Ezekiel 15:1-8 The Inhabitants of Jerusalem Are Compared to Wood from Trees

 

The Inhabitants of Jerusalem Are Compared to Wood from Trees

Ezekiel 15:1-8             The Book of Ezekiel [in Smaller Chunks]

And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, [why] is the [wood of the] vine tree more [significant] than [the wood from] any [other] tree, or than a branch, [that] is among the trees of the forest? Shall [its] wood be taken [from it] to do any work?

Or will men [take from it] & make [pegs from] it to hang any [handled] vessel [on it?] [Look, the wood] is [thrown] into the fire for fuel. The fire devours both ends of it & [its middle] of it is burned. Is it [good] for any work?

[Look,] when it was whole, it wasn't [good] for [any] work. How much less shall it [still] be [good] for any work, when the fire has devoured it & it's burned? [Isaiah 44:16-17 He burns part [of it] in the fire & with part [of it,] he eats [meat] & he [turns a spit for] roasting [a] roast & is satisfied.

[Still,] he warms himself & says, Aha, I have [watched] the fire & I'm warm. And the [rest of it,] he makes a god, even his [carved] image. He falls down to it, worships it & prays to it & says, Deliver me, for you are my god.]

The Lord God says [this;] Therefore, [like] the [wood from] the vine tree [is] among the trees of the forest, [that] I have [set aside as] fuel for the fire, I [also] will [do the same to] the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set My face against them & they shall go out from one fire & another fire shall devour them.

And you shall know that I Am the Lord, when I set My face against them. [Ezekiel 5:11 The Lord God says; Surely as I Live, [for this reason,] I will therefore also [reduce] you & neither shall [My] eye spare, [nor] will I have any pity, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things & abominations.]

And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, says the Lord God. [Ezekiel 23:37-39 They have committed adultery & blood is [on] their hands. And they have committed adultery with their idols & have also caused their sons, whom they [bore] to Me, to pass through the fire, to devour them, for [idols.]

[Additionally,] they have done this to Me. They have defiled My sanctuary & [on] the same day, have profaned My Sabbaths. For when they had [sacrificed] their children to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to profane it. And, [look,] they have done [this] in the midst of [My] house.]

Ezekiel 14:1-23 Some of the Elders of Israel Sat Before Ezekiel

 

Some of the Elders of Israel Sat Before Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:1-23             The Book of Ezekiel [in Smaller Chunks]

Then [some] of the elders of Israel came to me & sat before me. And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols [within] their [hearts] & put the stumbling block of their [sinfulness, in front of] their [faces.] Should I be inquired of by them, at all?

Therefore, speak to them & say, The Lord God says [this;] Every man [from] the house of Israel, [who] sets up his idols in his heart & puts the stumbling block of his [sinfulness, in front of] his face & comes to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer him, according to the multitude of his idols.

[So,] I may [ensnare] the house of Israel, through their idols [within] their own [hearts,] because they are all estranged, [a.k.a. turned away] from Me. Therefore, say to the house of Israel, The Lord God says [this;] Repent & [return] yourselves from your idols & turn your faces away from all your abominations.

For everyone [from] the house of Israel, or the stranger, [who temporarily stays] in Israel, [who] separates himself from Me & sets up his idols [within] his heart & puts the stumbling [blocks] of his [sinfulness in front of] his face, & comes to a prophet to inquire of him [about] Me; I, the Lord, will answer him by Myself.

And I will set My face against that man & will make him a sign; a proverb; & I will cut him off from the midst of My people. And you shall know that I Am the Lord.

[Ezekiel 5:15 So, it shall be a [disgrace & a song for taunting with a lesson for] instruction to the nations that are [all around] you, [that are astonished,] when I shall [carry out] judgments [on] you in: anger; fury; & furious [reprimands.] I, the Lord, have spoken it.]

And if the prophet [is] deceived when he has spoken [something,] I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet & I will stretch out My hand upon him & will destroy him from the midst of My people, Israel. [Isaiah 66:3-4 He, [who] kills an [ox, is [like] if he [has killed] a man.

He, [who] sacrifices a lamb, [is like] if he [has] cut off a dog's neck. He, [who] offers [a sacrifice, is like] if he [has] offered swine's blood. He, [who] burns incense, [is like] if he blessed an idol. [Yes,] they have chosen their own ways & their soul delights in their abominations.

I will also choose their delusions & will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none [answered.] When I [spoke,] they didn't hear: but they did evil [in front of] My eyes & chose [what] I [didn't delight in.]

The Lord God says, And they shall bear the punishment of their [sinfulness.] The punishment of the prophet shall even be [like] the punishment of [those, who] seek to [inquire by] him.

[So,] that the house of Israel may no [longer go] astray from Me & neither be [defiled] anymore, with all their [sins;] but that they may be My people & I may be their God.

The Word of the Lord came to me again, saying, Son of man, when the land sins against Me by grievously trespassing, then I will stretch out [My] hand upon it & will break the [supply] of [its] bread & will send famine upon it & will cut off man & [animals] from it.

[Although] these 3 men: Noah; Daniel: & Job were [on the earth,] they [couldn't] deliver [anyone,] but their own [lives,] by their righteousness, says the Lord God.

If I cause [wild animals] to [cross] through the land & they spoil it, so that [it's] desolate, that no man may [cross] through [it,] because of the [wild animals:] As I live, says the Lord God, [although] these 3 men were [on earth,] they [could] deliver neither [their:] sons nor daughters.

Only they shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. Or if I bring a sword upon that land & say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man & [animal] from it.

The Lord God says, As I Live, [although] these 3 men  were [on the earth,] they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they, themselves shall be delivered.

Or if I send a pestilence into the land & pour out My fury upon it [by bloodshed,] to cut it off from man & [animals: although] Noah, Daniel & Job were [on the earth,] as I Live, says the Lord God, they shall neither deliver [their] son nor daughter. They shall [only] deliver their own [lives] by their righteousness.

For the Lord God says [this;] How much more, when I send My 4 [severe] judgments upon Jerusalem, the: sword; famine; [wild animals;] & pestilence, to cut it off from man & [animals?] [Still watch,] there shall be [some remaining] left, that shall be brought [out:] both sons & daughters.

[Look,] they shall come [out] to you & you shall see their [ways] & [actions.] And you shall be comforted [about] the [disaster] that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even [about] all that I have brought upon it.

[Ezekiel 20:42-43 And you shall know that I Am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country, [of] which I lifted up [My] hand to give it to your [forefathers.] And there you shall remember your ways & your [actions, in which] you have been defiled. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your [evil] that you have committed.]

And they shall comfort you, when you see their ways & [actions] & you shall know that I haven't done, all that I have done in it, without [a reason,] says the Lord God.

[Jeremiah 22:8-9 And many nations shall [cross] by this nation & every man shall say to his neighbor, [Why] has the Lord done [this,] to this great city? Then, they shall answer, Because they have [abandoned] the covenant [contract] of the Lord their God & worshiped & served other gods.]

Ezekiel 41:1-26 The Man Continues to Measure the Lord's Temple

 

The Man Continues to Measure the Lord's Temple

Ezekiel 41:1-26            The Book of Ezekiel [in Smaller Chunks]

[Ezekiel 40:2-3 In the visions of God, He brought me into the land of Israel & [put] me upon a very high mountain, [in] which, [on] the South, was [what looked like] the [shape] of a city. And He brought me [there] & [I] saw, a man was [there,] whose appearance was like brass, with a flax [measuring] line in his hand & a [measuring] reed & he stood in the gate.]

[Later,] he brought me to the temple & measured the [door] posts, 6 cubits [wide,] on the one side & 6 cubits [wide] on the other side, which [were across] the width of the tabernacle.

And the [width] of the [entrance] door was 10 cubits & the sides [next to] the door were 5 cubits on one side & 5 cubits on the other side. And he measured [the temple's] length: 40 cubits & [its width:] 20 cubits.

Then, he went [inside] & measured [each of] the [doorway's side posts;] 2 cubits; the door [was] 6 cubits [high] & the [width] of [each of] the [2 doors:] 7 cubits.

And he said to me, This is the Most Holy Place, [a.k.a. The Holy of Holies.] After he measured the wall of the [Lord's] house, [a.k.a. the temple:] 6 cubits & the width of every side [room:] 4 cubits, [all around] the house on every side.

And the side [rooms] were [in] 3 [stories,] one [room] over another & [there was a total of:] 30 [side rooms: 5 on the North side of all 3 stories & 5 on the South side of all 3 stories.]

And they entered into the [walled staircase,] which was for the side [rooms] of the [Lord's] house, [all around it, so] that they might [take] hold [of the staircase rails,] but not hold [onto] the wall of the [Lord's] house. And there was an [enlarged opening] & a winding [staircase, going] upward [to the side rooms] [around] the [Lord's] house.

[1 Kings 6:8 The door for the middle [story] was [on] the right side of the house & they went up with winding stairs into the middle [story] & out of the middle & into the third [story.]

Therefore, the [width] of the house increased [upward] from the lowest [rooms] to the highest, [through] the midst [of it.] [1 Kings 6:5-6 And against the wall of the [Lord's] house, he built [rooms around it,] both of the temple & of the oracle, [a.k.a. The Holy of Holies,] & he made [rooms around it.]

The [rooms] [on the bottom story] [were] 5 cubits [wide] & the [rooms on the] middle [story] [were] 6 cubits [wide] & the [rooms on the] third [story] [were] 7 cubits [wide.] For [outside] in the wall of the [Lord's] house, he made [narrow ledges around it so] that the beams shouldn't be fastened to the wall of the [Lord's] house.]

I also saw the height of the [Lord's] house & [around it.] The foundations of the side [rooms] were a full reed of 6 great cubits. The thickness of the wall, for the side [rooms outside,] was 5 cubits & [what] was left was the [open] place, [a.k.a. terrace, for] the side [rooms] that were [inside.]

And between the [entrance of the] [rooms] [outside & the entrance of the rooms inside] was [a distance of] 20 cubits, around, [including the 5 cubit thick walls of] the [Lord's] house on every side [of the first story.]

And the doors of the side [rooms faced] the [open] place that was left, 1 door toward the North & another door toward the South. [The entrance of the 5 rooms inside of each of the 3 stories on the North side, would open to the South & [its] terrace door would open to the North.

The entrance of the 5 rooms inside on each of the 3 stories on the South side, would open to the North & [its] terrace door would open to the South.] And the width of the [terrace] that was left, was 5 cubits, all around it.]

Now the building that was [in front of] the separate [courtyard] at the end, [faced] West & was 70 cubits [wide] & 90 cubits long. And the [building's] wall was 5 cubits thick [all around it.]

So, he measured the [Lord's] house, 100 cubits long. And the separate [courtyard] & the building with [its] walls, [were] 100 cubits long. Also, the [width] of the [front] of the house & the separate [courtyard facing] East, [was] 100 cubits long.

And he measured the length of the building [facing] the separate [courtyard that] was behind it & [its] galleries, [a.k.a. hallways or walkways] on one side & on the other side, [were] 100 cubits.

[This included:] the inner temple; the [court's] porches, [a.k.a. covered porches & vestibules,] door posts; narrow windows; & the [hallways all around] on [its] 3 stories, [opposite the door's threshold,] [which were:] paneled all around] with wood from the ground up to the windows.

And the windows were covered, [even] above the [door, a.k.a. transom window;] even to the inner house, [a.k.a. The Holy of Holies;] & [outside] by all the [walls around it, inside & outside,] by [measurement.]

And it was [carved] with cherubims, [a.k.a. angelic figures,] & palm trees. So, that a palm tree was between a cherub & [another] cherub. And every cherub had 2 faces; so that the face of man was toward the palm tree on one side & the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side.

It was [carved all around] through the [Lord's] house. [There] were cherubims & palm trees made, from the ground to above the door & on the wall of the temple, [a.k.a. Sanctuary.]

The [temple's] door] posts were squared, [as was] the [front] of the Sanctuary. The appearance of one [doorpost] was [like] the other. The wood altar was 3 cubits high & [its] length, 2 cubits. And [its:] corners; [its] length & [its] walls, were [made] of wood.

And he said to me, This is the table before the Lord. And the temple & the Sanctuary had 2 doors, [a.k.a. double doors.] And the 2 doors [each] had 2 [folding] leaves, [a.k.a. panels.] 2 [panels] for the one door & 2 [panels] for the other door.

And cherubims & palm trees were [carved] on the doors of the temple, like [those carved] upon the walls. And there [was a wooden canopy] upon the [front] of the [outside] porch, [made with] thick planks.

And there were narrow windows, [with] palm trees on [either side of them] & on the sides of the porch & upon the side [rooms] of the [Lord's] house & [on the canopies.]

Ezekiel 13:1-23 Woe to Foolish Prophets Who Follow Their Desires & Haven't Seen a Vision

 

Woe to Foolish Prophets Who Follow Their Desires & Haven't Seen a Vision

Ezekiel 13:1-23            The Book of Ezekiel [in Smaller Chunks]

And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, [who] prophesy & you say to [those who] prophesy [from] their own hearts, You, hear the Word of the Lord. [Jeremiah 13:17 But if you won't hear it, My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride. And [My] eye shall [severely] weep & run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive.]

The Lord God says [this;] Woe, [a.k.a. distress,] to the foolish prophets, [who] follow their own spirit & have seen nothing! O Israel, your prophets are like the [fox] in the deserts.

You haven't gone up into the gaps & neither [have you] made up the [hedges] for the house of Israel to stand in [during] the battle [on] the day of the Lord.  They have seen [what is worthless] vanity & lying divination, saying, The Lord says.

[But] the Lord hasn't sent them. And they have made others hope that they would confirm [their] word. Haven't you seen [what is a worthless] vain vision & haven't you spoken a lying divination, [since] you say, The Lord says it? [However,] I haven't spoken.

Therefore, the Lord God says [this;] Because you have spoken [what is] vanity & [have] seen [what are] lies, therefore, [watch,] I Am against you, says the Lord God. And [My] hand shall be upon the prophets [who] see [what is] vanity & divine lies.

They shall not be in the assembly of My people & neither shall they be written in the [records] of the house of Israel. Neither shall they enter into the land of Israel & you shall know that I Am the Lord God.

[Jeremiah 20:5-6 [Also,] I will deliver all the strength of this city; [its] labors; all [its] precious things; & all the treasures of the kings of Judah & I will give [them] into the hand of their enemies, [who] shall [plunder] them & [capture] them & carry them to Babylon.

And you, Pashur, & all [who] dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. And you shall come to Babylon & you shall die there & you & all your friends, to whom you have prophesied lies, shall be buried there.]

Because, even [though] they have seduced My people, saying, Peace; and there [wasn't any] peace. And [someone] built up a wall & [look,] others [plastered] it with [mortar that wasn't cured.] [Jeremiah 23:13-14 And I have seen [foolishness] in the prophets of Samaria. They have prophesied [by] Baal & caused My people, Israel, to [go astray.]

I have also seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem. They commit adultery & [follow] [what are] lies. They also strengthen the hands of [those who do evil, so] that none return from his wickedness. They are all of them to Me [like] Sodom & the [residents of it, like] Gomorrah.]

Say to [those who plaster] it with [uncured] mortar, that it shall fall. And a stormy wind shall [tear it to pieces] & there shall be an overflowing shower [like] [large] hailstones [on] you. [Look,] when the wall [has] fallen, [won't] it be said to you, Where is the [plaster with which] you have [plastered] it?

Therefore, the Lord God says [this;] I will even [tear it to pieces] with a stormy wind in My fury. And there shall be an overflowing shower in [My] anger & [large] hailstones to [destroy] it in My [rage.] So, I will break down the wall that you have [plastered with uncured] mortar & bring it down to the ground. So that the foundation [of it] shall be discovered & it shall fall.

And you shall be [destroyed] in the midst [of it.] And you shall know that I Am the Lord. [Like this,] I will accomplish My wrath upon the wall & upon [those who plastered it with uncured] mortar & will say to you, The wall no [longer] [exists] & neither do [those who plastered] it. [That is,] the prophets of Israel, [who] prophesy [about] Jerusalem & [who] see peace for her & there isn't [any] peace, says the Lord God.

[Also,] you, Son of man, [turn] your face against the daughter of My people, [who] prophesy [from] their own heart & you, prophesy against them. And say, The Lord God says [this;] Woe to the women [who] sew pillows, [a.k.a. charms] to all the [sleeves'] armholes & make kerchiefs, [a.k.a. veils] upon the [heads] of [those of] every [height] to hunt [& ensnare] souls!

Will you hunt the souls of My people & will you save the souls alive that come to you? [2 Peter 2:14-15 Those [who] can't [stop] from sin; having eyes full of adultery & [enticing] unstable souls. [With a] heart, they have exercised with [greedy] practices, [they are] cursed children: [who] have [abandoned] the right [path] & have gone astray, following the [ways] of Baalim, [Bosor's] son, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.]

And will you [defile] Me among My people for handfuls of barley & pieces of bread, to slay the souls [of those who] shouldn't die & save the souls alive [of those who] shouldn't live, by your lying to My people, [who] hear your lies?

[For this reason,] The Lord God says [this; Watch,] I Am against  your pillows, [with which] you hunt the souls, to make them fly [like birds.] And I will tear them from [the] arms [of] your [sleeves] & will let the souls go [free,] even the souls that you hunt to make them fly.

I will also tear your kerchiefs & deliver My people out of your [hands.] And they shall no [longer be] in your hand to be hunted. And you shall know that I Am the Lord. Because you have made the [hearts] of the righteous sad with lies, whom I haven't made sad.

And [you] strengthened the hands of the wicked, [so] that he [wouldn't] return from his wicked [ways,] by promising him life. Therefore, you shall no [longer] see [what is] vanity, nor [falsely] divine, divinations, [a.k.a. visions.] For I will deliver My people [from] your [hands] & you shall know that I Am the Lord.