Thursday, February 20 – Ezekiel 10, 11

1. In his astonishing vision, what command did the man clothed in linen give Ezekiel? (Ezekiel 10:1-2)

2. How high did the glory of the Lord rise, and what filled the court? (Ezekiel 10:4-5)

3. How was the prophet shown the schemes of the wicked? (Ezekiel 11:1-3)

4. What was the Lord’s response to Ezekiel when he became concerned about the death of one of the rebels? (Ezekiel 11:16)

5. What inner transformation did God promise to those who would follow Him? (Ezekiel 11:18-20)

Soon, we will be concluding our study of the Minor Prophets and those related to the return from exile. This will serve as a prelude to about four centuries of prophetic silence. This does not mean that God abandoned His people, but rather that He had already given sufficient revelation for them to be guided by His word. After the darkness of those centuries, the Sun of Righteousness would arise. After the messages of Malachi, centuries later, the messages of the “new Elijah,” John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, would come. Precious studies await us! Do not stop reading!

Now, we are about 600 years before the birth of Jesus. The Chaldean king Nabopolassar had defeated Nineveh in 612 B.C., and his son, Nebuchadnezzar, was approaching Jerusalem. We have already studied all that happened there through Jeremiah. At the beginning of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Nebuchadnezzar took a select group of young men of royal lineage from Jerusalem, among them the adolescent Daniel. This occurred around 603 B.C. These young men were taken to Babylon, whose history we will study soon.

After the conquest of Jerusalem, the Chaldean king installed a succession of puppet kings, including Jehoiachin. In the fifth year of his reign (593/92 B.C.), Ezekiel began his prophetic ministry. By then, Daniel was already serving as an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel had also been taken captive to the land of the Chaldeans but was assigned to a Jewish settlement by the River Chebar.

Despite being amid brutal slavery, the Jews did not abandon idolatry, which Ezekiel denounced and condemned. God loved His people so much that, while Ezekiel called them to return to Him, the Lord used Daniel to prepare the conditions for their return to Jerusalem through visions and interpretations in the royal court.

“In Hebrew theology a cherub was a being of a sublime and celestial nature, of human form, though with wings. Cherubim guarded the gate of Paradise (Gen. 3:24). The statues over-shadowing the mercy seat, both in the tabernacle and in Solomon’s Temple, were called cherubim (Ex. 25:18; 1 Kings 6:23; cf. 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 22:11).” (SDA Bible Commentary, Ezekiel 10:1)

The man clothed in linen was the leader of the six administrators of justice (Ezekiel 9:2). He was commanded to fill his hands with fire and scatter it over the city, symbolizing its imminent destruction. The Chaldeans later burned the temple and the city.

“The fact that the wings were in motion suggests that the cherubim are preparing to depart from the Temple (see ch. 1:24). (SDABC, Ezekiel 10:5). “The hand represents the hand of the Omnipotent One sustaining and guiding the heavenly beings. These, in turn, impelled the wheels, symbolic of the hand of God in the affairs of this earth (see PK 536). (SDABC, Ezequiel 10:8)

What happened to God’s people in the past should serve as a warning to us—should it not? Their enemies had defeated them, had seen their city besieged and destroyed, and their temple burned. They had been taken captive to a foreign land, yet they continued practicing idolatry—the very sin that had caused their downfall. It is worth reflecting on these inspired thoughts:

“The sins that destroyed the antediluvians and the cities of the plain exist today—not merely in heathen lands, not only among popular professors of Christianity, but with some who profess to be looking for the coming of the Son of man. If God should present these sins before you as they appear in His sight, you would be filled with shame and terror.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 218, 1882).

I pray that God illuminates our minds so that we may discern our current situation clearly and be ready for Jesus’s coming. Ask God to give us a new heart and put the right spirit within us. The Lord has granted us this Bible study to accomplish that purpose.

May you have a very blessed day.