Ezekiel 13
13
False Prophets Condemned
1Yahweh spoke to me, saying, 2“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who claim to speak for me but are prophesying out of their own imagination. Say to them: ‘Listen, you lying prophets, to the words of Yahweh, 3for the Lord Yahweh has a message for you.
“ ‘Disaster is in store for the wicked # 13:3 The Hebrew word nabal here carries the connotation of “wicked” or “ungodly” as well as “foolish.” The context indicates that the problem with these false prophets was not merely their folly but also their underlying impiety and godlessness. prophets who make up their own visions, # 13:3 Or “who follow their own spirit.” but they have seen and heard nothing! 4Israel, your prophets have been like scavengers # 13:4 Or “jackals” or “foxes.” The prophets that remained in Jerusalem were like scavengers, and the people of Israel left behind were their prey. prowling among the city ruins. 5They have not denounced the people’s sin or warned them of trouble coming # 13:5 Or “You did not enter the breaches and repair the walls for the house of Israel,” which is symbolic of their refusal to help the people and the city by warning them of the disaster ahead. so that Israel might stand up in battle on the day of Yahweh. 6Their visions are phony and their prophecies of what is coming are lies. They say, “Yahweh says,” when I, Yahweh, did not send them with my message, and yet they actually expect me to fulfill their words! 7Have you not seen false visions and prophesied false prophecies of the future? You declare: “This is what Yahweh says,” when I had not spoken.
8“ ‘Therefore, Lord Yahweh says to you: Because you have spoken your false prophecies and lying visions, behold, I am against you, says Lord Yahweh. 9I will punish # 13:9 Or “my hand [power] will be against.” The irony is clear. Instead of speaking true words by the power of Yahweh, the false prophets will experience the power of his punishment. the false prophets who see false visions and speak lies about what they see coming in the future. They will no longer belong to my council of elders, # 13:9 Or “the council of my people.” See Pss. 107:32; 111:1. nor will their names be inscribed in the register of the people of Israel, # 13:9 At least forty prophets are named in the Old Testament, but not one false prophet’s name is recorded. nor will they ever return to the land of Israel. And then the people will know for sure that I am Lord Yahweh!
10“ ‘For in truth, they have gravely misled my people, # 13:10 See Micah 3:5. saying, “Everything is fine,” when devastation is at hand. # 13:10 Or “ ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace.” See Jer. 6:14; 8:11. When the false build a “wall of words” they cover it with the whitewash of their lies. # 13:10 The prophets were guilty of plastering over the hypocrisy and evil of the people to give the impression that all was solid and secure. The term for “whitewash” (taphel) refers to plaster that is cosmetic only without providing any structural support. 11Prophesy to those who do so that their wall will fall! # 13:11 The “wall” becomes a metaphor for the false confidence of the people that Yahweh would protect Jerusalem and his temple and they were secure. Cooper notes that the term hayis denotes an unstable wall made of stones that are simply stacked together without a cement binding (see LaMar Eugene Cooper, The New American Commentary, Vol. 17: Ezekiel [United States: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994], 156). The “whitewash” (see v. 10) is the false, self-inspired prophecies of the prophets who remained in Jerusalem telling the people that everything would be fine and that God wouldn’t bring judgment on the city. See Ezek. 22:28. The Hebrew contains a notable word play, for the word for “plaster” or “whitewash” can also mean “useless.” For I will send a stormy wind that will break loose with a deluge of rain and great hailstones. 12And down will come the wall! # 13:12 See Matt. 7:24–27. When it crumbles, will not the people say to you, “Where’s that whitewashed wall of yours now?”
13“ ‘Therefore this is what I, Lord Yahweh, say to you: My anger will break forth as a windstorm and my wrath will break loose like a torrential rain, and I will send great hailstones to destroy your wall! # 13:13 Symbolically, the stormy wind can represent God’s glory as the Spirit pours out upon an awakened people (see Ps. 148:8; Ezek. 1:4; Acts 2). The torrential rain can represent the revelation-rain of truth as it pours out upon the earth (see Deut. 32:2; Isa. 55:10–11; Hos. 6:1–3). And the hailstones can represent God’s truth crashing through the stronghold of lies (see Isa. 28:17; 30:30). God’s last-days awakeners will demolish the flimsy “wall” of bondage and lies that hold the church back from total victory (see Jer. 1:10; 31:28; Eph. 2:14) and lay bare the crooked foundations of the religious systems of the earth (see Zech. 1:18–21; 1 Cor. 3:1–15; Rev. 17–18). Just as God sends human armies to execute his judgment on nations, so he also sends his spiritual armies to demolish strongholds and expose darkness (see Joel 2; 2 Cor. 10:3–6). 14Yes, I will level this plastered wall to the ground and lay bare its flimsy foundation. And when it crumbles, you, too, will crumble and perish. And then you will realize that I am Yahweh!
15“ ‘For then my wrath will be spent against the wall and upon those who have smeared it with plaster. And I will say to you, “The wall is gone, and so are those who smeared plaster over it. 16Those prophets of Israel who prophesied that Jerusalem would be fine, when devastation was near, will be no more!” For I, Lord Yahweh, have spoken.’ ”
False Prophetesses Condemned
17“As for you, son of man, prophesy against the women of your people, # 13:17 Or “set your face against the daughters of your people.” who are witches masquerading as prophets. For they prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18and say, ‘Hear what Lord Yahweh says to you: You women are doomed who sew magic bands on their wrists and make veils of varying sizes for their heads in order to ensnare the lives of people, young and old. Do you think you can get away with entrapping the lives of my people and still preserve your own lives? 19You have dishonored my name among my people for a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. # 13:19 Some scholars believe the “handfuls of barley” and “pieces of bread” may have been used for divination. By scattering them on the ground and seeing how they fell, they could determine if a person were to live or die. It is more likely that these seeds and scraps of bread were used as payment for their (false) prophecies. You put to death people who should not have died and kept alive people who should not have lived, because you lied to my people, and they listened to your lies!
20“ ‘Therefore I, Lord Yahweh, say to you: I am against your wristbands with which you ensnare people’s souls. I will tear them from your arms! And I will let your victims go free, those whom you hunt down like birds. 21I will rip off your scarves and deliver my people from your hands. They will no longer be trapped by your power, and then you will know for sure that I am Yahweh. 22By your lies you have made righteous people greatly discouraged (although I have not discouraged them). And by your lies you have encouraged the wicked not to repent from their wicked ways and save their lives. 23Therefore you will no longer conjure up false visions or practice witchcraft. # 13:23 Ezekiel gives us eleven characteristics of false prophets: (1) They spoke out of their own imagination, not God’s will (see vv. 1–3, 17). (2) They used and manipulated people rather than serving and ministering to others to help them (see v. 4). (3) They were like scavengers looking for bruised and ruined lives to manipulate for personal gain (see vv. 4, 19). (4) They did not strengthen or warn the people about what was coming; instead, they only had lying words (see v. 5). (5) They claimed God was speaking to them, but their prophecies were meant to deceive their followers (see vv. 6–7). (6) They refused to expose sin (see vv. 6–9) and prophesied delusions. (7) They preached a message of peace and protection when, in fact, disastrous judgment was imminent (see vv. 10–12). (8) Their lies provoked God’s anger and brought judgment upon them (see vv. 13–16, 19–23). (9) They were not prophesying by the Spirit of God but, instead, used witchcraft and occultic practices to hold their victims under their control (see vv. 17–18, 23). (10) They discouraged the righteous and encouraged wickedness (see vv. 22–23). (11) They were rebellious and self-willed, and set up idols in human hearts (see 14:1–11). See also Deut. 13:1–5; 18:21–22. I will rescue my people from your deceptive power. And then you will know without a doubt that I am Yahweh.’ ”
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Ezekiel 13: TPT
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