Ezekiel and the Nations

 

It is my practice to begin the year with Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; along with other readings. In Ezekiel 25, Yahweh speaks to Ezekiel concerning the peoples of Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. Then in chapters 26 – 28 Yahweh speaks concerning Tyre. Chapters 29 – 32 are four chapters in which God speaks to Ezekiel concerning Egypt. The latter portion of Jeremiah has much the same flavor, with attention given to nations other than Israel, with an extended “Word” concerning Babylon in Jeremiah chapters 50 – 51.

 

To consider Revelation chapters 17 – 18, without seeing it in the framework of Jeremiah 50 – 51 and Ezekiel 26 – 28; makes it difficult, if not impossible, to see the ongoing Biblical theme of Revelation 17 – 18. There are, of course, other Scripture passages which contribute to our vision of Revelation 17 – 18, but I can think of none that provide as expansive a framework as Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

 

One of the overriding themes of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is that God controls the affairs of nations, of peoples, of history (Daniel 4:17). It is one thing to say we believe this, it is another thing to “see” it so that we know it. When we read the Bible as a way of life we hopefully come to see it, we hopefully come to live in this reality, but this is unlikely to occur if we don’t “receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

 

While God’s Word to Jeremiah and Ezekiel was given to their generations, it was also given to each successive generation, not that we would be crystal ball gazers, but that we might fix our eyes on Jesus Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; not so that we might try to predict tomorrow’s headlines, but that the realities of eternal realms might, in Christ, be embedded in our souls.

 

And may I say that it is apparent that we don’t “get” this eternal reality, for our souls most certainly need to be saved from the idolatry of nationalism, politics, the worship of political personages, economics, insurrection, and violence. Just as Israel – Judah prostituted itself with Egypt and other nations, so has the professing church prostituted herself with the foregoing – and we can’t see it, in fact, we justify it.

 

Every generation has nations and peoples who reflect the realties of Babylon and Tyre as portrayed by Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and as revealed in Revelation chapters 17 – 18; we don’t see this because we choose to remain ignorant of the Bible and because we refuse to consider how our own nation reflects these very patterns – gripped in darkness.

 

Alas, since we don’t read the Bible we don’t know the Bible; the eternal patterns and realities of our Father’s Kingdom are far removed from our consciousness.

 

I love reading the Bible for I love seeing Christ in the Bible, in all of His glories, in all of His splendor. Every day is filled with the freshness of Jesus Christ as He comes to us in, and through, His Word.