Ezekiel 11: Judgment and Hope in Exile
Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord’s house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:
Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.
Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord God.
And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:
And ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession.
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.
Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me.
Ezekiel 11 unveils a complex tapestry of judgment and hope, offering profound insights into God's character and His unwavering commitment to His people, even in the face of their rebellion. This chapter serves as a stark warning against false optimism and a beacon of hope for future restoration, themes that resonate deeply even today.
The Arrogant Leaders (Ezekiel 11:1-4)
The Spirit transports Ezekiel to the eastern gate of the temple, where he witnesses twenty-five men, likely the same individuals who were previously engaged in sun worship within the temple precincts (Ezekiel 8:16, Ezekiel 11:1). Among them, he identifies two leaders actively misleading the people of Jerusalem. These men, rather than heeding Ezekiel's warnings of impending judgment, are plotting evil and offering wicked counsel (Ezekiel 11:2). Their message is one of false security: "Build houses; this city is the pot, and we are the meat" (Ezekiel 11:3). They believe Jerusalem is an impenetrable fortress, shielding its inhabitants from harm. This arrogant self-assurance, born from a distorted perception of their own strength and God's patience, provokes God's righteous anger. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against them, emphasizing the gravity of their sin and the certainty of divine retribution (Ezekiel 11:4). The repeated use of "son of man" reminds Ezekiel, and us, of human frailty in contrast to God's power.
Reversal of Fortune (Ezekiel 11:5-12)
The Spirit of the Lord empowers Ezekiel to deliver a harsh dose of reality to the leaders and people of Jerusalem. God is not blind to their thoughts or their violence (Ezekiel 11:5). They have filled the city with the blood of the innocent (Ezekiel 11:6). Therefore, God will turn their arrogant imagery of the safe pot against them. Instead of protection, the city will become a trap, and they will be driven out, exposed to the sword of the Babylonians (Ezekiel 11:7-8). They will be judged at the border of Israel, a place of vulnerability and defeat (Ezekiel 11:9-10). This demonstrates a crucial principle: God uses even evil nations to execute judgment upon His own people when they persist in sin and rebellion. This prophecy was tragically fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar’s army captured Jerusalem, bringing the inhabitants to Riblah for execution or exile.
This judgment is not merely the result of Babylonian aggression, but the direct consequence of their disobedience to God's statutes (Ezekiel 11:12). Their hidden sins, committed in the shadows, are fully exposed in the light of God's holiness.
Lament and False Security (Ezekiel 11:13-15)
Ezekiel is deeply distressed by the impending judgment. When Pelatiah, one of the wicked leaders, dies, Ezekiel falls on his face, pleading with God not to completely destroy the remnant of Israel (Ezekiel 11:13). This illustrates Ezekiel's compassion and intercessory role.
Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, the remaining residents mock the exiled relatives in Babylon. Despite the exiles’ right to redeem their family property, the wicked inhabitants claim the land as their own possession, believing they are the sole recipients of God's favor (Ezekiel 11:15). They use their physical location as a basis for spiritual arrogance.
Hope for the Remnant (Ezekiel 11:16-20)
God counters this geographical determinism with a profound declaration of hope. He reveals that He considers the exiles, the very people rejected and scorned by those in Jerusalem, as the true remnant of Israel whom He will preserve (Ezekiel 11:16). This marks the first explicit promise of restoration in the book of Ezekiel.
God promises to gather them from the nations where they have been scattered and bring them back to the land of Israel (Ezekiel 11:17). More than just a physical return, God promises a spiritual transformation: "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 11:19). This new heart will enable them to obey God's decrees and keep His laws.
This prophecy carries both a near and a far fulfillment. While God did indeed reassemble His people after the exile, the complete fulfillment of the promise of a new heart awaits the time when Israel collectively recognizes Jesus Christ as her Messiah (see Zechariah 12:10). Only then will they experience the full reality of the new covenant and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. This will usher in Christ's millennial kingdom with His throne in Jerusalem. Ezekiel, inspired by the Spirit, recorded these truths for our encouragement as we await Christ's return, even if he himself didn't fully grasp their implications.
The Departure of Glory (Ezekiel 11:21-25)
Ezekiel's vision concludes with a sobering reminder of Jerusalem's persistent sin and the final departure of God's Spirit from the city (Ezekiel 11:21-23). The glory of the Lord, which had previously filled the temple, now abandons it, leaving the people vulnerable and unprotected. This parallels the departure of God's presence from the tabernacle in the days of Eli, when the Ark of the Covenant was captured, and Ichabod ("no glory") was born (1 Samuel 3-4). This serves as a stark warning to all who claim to follow God: when we abandon Christ, His presence and blessing will be withdrawn (see Revelation 2:5).
After the vision, Ezekiel returns to Chaldea and shares everything the Lord has revealed with the exiles (Ezekiel 11:24-25). His prophetic ministry continues to challenge and encourage them amidst their difficult circumstances.
Ezekiel 11 provides a powerful lesson on the consequences of pride, the certainty of God's judgment, and the enduring hope of restoration. It calls us to examine our own hearts, to reject false security, and to embrace the promise of a new heart through faith in Jesus Christ.
Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord’s house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:
Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.
Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord God.
And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:
And ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession.
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.
Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me.
Ezekiel 11 unveils a complex tapestry of judgment and hope, offering profound insights into God's character and His unwavering commitment to His people, even in the face of their rebellion. This chapter serves as a stark warning against false optimism and a beacon of hope for future restoration, themes that resonate deeply even today.
The Arrogant Leaders (Ezekiel 11:1-4)
The Spirit transports Ezekiel to the eastern gate of the temple, where he witnesses twenty-five men, likely the same individuals who were previously engaged in sun worship within the temple precincts (Ezekiel 8:16, Ezekiel 11:1). Among them, he identifies two leaders actively misleading the people of Jerusalem. These men, rather than heeding Ezekiel's warnings of impending judgment, are plotting evil and offering wicked counsel (Ezekiel 11:2). Their message is one of false security: "Build houses; this city is the pot, and we are the meat" (Ezekiel 11:3). They believe Jerusalem is an impenetrable fortress, shielding its inhabitants from harm. This arrogant self-assurance, born from a distorted perception of their own strength and God's patience, provokes God's righteous anger. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against them, emphasizing the gravity of their sin and the certainty of divine retribution (Ezekiel 11:4). The repeated use of "son of man" reminds Ezekiel, and us, of human frailty in contrast to God's power.
Reversal of Fortune (Ezekiel 11:5-12)
The Spirit of the Lord empowers Ezekiel to deliver a harsh dose of reality to the leaders and people of Jerusalem. God is not blind to their thoughts or their violence (Ezekiel 11:5). They have filled the city with the blood of the innocent (Ezekiel 11:6). Therefore, God will turn their arrogant imagery of the safe pot against them. Instead of protection, the city will become a trap, and they will be driven out, exposed to the sword of the Babylonians (Ezekiel 11:7-8). They will be judged at the border of Israel, a place of vulnerability and defeat (Ezekiel 11:9-10). This demonstrates a crucial principle: God uses even evil nations to execute judgment upon His own people when they persist in sin and rebellion. This prophecy was tragically fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar’s army captured Jerusalem, bringing the inhabitants to Riblah for execution or exile.
This judgment is not merely the result of Babylonian aggression, but the direct consequence of their disobedience to God's statutes (Ezekiel 11:12). Their hidden sins, committed in the shadows, are fully exposed in the light of God's holiness.
Lament and False Security (Ezekiel 11:13-15)
Ezekiel is deeply distressed by the impending judgment. When Pelatiah, one of the wicked leaders, dies, Ezekiel falls on his face, pleading with God not to completely destroy the remnant of Israel (Ezekiel 11:13). This illustrates Ezekiel's compassion and intercessory role.
Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, the remaining residents mock the exiled relatives in Babylon. Despite the exiles’ right to redeem their family property, the wicked inhabitants claim the land as their own possession, believing they are the sole recipients of God's favor (Ezekiel 11:15). They use their physical location as a basis for spiritual arrogance.
Hope for the Remnant (Ezekiel 11:16-20)
God counters this geographical determinism with a profound declaration of hope. He reveals that He considers the exiles, the very people rejected and scorned by those in Jerusalem, as the true remnant of Israel whom He will preserve (Ezekiel 11:16). This marks the first explicit promise of restoration in the book of Ezekiel.
God promises to gather them from the nations where they have been scattered and bring them back to the land of Israel (Ezekiel 11:17). More than just a physical return, God promises a spiritual transformation: "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 11:19). This new heart will enable them to obey God's decrees and keep His laws.
This prophecy carries both a near and a far fulfillment. While God did indeed reassemble His people after the exile, the complete fulfillment of the promise of a new heart awaits the time when Israel collectively recognizes Jesus Christ as her Messiah (see Zechariah 12:10). Only then will they experience the full reality of the new covenant and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. This will usher in Christ's millennial kingdom with His throne in Jerusalem. Ezekiel, inspired by the Spirit, recorded these truths for our encouragement as we await Christ's return, even if he himself didn't fully grasp their implications.
The Departure of Glory (Ezekiel 11:21-25)
Ezekiel's vision concludes with a sobering reminder of Jerusalem's persistent sin and the final departure of God's Spirit from the city (Ezekiel 11:21-23). The glory of the Lord, which had previously filled the temple, now abandons it, leaving the people vulnerable and unprotected. This parallels the departure of God's presence from the tabernacle in the days of Eli, when the Ark of the Covenant was captured, and Ichabod ("no glory") was born (1 Samuel 3-4). This serves as a stark warning to all who claim to follow God: when we abandon Christ, His presence and blessing will be withdrawn (see Revelation 2:5).
After the vision, Ezekiel returns to Chaldea and shares everything the Lord has revealed with the exiles (Ezekiel 11:24-25). His prophetic ministry continues to challenge and encourage them amidst their difficult circumstances.
Ezekiel 11 provides a powerful lesson on the consequences of pride, the certainty of God's judgment, and the enduring hope of restoration. It calls us to examine our own hearts, to reject false security, and to embrace the promise of a new heart through faith in Jesus Christ.