Ezekiel 33

1Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, speak to the children of thy people,
Ezekiel is given a message to speak to those in captivity, his main audience, of the watchman. This teaching is essential in understanding passages such as Matt. 24:42-42; 25:13; Mark. 13:33-37; Luke 12:37-39; 21:36; 1 Thess. 5:6; 1 Pet. 4:7; Rev. 3:2-3; 16:15.
and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
God provides the analogy here of a watchman set to give warning of impending attack. Remember Ezekiel 3:17-22 that God set Ezekiel up as the watchman. Here, the people choose their own watchman. He says that if the watchman gives warning and the people do not heed the warning, the people’s deaths are their own fault. Those that hear the warning will be saved.
6But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. 7So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
But if the watchman fails in his duty and does not warn the people, then the watchmen will be held accountable for those who are lost. The analogy here is not just a reference to physical combat, but has the deeper meaning of spiritual survival. The one who heeds the warning will deliver his soul. Those who are not warned to turn from sin are taken away in sin.
It is also important to note that those taken away are those who die and in this passage these are the wicked (ref. Matt. 24:36-51 (esp. vs. 39-41) and Luke 17:34-36 not the righteous.
10Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 12Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 14Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. 
Compare to Ezekiel 18.
As the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar has already happened, the people were already suffering the result of their sins. God then explains through Ezekiel that He has no pleasure in punishing the wicked but would rather they repent. Though this passage is in reference to the nation of Israel, it is a great passage in application to show that the doctrine of Eternal Security is false. Those who continue in sin will die, those who repent and turn to righteousness will be saved. It is simple.
God here is calling the nation to repent while suffering through captivity so that though they be metaphorically dead as a nation, God will resurrect them (bring them out of captivity).
17Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 19But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. 20Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. 
The claim of the Jews is that God’s way is not just (they are essentially whining about being in captivity when God had promised them the land forever, not remembering that God’s promise was conditional). God then rebuts their argument showing that His was is exactly just. When the righteous turns from righteousness and sins, he dies (so much for once saved always saved). When the wicked turns from wickedness and does that which is lawful (yay for legalism!) he shall live. Also note that here we have the application that man must DO something to live, not just wait for God to do something for him.
The house of Israel needed to repent before God would save them. He will judge each man according to his works (Matt. 16:27; 2 Cor. 11:15; Rev. 20:13).
21And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. 
Almost the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, one of the survivors of the siege of Jerusalem comes to Ezekiel and reports of the city’s demise. Some Mss. (including the Syriac translation) have this as the eleventh year rather than the twelfth.
22Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. 
Jerusalem has fallen now and the command not to speak of it any more until it happened has been obeyed. God then allows Ezekiel to speak the message he had just received above.
23Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 24Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance. 25Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? 26Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land? 27Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. 28For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. 29Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed. 
For those left in the land of Judah, they still hold to the former glory of Jerusalem and to their idols. Abraham was faithful to God and inherited the land, but God will not allow these unfaithful men to continue in that inheritance. He will hunt down through sword and beast and disease every person who does not repent of their wickedness until the land is emptied of them. 
30Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them
And for those in captivity who come to hear Ezekiel, there will be many who hear Ezekiel, and even like what he is saying, but will not act on what he says. Their hearts are still beholden to the idols. But when what Ezekiel prophesies concerning their destruction comes to pass as well, they will understand that they should have listened and know that it is now too late.
In Truth and Love,
Category:Apocalyptic