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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying, |
The word of the LORD – The 18th chapter of Ezekiel relates specially to the time when the Adamic transgression will be offset by the New covenant. Naught will remain against believers but their own misconduct. R2017:3[R2017]
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| 2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? |
The fathers – Adam and his descendants, our ancestors. A109;[A109] R2220:2[R2220], R2608:5[R2608]
Have eaten – Those who claim that God directly creates every human being, make out that God is responsible for all the idiocy, insanity and imbecility in the world. E309[E309]
Sour grapes – Of human sin and weakness. R4881:2, R2050:6, R3133:6; E309
And – In consequence. R2220:2
Children's teeth – By heredity, from their parents. R4881:2
Are set on edge – Now all suffer for what their fathers sowed. OV392:3
By sickness, misery and death which follows. A109
They are all depraved. E309
All of Adam's posterity are fallen, depraved, dying, as a result of his transgression. R2398:6
Illustrated by the nearly one-half of the human family who die in infancy--thus obviously not for their own sins. E331[E331]
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| 3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. |
Ye shall not – During the Millennial age. R4971:4; E331; Q288:6
Any more – No longer will men be held accountable for Adam's sin. R5292:3; A143
The parents' sins will not be upon the children. R381:2
The Adamic sin and curse being canceled by the Redeemer, men will be freed from that condemnation. R492:5
The weakness of heredity shall no longer weigh men down. R892:4
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| 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. |
All souls are mine – God does not leave the eternal destiny of a single soul to the faithfulness of parents, or pastor, or any one. R944:6
The soul – The being. E465; R282:1, R1221:5, R1377:6, R3027:5, R5578:6, R205:4, R277:1
It was not Adam's hand nor his body that sinned, but his soul, his intelligent will. CR170:1; R5611:3, R3174:1; Q835:T
Because of sin, all souls die. To redeem our souls, our Lord became a human soul and "made his soul an offering for sin." (Isa. 53:12) Therefore there is a resu R3027:5, R3854:5; HG135:3
That sinneth – Not the innocent children, as at present. E331
Wilfully and deliberately against full light and ability. R892
An individual and deliberate act. R649:5
All the wicked--not all the ignorant--will God destroy. HG197:2
It shall die – The Second Death. R3175:6, R381:2, R553:5, R5292:5; HG283:6
Not suffer eternal torment. R4982:5, R5318:2, R1039:6, R1196:1, R2607:3, R5753:5; CR269:6; CR293:4; CR492:1; CR498:6; OV362:3, OV376:2; SM86:3, SM171:T, SM520:2, SM663:2; HG394:6; HG707:2*; A128
The penalty for sin was not dying, but death. E465
The spark of life produced the soul, so taking away the spark of life extinguishes the soul. R5611:3
"The wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36) E404
This scripture is not generally applicable to the present time because all now die--saints and sinners; it is expressed as a second sentence based on individual action and the context refers to those who are free from Adamic sin. E330
A truth applicable to the Gospel Church now and to the world during the Millennial reign, but not applicable to the Jews at the time of the utterance. R4881:1
The sinning soul, but none other. R363:1
It is the soul, the living, intelligent being, which enters into death. Q834:3; SM86:3; HG654:1
It was the soul that died; it is the soul that is to be resuscitated. Q836:4
The full penalty of the divine law. OV16:1
The just penalty for the unworthy. E404
The only penalty expressed against sin by the Creator and Lawgiver. R1983:3
God's law is that any creature who will not live in harmony with his law shall not live at all. R282:1
Everlasting punishment, but not everlasting torment. R2611:4; HG224:1
This shall always be the divine standard. HG233:1
Death is the absence of life, the loss of life. R3754:6
God gave us our existence and he has the power to deprive us of it if we do not use it properly. R363:1, R1882:1
If it dies it does not have any punishment, or any more pain after that. It has had its punishment. It is a great punishment to die. HG221:6
But the breath of life (the spirit), the energizing of life principle, was removed from the body and returned to God. Q837:4
Death is the sentence, and it is from death that the world must be awakened in order to know the privileges of divine grace. HG115:2
In direct opposition to Satan's lie to Eve, "Ye shall not surely die." R910:5
The first death, Adamic Death, was the death of the soul. HG356:5
Never in the chemical laboratory, with analysis, microscopes or scalpel, has any scientist ever been able to discover that a man has a soul that could not die. CR209:1*
"God is able to destroy both soul and body." (Matt. 10:28) CR169:6
That God could create a human soul, but could not destroy one, is absurd and unscriptural. OV34:1; HG334:5
"All the wicked will God destroy." (Psa. 145:20) R2607:3
"The wages of sin is death." (Rom. 6:23) R2607:3
The Second Death is not an enemy, but a friend. R3175:6, R1219:4, R1511:4, R4999:6; Q261:1, Q623:6
None but wilful sinners will die in the Millennium. R1073:2
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| 5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, |
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| 6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, |
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| 7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; |
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| 8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, |
Usury – The meaning of the English word "usury" has somewhat changed--now it indicates oppressive interest. Formerly its meaning was, simply, interest. R1995:1[R1995]
We do not understand the taking of a reasonable interest to be usury. R1994:5[R1994]
A reasonable proportion of the profit would not be usury; but there might be circumstances where even a small interest might mean oppression and injury. R1994:6[R1994]
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| 9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD. |
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| 10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things, |
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| 11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife, |
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| 12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, |
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| 13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. |
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| 14 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like, |
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| 15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, |
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| 16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, |
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| 17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. |
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| 18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. |
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| 19 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. |
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| 20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. |
The soul that sinneth – See comments on verse 4.
Verses 20 to 32 give the rules of the coming age. R2613:3
The son shall not bear – Each will have an individual trial, just as in Adam's case, and each will be sentenced for himself. R1222:4, R2117:4[R2117], R2606:3
No one will die again on account of another; no one live again on account of another. R527:6*
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| 21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. |
Keep all my statutes – Implies also the pondering and study of them. R2016:6
Shall surely live – The evildoer, coming to God with full repentance, is forgiven and received into God's family. R5781:2
Verses 21 to 24 present the principle of divine justice. R4986:5
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| 22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. |
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| 23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? |
Have I any pleasure – The destruction of the incorrigible shows God's unceasing hatred of sin. R1782:1
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| 24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. |
Not be mentioned – If he sins wilfully, his past good deeds will not be remembered. R5781:2
Every act, down to the last, has to do with the sentence of the trial. R4986:5
Differing from the reasoning that a man's life should be judged by the whole, and not by the failures in it. R2016:6
Contradicting the concept of "once in grace, always in grace." R4971:2
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| 25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? |
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| 26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. |
Dieth in them – Unrepentant. R2017:1
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| 27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. |
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| 28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. |
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| 29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? |
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| 30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. |
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| 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? |
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| 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. |
I have no pleasure – Ours is a merciful God. CR277:4
He desires to "have all men to be saved." (1 Tim. 2:4) E466, E467
The destruction of the incorrigible shows God's unceasing hatred of sin. R1782:1
He willeth not the death of him that dieth, but would (prefer) that all should turn unto him and live. R1026:5, R2398:6
Nevertheless, when Adam chose disobedience, God pronounced the penalty. E468
Not that he does not "will" the death of the sinner, for it is his will that the "soul that sinneth, it shall die." R1449:6*
God changes not. He has always had this good will toward his creatures. E467
Him that dieth – The Second Death is not an enemy, but a friend. R3175:6, R1219:4, R4999:6, R1511:4; Q261:1, Q623:6
Turn yourselves – Choose life by complying with the conditions on which God says we may have it. R363:1
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