterous, idolatrous hearts of His people. Ezekiel 6:9

    Even today we wound God when we seek other idols. God reminds us in a powerful way, we may seek advice, we may go to counsel BUT it is God who will answer us.  We have become a society today that makes our idols look pretty.  We study Ezekiel and the judgment upon Israel, but look at our society today….is there much difference?  This should strike fear into those who lack the fear of God and should comfort those who fear God.  Those who fear God know God is a God of justice and that he will not allow evil deeds to go unpunished.

    Chapter 7:  The Coming of God’s Judgment

    God tells Israel he will not spare them of the coming judgment.  The entire land will be judged.  There will be famine and pestilence (Ezekiel 7:15), those outside the city will die by the sword (Ezekiel 7:15), the remnant will flee to the mountains mourn (Ezekiel 7:16), money and possessions will mean nothing (Ezekiel 7:17-22).  God will give the land to the worst of the Gentiles (Ezekiel 7:24).  There will be great mourning (Ezekiel 7:25-27).

    It is so easy to point our fingers at the sins of Israel, reading through Ezekiel 22:3-11 should be a wake up call.  In the gospel according to Lori (meaning my opinion) we are becoming more and more a nation that does not fear God.  The sad thing is I am mainly talking about Christians here.

    Do you fear God more than you fear stepping out of your comfort zone?

    Do you fear God enough to realize everything is His (your finances, your children, your spouse )?

    Do you fear God more than you fear being persecuted?

    I am speaking to myself here today.  I know what the “Christian answer” is but God does not want someone that speaks Christianese, he is after obedient hearts.  He knows we are sinners and we will fail, that is why he sent his son to die on the cross for our sins.  Don’t allow Satan to trap you in your sin, forgiveness is offered to you today.  All you need to do is ask.

    See you next Friday.  For some additional thoughts, see the BlogFrog Community for some discussion questions.

    * In my BlogFrog community I have uploaded a copy of this post along with questions to respond to. This makes it possible to print out this post to read at another time or use it as your devotional. In the BlogFrog community I will try to add some time lines and additional information that you can print out and save. It is my understanding you don’t need to sign-up for the community to be able to print the information out, it is just if you want to leave a comment you need to be signed in (it is free). Feel free to leave comments either here or in the community forum. I look forward to your thoughts.

    Friday’s Revelation: Ezekiel 1-3

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    Did you read the ground rules? Any bible passages can be read by moving your mouse over the passage (I am using ESV). Ok lets get started…. (if you don’t have time to read all of it now, see the note below*)

    What is the purpose of the book of Ezekiel? I am glad you asked.. The whole book covers a 22 year period, 6 years before Jerusalem’s destructions and 16 years after.

      A. “They shall know that I am God” appears 62 times in the book
      B. To dispel any hope among the Israelites that the captivity might be short
      C. To prove God’s case against Israel, showing the Israelites why they were in captivity.
      D. To cause the people to repent of their sins
      E. To give hope

    Main Outline:

      Ezekiel prepared as a prophet: he was a priest that was called to be a prophet (Ch. 1-3).
      Ezekiel predicts Judgment on Kingdom of Judah (Ch. 4-24)
      Ezekiel predicts Judgment on Gentile Nations. (Ch. 25-32)
      Ezekiel prophecies blessings on the nation of Israel (Ch. 33-48).

    Background: After Solomon died then Israel split into two kingdoms (which made them weak and open to attacks-as to why they split that involves more than I can cover here, but think politics):

      1. Northern Kingdom (10 tribes) known as Israel (even today they are called the 10 lost tribes of Israel, because they never came back together)
      2. Southern Kingdom (2 tribes-Judah & Benjamin) known as Judah
    Jerusalem---The-Eastern-Gate

    Jerusalem---The-Eastern-Gate

    First the Northern Kingdom is taken into Assyrian captivity (721 BC).  Then Southern tribe (Judah) was the group taken into Babylonian captivity (605 BC). We will get into the “good figs” and “bad figs in Chapter 11, but know the “good figs” are the ones in Babylonian captivity, the “bad figs” are the ones that remained in Israel. The ones in Babylonian captivity are promised a return from exile (Ezekiel 14:22-23). Zedekiah stayed behind to rule over the remnant as the leader of the “bad figs.” (Jeremiah 24:8-10)

    Both Kingdoms were not doing right in the site of God and both will be punished, but God in his grace told the people if they go into Babylonian captivity as their punishment then they are promised a return from exile.  The ones who remained will be severely punished.

    God uses Ezekiel as a prophet to the exiles and the remaining Jews in Jerusalem, although he never actually went there.

    *****************************************************************
    Ezekiel 1Ezekiel Chapters 1-3

    It is a blessing when God speaks to us, but we are responsible to share the good word he does share. We are not to learn and then tuck it away; we need to speak God’s truth.

    We begin this study with the Israelites in their 5th year of Babylonian captivity (Ezekiel 1:2). God uses prophet Ezekiel to strike terror into the sinners, and bless the ones who fear God.

    FYI: The exiles in Babylonia captivity were not in inhuman conditions.  They were able to build houses and live in them. Plant gardens, marry, and have children.  While in Babylonia they were relatively free and were not considered slaves. (Jeremiah 29: 5-7)

    While in captivity Ezekiel was given a series of visions and was commanded to speak to his fellow captives.  Ezekiel was told to speak whether they listened or not (Ezekiel 2:7).

      Ezekiel 1:4–3:15 Vision of four living creatures (Ezekiel 1:10).
      1. The first had the face of a man. (possibly representing intelligence)
      2. The second had the face of a lion. (possibly representing man as a ruler-strength & boldness)
      3. Third the face of an ox. (possibly representing man in his power-diligence & patience)
      4. The fourth the face of an eagle. (possibly representing man in his nobility-quickness & piercing sight.)


    All four were to represent the Glory of God.

    In Ezekiel 2 we see God reached out and handed Ezekiel a scroll (Ezekiel 2:9-10). Here is where he is officially commissioned to deliver God’s message to the House of Israel (currently in Babylonian captivity). In Matthew Henry’s commentary it says, “Gracious souls can receive those truths of God with delight, which speak terror to the wicked.” The same words can have the opposite effect, depending on the state of your heart.

      What the scroll contained:
      All four were to represent the Glory of God.

      1. “Written words of lament and mourning and woe.”
      2. God warned Ezekiel the people would be unyielding and hardened (Ezekiel 3:8).
      3. God also said Ezekiel would be held responsible if he did not warn the people of Israel.

    God lifted Ezekiel up and took him to the captives near Chebar River, where he sat silent for the next 7 days (Ezekiel 3:15). After God revealed the words of the scroll Ezekiel was so overcome with grief, but also very overwhelmed after seeing the Glory of God.

    Has there ever been a time in your life when God spoke a word over you, or blessed you unexpectedly that all you could do was sit there and try to take it all in?

    Ezekiel was floored, but he also was deeply grieved because he saw the wrath that was going to come upon the nation he loved.

    After the 7 days God told Ezekiel to go out to the valley, where he will speak with him again. God then told Ezekiel that he was going to make him mute until God was ready for him to speak.

    What I like about this text was that it was not Ezekiel’s job to make people listen; each individual is responsible for their own response. God only made Ezekiel responsible to say what God told him to say and when he told him to say it.

    Have a great Friday and remember you are not responsible for other’s reactions, only responsible to share what God has done in your life.

    * In my BlogFrog community I have uploaded a copy of this post along with questions to respond to.  This makes it possible to print out this post to read at another time or use it as your devotional.  In the BlogFrog community I will try to add some time lines and additional information that you can print out and save.  It is my understanding you don’t need to sign-up for the community to be able to print the information out, it is just if you want to leave a comment you need to be signed in (it is free).  Feel free to leave comments either here  or in the community forum.  I look forward to your thoughts.

    Friday’s Revelation

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    Ok the yea’s won out over the nay’s (if you were a nay please read the red comment below). This bible study will begin in Ezekiel, then move to Daniel, and end up in Revelation. There are a few ground rules I want to lay down so we are all on the same page.  I will be referring to this page often.

      1. I AM NOT AN EXPERT, nor do I play one on TV. I am studying this along with you. Repeat this again..LORI IS NOT AN EXPERT.  Did not attend Seminary.  ok?



      2. Feel free to pass along questions, if I don’t know the answer I will ask someone who may. May we learn from each other.



      3. WE WILL NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING. Repeat again…WE WILL NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING. I don’t care if you are pre-rapture, post-rapture, or mid-rapture (personally all I care about is that YOU ARE raptured). I will present it from my point of view (my blog, my view). You can counter RESPECTFULLY! I will not delete comments that disagree with me, as long as you are respectful. If you are rude and attack me or worse yet one of my readers I WILL DELETE the comment. And you will receive 20 lashes with a wet noodle.



      4. I will not, nor cannot cover everything within each passage.  I will be covering highlights, pointing things out, trying to explain the message.  I will do my best to make the study easy to read and understand (ok sis?), but honestly Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation are books to not be completely understood.  They are books to give us hope.  Also they are NOT books to fear.  I have found the more you study the less fear there is.

    If this topic does not interest you, feel free to skip Fridays but I would be really sad if you dropped me all together.



    I will try to post every Friday (Friday Revelation), but hey life happens and some Friday I may miss.  I may run away to the beach, you never know.



    I have to admit I have a bit of  “Ok what did I just commit to” fear.  But truthfully, this is helping me learn by typing it out, just as much as I hope it is blessing you by reading.  Also I do feel the Lord pushing me, not sure if it is so I personally can retain it better, or because He is REALLY trying to get HIS word out.  Anyone who tells you they know when Christ is returning, do not walk RUN away, but I will tell you HE IS COMING SOON!  These books of the bible are God speaking to us and trying to prepare us for what is coming. God NEVER wants us caught off guard.



    And once God speaks to us, we have a responsibility, but I am getting ahead of myself……next Friday may the fun begin!!