EZEKIEL 11 - Promise of Israel’s return

NOTES BY VERSE

Note: each ** comment in this document is listed in numerical order according to the verse(s) from this chapter

** Ezekiel chapters 8-11 deal with visions in spirit only while his body remained in his house, first taking him to Jerusalem and then returning to Babylon  <M130>

Ezekiel 8:1-3 NIV

[1] In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there. [2] I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. [3] He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood.

Ezekiel 11:24-25 NIV

[24] The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went up from me, [25] and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.

** It appears that Ezekiel refers back to the 25 men mentioned in Ezekiel 7:16 to speak of things of greater importance  <C34>

Ezekiel 11:1 NIV

[1] Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

Ezekiel 7:16 NIV

[16] The fugitives who escape will flee to the mountains. Like doves of the valleys, they will all moan, each for their own sins.

** God continues to give His servants strength to accomplish His tasks; the picture of the Holy Spirit helping Ezekiel to his feet is a beautiful visual reminder how God understands and will provide exactly what we need!  <M130>

Ezekiel 2:1-2 NIV

[1] He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you. ” [2] As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

Ezekiel 11:5 NIV

[5] Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.

Ezekiel 37:1 NIV

[1] The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

Numbers 24:2 NIV

[2] When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him

Judges 6:34 NIV

[34] Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

Luke 4:16-19 NIV

[16] He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, [17] and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: [18] “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

** When sinners flatter themselves about their own security — such as saying “we are safe in this city” — they further themselves toward ruin and it is time to tell them they have no peace; those are least safe who think of themselves as most secure  <H83>

Ezekiel 11:7,9,11 NIV

[7] “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. [9] I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners and inflict punishment on you. [11] This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.

** God will return His people to Israel in the end of days and the Lord Almighty will reestablish Jerusalem as holy; He will rule the world from Jerusalem with an iron hand

The New Jerusalem, where believers will reside with Christ in a place like the Garden of Eden, is said to be a 1500 square mile cube (Rev 21:16)  <H89>

• Coincidentally, Jerusalem is geographically located at the center of Israel and the Temple Mount centrally located in Jerusalem

• Israel is in a central position in the Middle East surrounded by Jihadist neighbors who want to "march to Jerusalem"

• The world is increasingly turning its attention toward Jerusalem  <S2002>

• The Lord declared that when the Jews were regathered to Israel, they would never again be removed

• His Word makes clear that the Jewish people will be hated and opposed by the surrounding nations

• As Arab nations plot to destroy Israel, the UN resolves to ostracize the single democratic nation in the Middle East, and the West dithers and divests, Israel will endure

• Not because of the IDF’s strength or Israeli elected leaders’ prowess, but because the LORD God Almighty has promised  <M139>

Ezekiel 11:17-21 NIV

[17] “Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.' [18] “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. [19] I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. [20] Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. [21] But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. ”

Isaiah 33:20 NIV

[20] Look on Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.

Zechariah 12:2-3 NIV

[2] “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. [3] On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.

Revelation 21:2-3 NIV

[2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

** There will be two regathering of Jews from around the world to the Jewish state of Israel  <H86>

FIRST GATHERING IN JUDGMENT

• First regathering of Jews will be for judgment purposes leading into the Tribulation

• Jews wanting to escape antisemitism in their home country will make way to Israel

• The regathering started with the Dryfus Affair in the 1890s and was fueled by the Hamas Attack in 2023

Ezekiel 20:33-35 NIV  

Ezekiel 22:17-22 NIV

Ezekiel 36:24-27 NIV

Zephaniah 2:1-2 NIV

[1] Gather together, gather yourselves together,

 you shameful nation, [2] before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's wrath comes upon you.

SECOND GATHERING IN BELIEF

• There will be a second regathering of Jews who believe in Christ

• Jews will gather again in belief after His second coming and be ushered into the Millennial kingdom  

Ezekiel 11:14-18 NIV

[14] The word of the Lord came to me: [15] “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, 'They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.' [16] “Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.' [17] “Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.' [18] “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols.

Deuteronomy 30:1-3 NIV

Isaiah 11:11-12 NIV

Isaiah 27:12-13 NIV

Isaiah 43:5-7 NIV

Jeremiah 16:14-15 NIV

Jeremiah 23:3-4,7-8 NIV

Jeremiah 31:7-10 NIV

Amos 9:14-15 NIV

Zephaniah 3:18-20 NIV

Zechariah 10:8-9,12 NIV

Matthew 24:31 NIV

Mark 13:27 NIV

** ASK God in faith what you need to do to obtain security after this life and obey His direction; the unrepentant person will not seek Him unless HE opens their eyes, for no one can recognize God on their own without His help

Ezekiel 11:19-20 NIV

[19] I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. [20] Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 36:25-26 NIV

[25] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. [26] I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Galatians 3:13-14 NIV

[13] Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” [14] He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

** God established a moral law that man cannot edit or ignore without consequence  <D66>

Ezekiel 11:20-21 NIV

[20] Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. [21] But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. ”

** The laws of the Old Testament were not random, for God specifically outlined how the Israelites were to set themselves apart from the surrounding pagan nations  <D40>

• Israel was located in the heart of all other nations when it was first established

• The Mosaic law given to the Israelites was to demonstrate the holiness of God against ‘standard’ procedure found in other nations

• Israel could honor God by abiding by His law and be a light to her neighbors that showed their allegiance to Him

• People of God are not supposed to look like everybody else!  <E58>

• God was disciplining His people through this Mosaic code; they were going through their own ‘boot camp’ of sorts

• Today we have scientific support justifying why God commanded His people with many of these commands, such as increased hygiene and health

• Even though Christians are not bound to the law given to the early Israelites, God’s people today should be disciplined in a similar manner to uphold His moral law

Leviticus 18:4-5 NIV

[4] You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. [5] Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.

Deuteronomy 4:1 NIV

[1] Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.

Ezekiel 11:20-21 NIV

[20] Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. [21] But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. ”

** The Mount of Olives is the best place to stand in Israel to get a bird’s-eye view of Bible prophecy  <K121>

• Perched on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city, all of Jerusalem is visible

• From the City of David to the Old City to the Temple Mount, which is separated from the Mount of Olives by the Kidron Valley

Ezekiel 11:23 NIV

[23] The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it.