Ezekiel 7

[Ezekiel 7:1] MOREOVER THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME, SAYING,
[Ezekiel 7:2] ALSO, THOU SON OF MAN, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD UNTO THE LAND OF ISRAEL; AN END, THE END IS COME UPON THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE LAND.

<<UPON THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE LAND>>: Rabbi Moshe Eisemann (ArtScroll: "Yechezkiel") shows that the Commentators proved this has a double meaning: On one level it referred to the Land of Israel apparently at the time of the Babylonian Exile. On another level it refers to the whole world, possibly in the near future.

[Ezekiel 7:3] NOW IS THE END COME UPON THEE, AND I WILL SEND MINE ANGER UPON THEE, AND WILL JUDGE THEE ACCORDING TO THY WAYS, AND WILL RECOMPENSE UPON THEE ALL THINE ABOMINATIONS.
<<RECOMPENSE UPON THEE ALL THINE ABOMINATIONS>>: The Commentary "Daat Mikra" (Yechiel Tzvi Moshkovitz) quotes Luzatto that this can be interpreted as saying that the evil deeds a person does become the very means through which he receives punishment.

[Ezekiel 7:4] AND MINE EYE SHALL NOT SPARE THEE, NEITHER WILL I HAVE PITY: BUT I WILL RECOMPENSE THY WAYS UPON THEE, AND THINE ABOMINATIONS SHALL BE IN THE MIDST OF THEE: AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.
[Ezekiel 7:5] THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; AN EVIL, AN ONLY EVIL, BEHOLD, IS COME.
[Ezekiel 7:6] AN END IS COME, THE END IS COME: IT WATCHETH FOR THEE; BEHOLD, IT IS COME.

[Ezekiel 7:7] THE MORNING IS COME UNTO THEE, O THOU THAT DWELLEST IN THE LAND: THE TIME IS COME, THE DAY OF TROUBLE IS NEAR, AND NOT THE SOUNDING AGAIN OF THE MOUNTAINS.
[Ezekiel 7:8] NOW WILL I SHORTLY POUR OUT MY FURY UPON THEE, AND ACCOMPLISH MINE ANGER UPON THEE: AND I WILL JUDGE THEE ACCORDING TO THY WAYS, AND WILL RECOMPENSE THEE FOR ALL THINE ABOMINATIONS.
[Ezekiel 7:9] AND MINE EYE SHALL NOT SPARE, NEITHER WILL I HAVE PITY: I WILL RECOMPENSE THEE ACCORDING TO THY WAYS AND THINE ABOMINATIONS THAT ARE IN THE MIDST OF THEE; AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD THAT SMITETH.
[Ezekiel 7:10] BEHOLD THE DAY, BEHOLD, IT IS COME: THE MORNING IS GONE FORTH; THE ROD HATH BLOSSOMED, PRIDE HATH BUDDED.

[Ezekiel 7:11] VIOLENCE IS RISEN UP INTO A ROD OF WICKEDNESS: NONE OF THEM SHALL REMAIN, NOR OF THEIR MULTITUDE, NOR OF ANY OF THEIR'S: NEITHER SHALL THERE BE WAILING FOR THEM.
[Ezekiel 7:12] THE TIME IS COME, THE DAY DRAWETH NEAR: LET NOT THE BUYER REJOICE, NOR THE SELLER MOURN: FOR WRATH IS UPON ALL THE MULTITUDE THEREOF.
[Ezekiel 7:13] FOR THE SELLER SHALL NOT RETURN TO THAT WHICH IS SOLD, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE YET ALIVE: FOR THE VISION IS TOUCHING THE WHOLE MULTITUDE THEREOF, WHICH SHALL NOT RETURN; NEITHER SHALL ANY STRENGTHEN HIMSELF IN THE INIQUITY OF HIS LIFE.

<<FOR THE SELLER SHALL NOT RETURN TO THAT WHICH IS SOLD>>: IN those times a person would sell his ancestral holding and be able to redeem it later and at the very last in the Jubilee Year (every fifty years) he would receive it back. Now this was not to be. They were about to be exiled and the Jubilee would no longer be practiced.

[Ezekiel 7:14] THEY HAVE BLOWN THE TRUMPET, EVEN TO MAKE ALL READY; BUT NONE GOETH TO THE BATTLE: FOR MY WRATH IS UPON ALL THE MULTITUDE THEREOF.
[Ezekiel 7:15] THE SWORD IS WITHOUT, AND THE PESTILENCE AND THE FAMINE WITHIN: HE THAT IS IN THE FIELD SHALL DIE WITH THE SWORD; AND HE THAT IS IN THE CITY, FAMINE AND PESTILENCE SHALL DEVOUR HIM.
[Ezekiel 7:16] BUT THEY THAT ESCAPE OF THEM SHALL ESCAPE, AND SHALL BE ON THE MOUNTAINS LIKE DOVES OF THE VALLEYS, ALL OF THEM MOURNING, EVERY ONE FOR HIS INIQUITY.
[Ezekiel 7:17] ALL HANDS SHALL BE FEEBLE, AND ALL KNEES SHALL BE WEAK AS WATER.

[Ezekiel 7:18] THEY SHALL ALSO GIRD THEMSELVES WITH SACKCLOTH, AND HORROR SHALL COVER THEM; AND SHAME SHALL BE UPON ALL FACES, AND BALDNESS UPON ALL THEIR HEADS.
[Ezekiel 7:19] THEY SHALL CAST THEIR SILVER IN THE STREETS, AND THEIR GOLD SHALL BE REMOVED: THEIR SILVER AND THEIR GOLD SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO DELIVER THEM IN THE DAY OF THE WRATH OF THE LORD: THEY SHALL NOT SATISFY THEIR SOULS, NEITHER FILL THEIR BOWELS: BECAUSE IT IS THE STUMBLINGBLOCK OF THEIR INIQUITY.

Money will no longer help them. They will not be able to ransom themselves or purchase alleviation for their suffering.

[Ezekiel 7:20] AS FOR THE BEAUTY OF HIS ORNAMENT, HE SET IT IN MAJESTY: BUT THEY MADE THE IMAGES OF THEIR ABOMINATIONS AND OF THEIR DETESTABLE THINGS THEREIN: THEREFORE HAVE I SET IT FAR FROM THEM.
They disgraced the Temple by inserting pagan instruments within it. Therefore the Divine Presence that they could once connect to through the Temple will be distanced from them.

[Ezekiel 7:21] AND I WILL GIVE IT INTO THE HANDS OF THE STRANGERS FOR A PREY, AND TO THE WICKED OF THE EARTH FOR A SPOIL; AND THEY SHALL POLLUTE IT.
The Temple will be polluted by foreigners. This means that even if they then ewant to repent and return to the Almighty it will be much more difficult to do so. It will be as if God will turn away from them. They turned away from God and diluted the purity of His worship and therefore when they need Him it will be as if He distanced Himself from them.

[Ezekiel 7:22] MY FACE WILL I TURN ALSO FROM THEM, AND THEY SHALL POLLUTE MY SECRET PLACE: FOR THE ROBBERS SHALL ENTER INTO IT, AND DEFILE IT.
Eisemann points out the Divine Presence is always on the site of the Temple. No where does Scripture say that this is not so. It merely says that due to our sins our means of access are limited. On the one hand God turns His face away from us. On the other hand He is still there.

[Ezekiel 7:23] MAKE A CHAIN: FOR THE LAND IS FULL OF BLOODY CRIMES, AND THE CITY IS FULL OF VIOLENCE.
<<MAKE A CHAIN>>: They will be taken into exile in chains. It is as if through bloody crimes and violence they create the very chains that will be put on them to take them into captivity.

[Ezekiel 7:24] WHEREFORE I WILL BRING THE WORST OF THE HEATHEN, AND THEY SHALL POSSESS THEIR HOUSES: I WILL ALSO MAKE THE POMP OF THE STRONG TO CEASE; AND THEIR HOLY PLACES SHALL BE DEFILED.
<<THE WORST OF THE HEATHEN>>: Some non-Israelites are quite civilized and decent but when God punishes us He will bring the worst of them upon us. The above verse could also be translated thusly:<<I will bring the worst of the Gentiles and they shall inherit their houses and I will cause to cease the pride of the bravemen and they shall inherit their holy places>> i.e. the worst of the gentiles shall come and take the houses of the Israelites whose bravemen will be broken. The holy places of the Israelites will be bequeathed to the worst of the Gentiles. This is the case today to a degree. The Palestinians are pretty much the worst of the gentiles and they have effective control of the Temple Mount and other places holy to Israel.Despite the impression you may receive in the media things in the State of Israel are now far better than they were a short while ago. Under the leadership of Barak (before the time of Sharon) and those who went before
him we had the feeling of impending disaster, of complete disgrace, and national impotency. God has helped u and shown us that it is possible to make things better. On the other hand the situation is still bad and it could get worse. We must do the best we can and take note of who our friends are and learn what the Almighty expects of us. Whatever our faults and shortcomings the Brit-Am doctrine and understanding on the whole has stood the test of reality more than any alternative. We may not have complete answers but we do have a path to go in.

[Ezekiel 7:25] DESTRUCTION COMETH; AND THEY SHALL SEEK PEACE, AND THERE SHALL BE NONE.
[Ezekiel 7:26] MISCHIEF SHALL COME UPON MISCHIEF, AND RUMOUR SHALL BE UPON RUMOUR; THEN SHALL THEY SEEK A VISION OF THE PROPHET; BUT THE LAW SHALL PERISH FROM THE PRIEST, AND COUNSEL FROM THE ANCIENTS.
There may come a time when we will not be able to learn and teach and the answers not be available. We should endeavor to do as much as we can, while we can.

[Ezekiel 7:27] THE KING SHALL MOURN, AND THE PRINCE SHALL BE CLOTHED WITH DESOLATION, AND THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND SHALL BE TROUBLED: I WILL DO UNTO THEM AFTER THEIR WAY, AND ACCORDING TO THEIR DESERTS WILL I JUDGE THEM; AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.

EZEKIEL INDEX
CHAPTER EIGHT
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