Today's Reading:
Galatians 5:16-26
Ezekiel 1
Psalm 148
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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading
The Book of Ezekiel is especially meant for the Watchmen. The prophecies of Ezekiel were written as a special “sign” (message) to the End-time Watchmen. These are the saints who will escape the destructive Judgments coming against the wicked in the Last Days. To these faithful ones the “mouth” (prophetic writings) of Ezekiel will be opened (understood). No more will these difficult prophecies be “dumb” (unintelligible).
Ezekiel 24:27 “In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I Am Yahweh.”Ezekiel, a priest whose name means “El (God) will strengthen,” was among the Jewish exiles carried away to Babylon between the first and final deportation of Judah. During this time in Babylonian exile, the prophet wrote the Book of Ezekiel, which is the twenty-sixth book of the Bible. But Ezekiel didn’t originally write out the whole Book of Ezekiel on a single scroll. The Book of Ezekiel, as we have it today, is actually compiled from 13 individual scrolls, each of which contained a separate vision.
In Ezekiel 24:27 (see facing page) the prophecies found in the Book of Ezekiel were said to be special Messages of God, written specifically for the elect—the spiritual watchmen on the walls of Zion (Ezekiel 3:17). But these
vital prophecies were also foretold to be “dumb” (unintelligible) until the Time of the End.
Our inability to decode and rightly understand the message of Ezekiel wasn’t because it was intended to be incomprehensible. Certainly Yahweh wouldn’t give His prophets visions which He never intended His people to understand. But the Book was rendered “dumb” to us largely because of faulty construction!
When the 13 scrolls of Ezekiel were discovered, the scribes assembled them in the wrong order, ignoring the date chronology given by the prophet himself. Because the book of Ezekiel was put together out of order, it has caused much misapplication of the Book and misunderstanding of Ezekiel’s prophecies, effectively confusing the Message of Ezekiel, which Yahweh intended for His people.
Wrongly ordering the prophecies in Ezekiel makes the Book of Ezekiel falsely appear to support the Zionist world-view, their claim of Israel, and their plans to build a millennial temple in Jerusalem—to just name a few of the big issues caused by incorrectly ordering the scrolls.
In reading the Book of Ezekiel, we can easily notice a thematic form of dating throughout, which hinges on the captivity of Jehoiachin. When we correct the sequence and read the Book according to the historical dating given by Ezekiel, a clearer picture emerges of both the heart of Yahweh and the purpose of Ezekiel. And within it we find a powerful message of the restoration of the two houses, the fall of Zionist Israel, the sealing, and the ultimate Judgment of Yahweh upon each End-time group and people.
How Can We Know the Correct Order of Ezekiel’s Scrolls?
Ezekiel actually gives the order of the scrolls—a point which has been long overlooked, until recently. Putting the chapters of Ezekiel back into the date order given by Ezekiel is key to correctly decoding the Messages of Ezekiel for the Last Days.
First Scroll: Ezekiel 8:1-19:14 Date Order Given by Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 8:1 “And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month...”
Second Scroll: Ezekiel 20:1-23:49 Date Order Given by Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 20:1 “And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month...”
Third Scroll: Ezekiel 24:1-25:17 Date Order Given by Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 24:1 “Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the Word of Yahweh came unto me, saying,”
By continuing in this fashion, using the dates given by Ezekiel, we may fully reconstruct the correct order of the Book and visions of Ezekiel. In so doing we gain the real, prophetic Message which Yahweh intends for His people in the Last Days.
Let's be dilligent and "study to show ourselves approved unto Yah, workmen that need not be ashamed for we are rightly dividing (correctly understanding - by His Grace) the Truth."
