Reading the Bible in Historical Sequence Part 8Mfano

God tells Ezekiel to act out the coming siege of Jerusalem with little food. He is to shave his head and divide his hair to represent two parts killed, one part taken into exile and a few subjected to other trials. The whole land will suffer great anguish and famine.

Note Ezekiel 4:1–6: Ezekiel warned His exiled people of the coming siege and destruction of Jerusalem. The 390 years of Israel’s iniquity is the period between Jeroboam’s first imitation feast (1 Kings 12:32) in the idol center of Bethel in December 975 BC, and July 588 BC when Jerusalem was destroyed (388 full years and two part years). The 40 years of Judah’s iniquity is probably a nominal period reflecting reigns of sin but mainly Manasseh’s extremely evil reign (2 Kings 21:11–16; 23:26–27; 24:3–4; Jeremiah 15:4) between 698 BC when he became king until about 677 BC when he was captured and taken to Babylon where he repented (2 Chronicles 33:11–12). On release he continued reigning until 643 BC. Manasseh is thought to have sawn Isaiah in half (Hebrews 11:37).