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Ezekiel 17
Book of Ezekiel
Ezekiel 17:1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; A great eagle with great wings, long winged,
full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the
highest branch of the cedar:
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A great eagle = The king of Babylon.
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Long winged = long-pinioned
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Feathers = plumage.
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The highest branch = Jeleoiachin (Jeconiah, or
Coniah).
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Ezekiel 31:3 Behold, the Assyrian
was a
cedar in Lebanon with fair branches,
and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high
stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
4 He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of
traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.
5 He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he
placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
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The seed of the land = Zedokiah.
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Ezekiel 17:6 And it grew, and became a
spreading vine of low stature, whose branches
turned toward him, and the roots thereof were
under him: so it became a vine, and brought
forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
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Ezekiel 17:13 And hath taken of the king's seed,
and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an
oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of
the land:
14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might
not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his
covenant it might stand.
15 But he rebelled against him in sending his
ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him
horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall
he escape that doeth such things? or shall he
break the covenant, and be delivered?
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Nebuchadnezzar did not set up a Chaldean king
over Judah, but nourished Zedekiah
6 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned
toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and
brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
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Turned toward him = Zedekiah being dependent
upon Nebuchadnezzar.
7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and,
behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches
toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.
8 It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth
branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.
9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the
roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in
all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck
it up by the roots thereof.
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Shall it = Shall he succeed in casting off
the yoke of the king of Babylon, to whom he had
sworn fealty?
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Shall he = He shall come and dethrone
him, and carry him captive
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The fruit = The children of Zedekiah
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Shall it prosper?
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2 Kings 25:4 And the city was broken up,
and all the men of war fled by night by the way
of the gate between two walls, which is by the
king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against
the city round about:) and the king went the way
toward the plain.
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2 Kings 25:7 And they slew the sons of
Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes
of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of
brass, and carried him to Babylon.
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This is God's sentence on the perfidy of
Zedekiah in breaking his oath to Nebuchadnezzar.
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Compare = Ezekiel 17:13 And hath taken of the
king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and
hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken
the mighty of the land:
14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might
not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his
covenant it might stand.
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Those who interpret this enigma of Zedekiah's
daughters are hereby warned that their
interpretation shall not prosper.
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Spring = sproutings
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A tender one = The Chaldee Targum interprets
this of the Messiah.
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Those who interpret this of Zedekiah's "younger
daughter" are guilty of substituting her for the
Messiah Himself; Whose future kingdom is to be
"in the mountain of the height of Israel", and
not in any other country; or, during the present
dispensation.
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Ezekiel 17:24 And all the trees of the field
shall know that I the Lord have brought down the
high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried
up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to
flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done
it.
10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither,
when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell
them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king
thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;
13 And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath
taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by
keeping of his covenant it might stand.
15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they
might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that
doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
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He rebelled = Zedekiah = 2 Kings 24:20 For
through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in
Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out
from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled
against the king of Babylon.
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2 Chron 36:13 And he also rebelled against king
Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God:
but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his
heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel.
14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and
the people, transgressed very much after all the
abominations of the heathen; and polluted the
house of the Lord which he had hallowed in
Jerusalem.
16 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth
that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even
with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
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In the midst of Babylon = Ezekiel 12:13 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.
17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in
the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:
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Nebuchadnezzar and Zedekiah
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Company = gathered force
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Make for him = help him
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Persons = souls
18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given
his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.
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Nebuchadnezzar and Zedekiah
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath
despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon
his own head.
20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I
will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that
he hath trespassed against me.
21 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they
that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the
Lord have spoken it.
22 Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high
cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender
one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:
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Christ = Branch
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Christ died on the cross for All souls
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High branch = Sets forth the restoration of the
kingdom in the Messiah
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Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous
Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and
shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel
shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby
he shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the
Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord
liveth, which brought up the children of Israel
out of the land of Egypt;
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A tender one = The Chaldee Targum interprets
this of the Messiah.
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Those who interpret this of Zedekiah's "younger
daughter" are guilty of substituting her for the
Messiah Himself; Whose future kingdom is to be
"in the mountain of the height of Israel", and
not in any other country; or, during the present
dispensation.
23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring
forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell
all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
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Bring forth boughs = exalt its branch
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Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last
days, that the mountain of the Lord's house
shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the
house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us
of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for
out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word
of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and
shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their spears
into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more.
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down
the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have
made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.
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I the LORD = He will prosper His work.
This is in contrast with verses: Ezekiel 17:9
Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God; Shall it
prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof,
and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither?
it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring,
even without great power or many people to pluck
it up by the roots thereof.
10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper?
shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind
toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows
where it grew.
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Ezekiel 17:15 But he rebelled against him in
sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they
might give him horses and much people. Shall he
prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things?
or shall he break the covenant, and be
delivered?
16 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the
place where the king dwelleth that made him
king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant
he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon
he shall die.
17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army
and great company make for him in the war, by
casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut
off many persons:
18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the
covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and
hath done all these things, he shall not escape.
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live,
surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my
covenant that he hath broken, even it will I
recompense upon his own head.
20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he
shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him
to Babylon, and will plead with him there for
his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.
21 And all his fugitives with all his bands
shall fall by the sword, and they that remain
shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye
shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.
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Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said,
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but
weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the
which they shall say, Blessed are the barren,
and the wombs that never bare, and the paps
which never gave suck.
30 Then shall they begin to say to the
mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover
us.
31 For if they do these things in a green tree,
what shall be done in the dry?
• Exactly 2520 years from the exile
of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.
•
The first tribe to be
conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh,
in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.
(Leviticus. 26: 28-46) God warned Israel that if they persisted in continually
breaking His Laws, not only would curses come upon them.
He would punish them for seven times, (a time being 360 years, seven times would
be 2520 years) and would banish them from the land of Palestine and scatter them
among the heathens (like lost sheep)
• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant,
(A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt
- page 25
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