[1] The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. [3] Therefore, you son of man, prepare your stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and you shall remove from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. [4] Then shall you bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and you shall go forth at evening in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. [5] Dig you through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. [6] In their sight shall you bear it upon your shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: you shall cover your face, that you see not the ground: for I have set you for a sign unto the house of Israel.
Verses 1-2 Expanded Bible Comments
| The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Who is "Son of man?" | Ezekiel, "son of man," Pastor Russell. |
| Where does he ("Son of man") dwell? | "Thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house." We have seen this earlier in our Ezekiel study: Eze. 2:5-8; Eze. 3:9,26-27 |
| What is the condition of these? | They refuse to hear and refuse to see the Truth being presented to them. |
| What does God say is the attitude of this "house?" | Rebellious. |
| What is the danger of having a "rebellious" attitude? | That is the attitude Satan had. He was the first to rebel against God. Those who try to join in with the fallen angels are in a similar position. 1 Sam. 15:23; Gal. 5:19-21. But Jesus will destroy him. – Heb. 2:14 |
Verse 3 Expanded Bible Comments
| Therefore, you son of man, prepare your stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and you shall remove from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What was the "son of man" told to do? | Br. Fisher's explanation: "He found in the Bible the Truth of God, which exhorts to "come out of her, O My people" (Rev. 18:4)" – FM428 |
| What would be his "stuff?" | "Stuff" is a good word. It fits how many talk today. The expression is similar to "gather your things." His "stuff" would be what he had learned of the Divine Plan. |
| When (chronologically) does this take place? | At the beginning of the Harvest of the Gospel Age. He was to gather his "stuff" "by day," i.e., in the morning of the new day. |
| Is this done in secret? | No. He gathers his stuff for removing and then is to "remove by day in their sight." More from Br. Fisher: "He came out of his church home into a condition of separateness, by every means of publicity (in their sight) drawing the attention to his removal." – FM428 |
| Where is his "stuff" moved from? And where is it moved to? | From: where he dwelt at that time, i.e., "in the midst of a rebellious house." To: where the Lord's Spirit was, i.e., outside of Christendom. "Come out of her my people" Rev. 18:4; Isa. 52:11. |
| To what is the purpose is this done? | "It may be they will consider." – The Lord is giving them every chance to recover, even though he knew they would not. Br. Fisher's remarks: "By every means of publicity (in their sight) drawing the attention to his removal, in the hope that those left behind might turn truly back to God." – FM428 |
Verses 4-5 Expanded Bible Comments
| Then shall you bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and you shall go forth at evening in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. [5] Dig you through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| He is told to "bring forth thy stuff by day." What does that mean? | Two-fold answer. (1) It is done in the morning of the Millennial Day. (2) It is done openly, not hidden. |
| Why does it say "you shalt go forth at evening?" | Because it was indeed the "evening" for Christendom, it was about to loose all its power, prestige, etc. One might even say they were about to suffer "the loss of children, and widowhood." (Isa. 47:9) |
| What does it mean that he would go out "as they that go forth into captivity?" | Br. Fisher: "In their estimation, he did this as one taken by the Evil One." – FM428 |
| What is pictured by a wall? | Walls picture protection, usually the protection of a government. Isa. 26:1; Isa. 60:18; A295:3; D40:1; R333; R1653; R2510; R3945; R4794; R5487; R5652 |
| What is meant by "dig through the wall?" | Br. Fisher: "He dug through the creed walls and thus 'came out of her.'" – FM428 |
| Why was this done "in their sight?" | Pastor Russell examined the creeds of Christendom in full view of the world. Consider, for example, Volume 4 studies IV, V, VI - Babylon Arraigned Before the Great Court, Babylon Before the Great Court - Her Confusion - National, Babylon Before the Great Court - Her Confusion - Ecclesiastical. Then consider the Newspaper Sermons, The various tracts and other Watch Tower publications. |
| What was carried out by the "son of man?" | That Truth which still remained in the old system. Remember Matt. 13:52. |
Verse 6 Expanded Bible Comments
| In their sight shall you bear it upon your shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: you shall cover your face, that you see not the ground: for I have set you for a sign unto the house of Israel. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What was it that "the son of man" was to "bear upon thy shoulders?" | Pastor Russell was much like the Apostle Paul in this manner. 2 Cor. 11:23-28 |
| What is meant by him carrying "if forth in the twilight?" | It was the twilight of the Philadelphia period of the Church. |
| What was meant by "you shall cover thy face?" | He tried to get self out of the way. Instead of talking about himself as being someone of importance, he was always pointing to the Lord and His Word. |
| What is meant by "that you see not the ground?" | By having his attention not on the things of this world (the ground) he kept his eyes fixed on the Master. |
| How was he set "for a sign unto the house of Israel?" | Not only did the message of Truth go out from the Lord through Br. Russell, but to the nominal Spiritual house he was "the world's ubiquitous preacher." They could not escape him and the message. |
| According to this verse how did he become "a sign unto the house of Israel?" | Because God made him so. |
| Please explain verse 6. | Br. Fisher: "To them he was one not knowing whither he went, with eyes blinded; whereas his action and his publishing of the Truth was but God's way of beseeching Christendom and warning her of her own fate." – FM428 |
[7] And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the evening I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.
Verse 7 Expanded Bible Comments
| And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the evening I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| In this verse Pastor Russell is here simply stating that which he did at the end of chapter 9, i.e., "I have done as thou hast commanded me," with the exception that here he rehearses what he was told to do. Also, this is taking place during his ministry, whereas at the end of chapter 9 he is giving his final report at the end of his earthly life. | |
| What is meant by "I did as I was commanded?" | See comment above. |
| What was the "stuff" he brought forth? | What truths were left in the nominal system. Rev. 18:21-22. |
| What is meant by saying this was done "by day." | It was the day (morning) of the Lord, the beginning of the Millennial Age. |
| Why "as stuff for captivity?" | It does NOT say it is stuff for captivity, but AS stuff for captivity. In the eyes of Christendom (with their very clouded view of the doctrines of Christ) it did seem as though Pastor Russell was going into captivity with those who did not believe the truth. In reality he was rejecting what they claimed to be truth and accepting the Word of God instead. |
| If he went out "by day," why does it here say "in the evening I digged through the wall?" | Evening is Strong's H6153. It is the same word as is found in Genesis chapter 1 – "And the evening and the morning were the first (2nd, 3rd, etc.) day." Not only did Pastor Russell live in the ending (evening) of the Philadelphia stage of the church but also in the beginning (also evening) of the Laodicea stage of the church. |
| What is meant by "I digged through the wall with my hand?" | It was his own efforts ("my hand") that he used to go through the creeds of Christendom. Yes, he was being guided by the Holy Spirit, yet the Lord blessed his efforts. A good lesson for us all. Exo. 4:2 |
| Please explain: "I brought it forth in the twilight." | It was the twilight or ending of the Philadelphia stage of the church, and it was also the beginning of the Laodicean period of the church. |
| What is meant by "I bare it upon my shoulder?" | Pastor Russell was much like the Apostle Paul in this manner. 2 Cor. 11:23-28. He was to bear the weight of all the churches. Also consider the Lord's description of what Saul of Tarsus would go through as the Apostle Paul – Acts 9:15. |
| How and why was this done "in their sight?" | How – All of what Pastor Russell did was public in the sense that he never had to hide what he did. It was published far and wide for all to see. Why – Remember, part of the reason for all this was, as stated in verse 3, "it may be they will consider." |
| Please explain verse 7. | Br. Fisher: "Pastor Russell and the Truth people did this with their limited power (hand), and laboriously (upon shoulder) made their war with their goods, the precious Truths, “out or her.”" – FM429 |
[8] And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, [9] Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? [10] Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. [11] Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity. [12] And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. [13] My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. [14] And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. [15] And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. [16] But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Verse 8 Expanded Bible Comments
| And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What happened to Ezekiel in the morning? | The word of the LORD came to him. |
Verse 9 Expanded Bible Comments
| Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| To whom is this verse addressed? | "Son of man." |
| Of whom is it talking about? | Nominal fleshly Israel, "the house of Israel." |
| In this verse, who speaks to "the son of man? | Nominal fleshly Israel, "the rebellious house." |
| What do they ask of him? | What are you doing? |
Verse 10 Expanded Bible Comments
| Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| How is the son of man to respond? | See verse 11. |
| Who tells him to give this response? | "The Lord GOD." |
| Who is "the prince in Jerusalem?" | Zedekiah. |
| Is this message for the prince alone? | No, it was to "all the house of Israel," of whom Zedekiah was their leader and representative. |
Verse 11 Expanded Bible Comments
| Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| How was Ezekiel their "sign?" | What Ezekiel did was to be done to them. Ezekiel did it in obedience to God. The rebellious nominal fleshly house of Israel is to be forced to do it, i.e., "so shall it be done unto them." |
| What did Ezekiel do? | He prepared his stuff for moving. Verse 3. |
| What was to be done to "the house of Israel?" | They were to be taken as exiles into captivity to Babylon. In verse 4 he brought forth his stuff "as they that go forth into captivity." |
Verse 12 Expanded Bible Comments
| And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Who is "the prince?" | Zedekiah, the last King of Judah. |
| What does he bear on his shoulder? | The accumulated responsibility of Israel's rejection of the LORD and His commandments. Luke 11:50 |
| According to this verse, when does this occur? | "In the twilight." It was the twilight of that arrangement for Israel. This begins Jerusalem being trodden down of the Gentiles. For Zedekiah also indicates he tried to make his escape as it was getting dark. |
| Did they really dig through the city wall? | Apparently Zedekiah did not literally "dig" through the city wall but "went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls." Jer. 39:4. |
| How does the last part of the verse apply? "He shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes." | |
Verse 13 Expanded Bible Comments
| My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Was this "prince" taken and brought to Babylon? | Yes he was. |
| How is it that he could be taken alive to Babylon and yet not see it? | Zedekiah's eyes were put out. 2 Kings 25:7; Jer. 39:7; 52:11. |
| Where does he die? | In prison in Babylon. Jer. 52:11 |
| Who caught him? | The Lord. |
| Who brought him to Babylon? | While he used King Nebuchadnezzar as his active agent, it was God who brought Zedekiah to Babylon. |
Verse 14 Expanded Bible Comments
| And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What happened to those who helped the "prince?" | While many were taken to Babylon, many were scattered to various other nations, and their descendants were scattered throughout the whole world. |
| Who was it that did this to them? | God. "I will scatter.." |
| "I will draw out the sword after them." Does this refer to literal or to symbolic swords? | Yes. Israel was scattered throughout the world both by the sword and by God's word (doctrines,) even if those doctrines were often clouded by superstition. Psa. 76:10 |
Verse 15 Expanded Bible Comments
| And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Were the Jews of Ezekiel's day (and their descendants) scattered among the nations, or were they confined only to Babylon? | Yes. |
| Who did this? | Jer. 49:32,36; Eze. 5:10,12; 17:21 |
Verse 16 Expanded Bible Comments
| But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Did the LORD indeed leave some in Jerusalem? | Yes. Jer. 52:16 |
| To what purpose were these to be spared? | To give witness to the results of having once been favored by God and then dis-obeying His instructions and disregarding His blessings. |
| "And they shall know that I am the LORD." Has this been fulfilled? | Yes. |
Verse 8 Expanded Bible Comments
| And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Why is this described as being "in the morning?" | Because it is the morning of the new day, the Millennial Morning. |
| What happened in the morning? | The word of the LORD came to "me." |
Verse 9 Expanded Bible Comments
| Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| To whom is this verse addressed? | Son of man. |
| Of whom is it talking about? | Pastor Russell, the earthly representative of our Returned Lord Jesus (the "son of man.") |
| In this verse, who speaks to "the son of man? | Nominal spiritual Israel, "the rebellious house." |
| What do they ask of him? | What are you doing? |
Verse 10 Expanded Bible Comments
| Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| "Say thou unto them.." Who is "them?" | According to verse 9 it is "the house of Israel, the rebellious house," i.e., the nominal church. |
| Does "the son of man" give this response of his own volition, or is he instructed how to respond? | He is instructed by God. "Thus saith the Lord GOD." |
| Who is "the prince in Jerusalem?" | Not certain. 3 possibilities come to mind. 1. In applying this to natural Israel in the days of Ezekiel the prince referred to king Zedekiah. Here we are dealing with the message going to the nominal spiritual house. As they were united with the state, this may refer to the kings of Europe. It may also refer to the religious leaders. 2. It could refer to the Pope as the closest thing to a "prince" in the nominal church. 3. Something else. Br. Fisher refers to the prince as "the exalted class (prince, exalted one), the lords in Christendom, the clergy." FM429
|
| Is this message for the prince alone? | No. "And all the house of Israel that are among them." |
Verse 11 Expanded Bible Comments
| Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| How was the "son of man" (7th Messenger) to be a sign to the nominal spiritual house? | By leaving the nominal church system, but not leaving the Lord or the Bible. |
| What did he do that was to be done to the nominal house? | He removed himself from their presence. |
| In what way did he "remove and go into captivity?" | From the standpoint of the church nominal, he went into captivity. From the true standpoint he left the captivity of the false teachings and practices of the nominal spiritual house and went to the Lord, outside of their system. |
Verse 12 Expanded Bible Comments
| And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| How did the "prince" (of the nominal spiritual house) "bear upon his shoulder?" | If the "prince" refers to the nominal church leaders/teachers then they, like the Scribes and Pharisees in the type, carried the responsibility for what they were preaching on their shoulders. They were supposed to be faithful watchmen for the Lord and His Truth. Instead they bought in to the false teachings of the nominal church systems and fought against the Truth (and therefore against the Lord.) Luke 11:49,50 |
| What is meant by "in the twilight?" | This was the twilight of Christendom (Christ's Kingdom falsely so-called.) |
| "The prince.. shall go forth." "Go forth" from where to where? | They were to go forth from their respected positions as religious leaders in Christ's Kingdom (Christendom) to some place outside of Christendom. Really this is shown on the Chart of the Ages. As we see the nominal church being broken up and falling. This was the "q" class during the Gospel Age. At this time it is the "v" class, falling down to plane R. Chart of the Ages |
| How did they ("all the house of [nominal spiritual] Israel) dig through the wall to carry out thereby?" | Christendom's leaders could no longer fall back on the old doctrines. As they examined them ("dig through the wall") they dropped them more and more in favor of evolution and pantheism. |
| What is meant by "he (the prince) shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes?" | The leaders of Christendom closed their eyes to the reality that their power over the people was greatly diminished and they could no longer pull the wool over the eyes of their followers so easily. |
"Regarding Christendom's clergy, they shall at the close of their day, abandon Christendom in the time of revolution, to save what they can for themselves, and "get out of her." They shall find a still more worldly way out of their creed walls and shall be self-blinded to the real condition of society (the earth)." FM429 (1917) |
|
Verse 13 Expanded Bible Comments
| My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What is meant by "My net also will I spread upon him?" | Him = the Prince (as a class,) the leaders of Christendom (especially the religious leaders) Hos. 7:11,12 |
| What is meant by "I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans?" | This is NOT bringing them into Christendom, for Christendom (at this time) is being destroyed. But it is bringing them in to the land (territory, mainly Europe) of the Chaldeans (the nominal church.) |
| "Yet he shall not see it." How can this be? | These religious leaders will not understand (see) that their respected place has been destroyed. |
| "He shall die there?" Is this true, if so, how and when? | These religious leaders did die in the sense that they lost their prestige. They were no long looked to by the people as being the religious guides in their lives. Consider "Is Europe the New Dark Continent? (March 2004)" – "(Christianity) hasn't been a part of our lives here for forty years." |
Verse 14 Expanded Bible Comments
| And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What does it mean to "scatter toward every wind?" | In every direction. This refers to the loosing of the four winds in 1914. |
| Who is it that does the scattering? | The LORD. |
| Who or what is scattered? | All those who support or try to help the nominal Christian leaders. |
| What is the means (i.e., what causes) the scattering? | The sword, i.e., war, battle. Also, the Word of God. Both of these cause the scattering. |
Verse 15 Expanded Bible Comments
| And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| When shall they "know that I am the LORD?" | "When I shall scatter them among the nations." Many awoke to the fact that God was NOT on their side. – R5829 |
| Is there a difference between nations and countries? If so, what? | Nations Strong's H1471 Countries
גֹּי גּוֹי gôy gôy go'ee, go'-ee Apparently from the same root as H1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts: - Gentile, heathen, nation, people. Strong's H776
We might think of the "nations (H1471)" as being the government or body politic of a nation. The "countries (H776)" as being its land or geographic territory.אֶרֶץ 'erets eh'-rets From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land): - X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X nations, way, + wilderness, world. The thought here seems to be that they will realize that God has done this when they have been scattered into various other governments (than what they claimed to be in, i.e., Christendom - Christ's Kingdom,) and scattered to territories (lands) beyond the physical boundaries of what once was Christendom. |
Verse 16 Expanded Bible Comments
| But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Who is "I?" | The LORD. |
| Who are "the few men of them?" | "Them" refers to those who truly believed in Christendom. After "The Great War" was "over" there were still some who believed in the church nominal. Some may have even thought that Christendom would recover, but it was not to be. Nah. 1:9-10 |
| Have we seen this combination (sword, famine, pestilence) before? If so, where and what did it mean? | Eze. 5:12,17; 6:11,12; – Eze. 7:15 Sword = God's Word of Truth Famine = Lack of spiritual food Pestilence = Plagues (7 last.) |
| What is the purpose of leaving these "few men of them?" | "That they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come." |
| If "I will leave" some of them, how is it they come among the heathen? | Literally some Jews were left in Jerusalem which had now been overrun by the Babylonians. Symbolically, the inhabitants of nominal spiritual Jerusalem were left where they were. However, Christendom (Christ's Kingdom, that church-state government) had been destroyed and any who attempted to make the claim that it was Christ's Kingdom were mocked. Indeed, church attendance has been in decline ever since WWI. |
| When shall they "know that I am the LORD?" | Many of those remaining had to come to the realization that God had revealed the truth, that it never was Christ's Kingdom. R5829 |
[17] Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [18] Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness; [19] And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. [20] And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Verses 17-18 Expanded Bible Comments
| Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [18] Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness; | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Who is "me?" | Ezekiel, picturing Pastor Russell. |
| What does he receive? | The word of the LORD. |
| How is he addressed? | As "Son of man." |
The next 3 questions all go together. |
|
| In the symbolic sense, what is the difference between "bread" and "water?" | Bread is the Word of God. "Give us this day our daily bread." Matt. 6:11; "I am the living bread.. the bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51; Water symbolizes Truth, especially its cleansing power. Psa. 18:12,13 (Here, hail is frozen water, hard truth. It is also "coals of fire," both picturing God's Truth;) Isa. 6:6-7 (again, hard Truth, "coals of fire." In this case it purges sins.;) R499; R564; R1034; R2423 |
| What does it mean for him to "eat thy bread with quaking?" | Bread pictures the Word of God, that wich nourishes the New Creation. Quaking indicates fear. The message here seems to be that Pastor Russell was to handle the Word of the Lord (bread) with fear (i.e. with great respect.) Please see Rev. 22:7, 18-19 |
| What does it mean for him to "drink thy water with trembling and carefulness?" | While similar in meaning, the difference here is that water indicates the cleansing effect of the Truth on its recepient and seems to be closely identified with the Holy Spirit. Pastor Russell was very careful in dispensing this "living water" to the Lord's people. He was anxious (had great respect for the Lord's Word) to get it right. |
Verse 19 Expanded Bible Comments
| And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| In verse 19 it speaks of "the people of the land," "the inhabitants of Jerusalem," and of "the land of Israel." What is pictured by each of these? | "The people of the land" – This seems to be the same class as the earth dwellers of Revelation, i.e., those who are most approvingly dwelling in Christendom. These approve of Christendom. "The inhabitants of Jerusalem" – This would seem to refer to the religious leaders in Christendom. Eze. 11:15 "The land of Israel" – This phrase seems to cover the broader scope encompassing all of Christendom. |
| What is the difference between how Ezekiel is told to eat his bread, and how the people of the land are to eat their bread? | Ezekiel is to "eat thy bread with quaking." The people of the land are to "eat their bread with carefulness (anxiety.)" |
| What is the difference between how Ezekiel is told to drink his water, and how the people of the land are to drink their water? | Ezekiel is to "drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness." The people of the land were to "drink thy water with astonishment." – The people were shocked by the truths they were receiving. It was NOT what they previously had believed. |
| Why are the people to eat their bread and drink their water in this manner? | "That her land may be desolate from all that is therein." |
| For what reason are they to eat and drink that way? | "Because of the violence of all them that dwell therein." |
Verse 20 Expanded Bible Comments
| And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
In the next two questions we are NOT asking for the fulfillment. That will be asked in the questions that follow these three. We are simply attempting to draw our attention to what the scripture is saying. | |
| What is to happen to the cities? | They "shall be laid waste." |
| What is to happen to the land? | "The land shall be desolate." |
This is where we are asking about fulfillment. | |
| What do cities symbolize? | City = government. A295:2; R3570:13 |
| What is symbolized by the land? | Land or earth = organized society under religious restraint. R498 |
| What are "the cities that are inhabited?" | Governments (of Christendom) that still are attempting to foster the three unclean spirits like frogs. Our thought is that not only do the kings still put forward these ideas but so do the other so-called nobles of the government. |
| What does it mean that these "shall be laid waste?" | They will be devastated. |
| What does it mean for "the land" to be desolate? – And how does this differ from "the cities" being laid waste? | The inhabited cities (governments) are to be laid waste. This is exactly what happened to the governments of Christendom, first by WWI and then again by WWII. They were in such shambles that it took a foreign power (the United States) to come in and rebuild them (remember The Marshall Plan.) To be desolate indicates that they loose their inhabitants. When Israel went into captivity in the days of Zedekiah, the land was to lay desolate 70 years. In this case, the land (the broader scope of Christendom) was indeed without an inhabitant. By the time World Wars were finished, Christendom was completely done and there were no more spirit-begotten. (This was likely the case by the "end" of WWI.) |
| Have these been fulfilled? – Yes, No, Partial? | Our thought is that these have been fulfilled. |
| "Ye shall know that I am the LORD." Has this been fulfilled? – Yes, No, Partial? | We think this to be partially fulfilled. Not all who were recipients of the Lord's wrath knew that He is the one who did this, but there must have been many in the classes referred to here who must have known it. |
[21] And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, [22] Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? [23] Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. [24] For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. [25] For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
Verses 21-23 Expanded Bible Comments
| And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, [22] Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? [23] Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Who is speaking and to whom is he speaking? | God is talking to the "Son of man," i.e., to Pastor Russell. |
| What proverb was He speaking about? | "The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?" |
| What does that proverb mean? | It means that those who repeat it, who believe it, are people who greatly lack faith in the Lord and His Word. Isn't this exactly what the nominal christian church was saying? – Consider the 1893 World Parliament of Religions. One might say "Well then, this is easy for you to say that now because we can look back in time and see the destruction of that old world that was dominated by the church-state unions in Europe." To this we may respond by pointing to Hab. 2:2-3 and then note that even to this day there are those who cannot see the fulfillment of that prophecy. |
| What is to happen to this proverb? | "I will make this proverb to cease." "They shall no more use it as a proverb in [nominal spiritual] Israel." |
| How does the "proverb" cease? | There are at least two ways in which it ceases. 1) The attitude of Christendom was "The prophecies declaring the fall of Mystic Babylon are not now, but a long way off." – This ceased because they could see their best people leaving the churches. With the "salt" gone, others began to more and more question their false teachings and they too began the mass exodus of Rev. 16:12. 2) Every vision concerning the fall of Christendom came true to such an extent that Christendom (Christ's Kingdom falsely so-called, that Union of Church and State) completely collapsed, ceased to exist. |
| Why does it cease "in Israel?" | It ceased in nominal spiritual Israel, as expressed by Br. Russell in R5829. |
| What is meant by "The days are at hand and the effect of every vision?" | We remember the law of "Cause and Effect." The vision (the prophecy from God) is the cause. The effect is the fulfillment of the vision. |
Verses 24-25 Expanded Bible Comments
| For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. [25] For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Is there a difference between a "vain vision" and "flattering divination?" | Vain – Strong's H7723
Flattering - שַׁו שָׁוְאo shâv' shav shawv, shav From the same as H7722 in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjectively), uselessness (as deceptive, objectively; also adverbially in vain): - false (-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity. Strong's H2509
So what we have are destructive visions and smooth sounding words of false doctrines (divination.) Compare Rev. 16:13-14חָלָק châlâq khaw-lawk' From H2505; smooth (especially of tongue): - flattering, smooth. |
| Why would this be so "in the house of Israel?" | Because "they are a rebellious house." |
| Is the word of the LORD to be "prolonged?" | No. |
| When is the vision to be fulfilled? | The vision is fulfilled "in your days," i.e., in the days of Christendom. In the days when the claim is still made that the union of church and state in Europe is Christ's Kingdom. |
| Just exactly is referred to by the "rebellious house?" | Christendom, especially the religious element. |
| Is God saying that this is something that might possibly come to pass? | NO! "I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass." |
[26] Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [27] Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. [28] Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.
Verses 26-27 Expanded Bible Comments
| Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [27] Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| To whom is the LORD speaking? | The "Son of man." |
| Who is pictured by "the house of Israel?" | Nominal spiritual Israel, the religious or "clay" element of the Church-State arrangment in Europe. Dan. 2:41 "The holy Roman Empire, represented by the feet of iron and clay. The iron in the feet, by the way we understand, represents the powers of the state. The Roman Empire still exists, not in the form it was first recognized, but in the fact that it was a combination of church and state, and the two uniting sought to rule over all Europe and the world, and generally there has been a disintegration between the iron (civil) and the clay (ecclesiastical) powers." Q95:2 |
| What does "the house of Israel" say about the vision? | Basically: "Don't worry about it. Even if it is true, it is a long way off and won't effect us." |
Verse 28 Expanded Bible Comments
| Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| How does the Lord GOD respond to "the house of Israel?" | "Your time is up!" |
| How does this impact the way we look at this picture? | We should be able to recognize that these things were done in the days of the "Son of man," in the days of Pastor Russell who was used by the returned "Son of man" (our Lord) as His earthly mouthpiece (or prophet) to proclaim this message to Christendom. |