Ezekiel 21

Ezekiel 21 contains prophecies against Jerusalem and Ammon, where God speaks through Ezekiel to warn about impending judgment. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against the land of Israel, foretelling destruction by sword and fire due to the people's sins. The prophecy emphasizes the inevitability and impartiality of God's judgment and the futility of opposition. This chapter highlights God's sovereignty and justice, as well as His unyielding stance against rebellion and wickedness.

Ezekiel 21:1-5 (NKJV)
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you.
4 Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north,
5 that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.”’”

God directs Ezekiel to prophesy against Jerusalem and the land of Israel, warning that His judgment will strike all, including both the righteous and the wicked. This message reveals the severity of Israel's corruption, which has reached such a point that collective punishment is declared. The use of the sword symbolizes inescapable judgment, reinforcing that God's actions will be visible to everyone and that His sword will not be withdrawn until His purpose is fulfilled.

Ezekiel 21:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.
7 And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.”

God instructs Ezekiel to sigh deeply, symbolizing sorrow and grief over the coming destruction. Ezekiel’s visible anguish is meant to convey the gravity of the impending disaster to the people. The imagery of hearts melting and knees growing weak underscores the terror and helplessness the people will feel when judgment arrives, indicating that no one will be able to escape the impact of God’s decree.

Ezekiel 21:8-10 (NKJV)
8 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ Say:
‘A sword, a sword is sharpened
And also polished!
10 Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter,
Polished to flash like lightning!
Should we then make mirth?
It despises the scepter of My son,
As it does all wood.’”

God likens His judgment to a sharpened, polished sword prepared for slaughter, portraying the judgment as imminent and severe. The rhetorical question about rejoicing (“Should we then make mirth?”) underscores the seriousness of the situation, as there is no reason for joy or hope in the face of impending disaster. The phrase “despises the scepter” suggests that Israel’s leadership and power hold no sway against God’s judgment.

Ezekiel 21:11-13 (NKJV)
11 And He has given it to be polished,
That it may be handled;
This sword is sharpened, and it is polished
To be given into the hand of the slayer.’
12 “Cry and wail, son of man;
For it will be against My people,
Against all the princes of Israel.
Terrors including the sword will be against My people;
Therefore strike your thigh.
13 “Because it is a testing,
And what if the sword despises even the scepter?
The scepter shall be no more,” says the Lord God.

Ezekiel is called to lament because the sword of judgment is directed against Israel, including its leaders. The call to "strike your thigh" is an expression of intense grief, emphasizing the emotional weight of the situation. This judgment is also a test, revealing the people's true character and exposing the failure of Israel's leadership. The prophecy confirms that earthly authority, represented by the “scepter,” cannot stand against God’s justice.

Ezekiel 21:14-17 (NKJV)
14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy,
And strike your hands together.
The third time let the sword do double damage.
It is the sword that slays,
The sword that slays the great men,
That enters their private chambers.
15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,
That the heart may melt and many may stumble.
Ah! It is made bright;
It is grasped for slaughter:
16 “Swords at the ready!
Thrust right!
Set your blade!
Thrust left—
Wherever your edge is ordered!
17 “I also will beat My fists together,
And I will cause My fury to rest;
I, the Lord, have spoken.”

The striking of hands and repetition of the “sword” imagery illustrates God’s unstoppable anger and the relentlessness of the coming judgment. God’s anger will not spare even the powerful leaders, and the sword’s reach is extensive, affecting all layers of society. The repeated references to thrusting the sword in all directions symbolize the indiscriminate nature of the judgment, stressing that none can evade it.

Ezekiel 21:18-23 (NKJV)
18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying:
19 “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city.
20 Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.
21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver.
22 In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall.
23 And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.”

This passage depicts the king of Babylon using divination to decide his course, illustrating that even pagan practices will inadvertently align with God’s will for judgment on Jerusalem. The Israelites view the divination as unreliable, showing their disbelief in the coming judgment, yet God asserts that this will expose their guilt. This emphasizes God’s control over all events, including the decisions of foreign powers, to accomplish His purpose.

Ezekiel 21:24-27 (NKJV)
24 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.
25 Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end,
26 thus says the Lord God: “Remove the turban, and take off the crown; nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
27 Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.”’

God announces that the sins of Israel’s leaders will no longer be hidden. The removal of the “turban” and “crown” indicates a complete dismantling of the corrupt leadership. This prophecy foretells that the current power structure will be overturned until the coming of the rightful ruler, a reference to the Messianic hope for a king who will truly fulfill God’s purpose.

Ezekiel 21:28-32 (NKJV)
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:
‘A sword, a sword is drawn,
Polished for slaughter,
For consuming, for flashing—
29 While they see false visions for you,
While they divine a lie to you,
To bring you on the necks of the wicked,
The slain whose day has come,
Whose iniquity shall end.
30 ‘Return it to its sheath.
I will judge you
In the place where you were created,
In the land of your nativity.
31 I will pour out My indignation on you;
I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath,
And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to destroy.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire;
Your blood shall be in the midst of the land.
You shall not be remembered,
For I the Lord have spoken.’”

God shifts His attention to the Ammonites, declaring that their reliance on false visions will lead to their destruction. Although they, like Israel, face God’s judgment, the Ammonites’ fate is sealed in their own land. The pronouncement that they “shall not be remembered” indicates the finality of their judgment, emphasizing that God's wrath will consume them fully and eradicate their influence. This concluding section reaffirms God’s absolute authority over all nations and His commitment to justice.