Ezekiel 13

Judgment against False Prophets

113 Then this message came to me from the LORD: 2“Son of man, prophesy against the 4a as: B6:9-1 false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Say to them, ‘Listen Jer 37:1 to the word of the LORD. 5This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrowawaits the false 13:3; * * *. A:, Jer 23:28-32 prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all! Lam 2:14

12:10-12 Zedekiah, Judah’s last king (597-586 B.C.), wasreigning in Jerusalem when Ezekiel gave these messages fromGod. Ezekiet showed the people what would happen to Zedekiah.Jerusalem would be attacked again, and Zedekiah would jointhe exiles already in Babylon. Zedekiah would be unable to seebecause Nebuchadnezzar would have his eyes gouged out(2 Kings 25:3-7; Jeremiah 52:10, 11).12:21-28 These two short messages were warnings that God’swords would come true—soon! Less than six years later, Jerusa-lem would be destroyed. Yet the people were skeptical. Unbelietand false security led them to believe it would never happen. Theapostle Peter dealt with this problem in the church (

7Peter 3:9).It is dangerous to say Christ will never return or to regard hiscoming as so far in the future as to be irrelevant today. All thatGod says is sure to happen. Don’t dare assume that you haveplenty of time to get right with God.13:1ff This warning was directed against false prophets, whosemessages were not from God but were lies intended to win popu-larity by saying whatever made the people happy. False prophetsdid not care about the truth as Ezekiel did. They lulled people intoa false sense of security, making Ezekiel’s job even more difficult.Beware of people who bend the truth in their quest for popularityand power.13:2,

8The false prophets had a large following because theycomforted the people and approved of their sinful actions. Liesare often attractive, and liars may have large followings. Today,

4"Q people of Israel, these prophets of yours are like jackals digging in the ruins. 5They have done nothing to repair the breaks in the walls around the nation. They have not helped it to stand firm in battle on the day of the LORD. ®Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions. They say, ‘This message is from the LORD,’ even though the LORD never sent them. And yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies! 7Can your visions be anything but false if you claim, ‘This message is from the LORD,’ when I have not even spoken to you? 8“ Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because what you say is false and your visions are a lie, I will stand against you, says the Sovereign Lor. 9I will raise my fist against all the prophets who see false visions and make lying predictions, and they will be banished from the community of Israel. I will blot their names from Israel's record books, and they will never again set foot in their own land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. 10“This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, Allis peaceful’ when there is no peace at all! It’s as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash! ‘Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down. 12And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, ‘What happened to your whitewash?’ 13” Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will sweep away your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of anger, and with hailstones of fury. 141 will break down your wall right to its foundation, and when it falls, it will crush you. Then you will know that I am the LORD. ‘SAt last my anger against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: ‘The wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone. 16They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken’

Judgment against False Women Prophets

1717“Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations. 18This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils. Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves? 19You bring shame on me among my people for a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.. 20" This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against all your magic charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds. I will tear them from your arms, setting my people free like birds set free from a cage. 21I will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp. They will no longer be your victims. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 22You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want therm to be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins. 23Because of all this, you will no longer talk of seeing visions that you never saw, nor will you make predictions. For I will rescue my people from your grasp. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” The Idolatry of Israel’s Leaders.