1. When the Spirit of the Lord took Ezekiel to the east gate of the Lord’s house, what did He show Ezekiel and what was Ezekiel supposed to do regarding what he saw?
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He showed Ezekiel the men that devised mischief and told Ezekiel to prophesy against them: “(1) Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. (2) Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city: (3) Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh. (4) Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man” (Ezekiel 11:1-4).
We have seen the spirit lift up Ezekiel previously (Ezekiel 3:14; 8:3). Meaning the Spirit carried him off (Ezekiel 37:1).
When Ezekiel was brought to the east gate of the Lord’s house, he saw a couple of the princes of the people. We know the princes had not been faithful (Nehemiah 9:34, Isaiah 1:23, Ezekiel 22:27, and Micah 3:1-12).
These princes devised mischief (Psalms 36:1-4) and gave wicked counsel (Isaiah 30:1). The leaders of Israel were one of the causes of their downfall (Isaiah 9:16). The effect was that God’s word was ignored (Jeremiah 18:18).
The time was near (Ezekiel 7:2; 7), but the princes falsely proclaimed it was not and encouraged the people to build houses. This would be a mistake (Zephaniah 1:13).
The statement about the city being the caldron might have been a mocking statement. It doesn’t make sense otherwise. The Lord will tell them this city is not their caldron (vs. 11).
The Lord is against those that provide false comfort (Jeremiah 23:32) and therefore had Ezekiel prophesy against them (Ezekiel 34:2).
For a modern application to the points above, consider II Peter 3:1-14
2. When the Spirit of the Lord fell on Ezekiel, what did He tell Ezekiel to speak?
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“(5) And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. (6) Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain. (7) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it. (8) Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD. (9) And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. (10) Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. (11) This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel: (12) And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you” (Ezekiel 11:5-12).
“Thus saith the Lord…” [phrase recorder over 400 times in KJV] says something (Numbers 12:6, Ezekiel 2:7, Ezekiel 3:4, I Corinthians 14:37, and II Peter 1:20-21).
God knew not just their actions (Jeremiah 16:17), but their thoughts as well (I Chronicles 28:9, Proverbs 17:3, and Jeremiah 17:10).
The ungodly violence (Ezekiel 22:12; 22:27), the following of the influence of the nations about them (II Kings 17:33 and Jeremiah 44:8), their disobedience (Jeremiah 2:30); these are things God will punish them for (Hosea 4:1-9).
3. What made Ezekiel fall on his face and cry unto the Lord regarding the remnant?
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The death of Pelatiah the son of Benaiah as soon as Ezekiel finished prophesying: “And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel” (Ezekiel 11:13)?
Ezekiel gets to see that the words he was speaking were more than just words. They were things that would come to pass. One of the princes now falls dead (cf. Acts 5:1-11).
Ezekiel’s reaction was certainly understandable (I Chronicles 21:16-17 and Psalms 119:120).
Again, in this same context that began in chapter 8, Ezekiel is afraid there will be no remnant (cf. Ezekiel 9:8). He had already been told there would be a remnant (Ezekiel 6:1-9). These visions were weighing on him.
4. Was God going to make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
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No: “(15) Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession. (16) Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. (17) Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. (18) And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. (19) And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: (20) That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 11:15-20). *We will discuss this again in chapter 36.
Ezekiel wanted to know about the remnant, God answers. There was always going to be a remnant (II Kings 19:30-31, Isaiah 1:9, Isaiah 10:20-22, Jeremiah 23:3, Romans 9:27, and Romans 11:1-5).
God had a promise to keep (Genesis 22:18) and He does not lie (Numbers 23:19 and Titus 1:2).
He would give them a new heart to be His people (Jeremiah 24:1-10). For more consideration on the new heart and spirit, consider the wording of Ezekiel 18:31
Lest one miss the point, understand that giving them a heart is NOT to be understood as God taking away their choice on obedience (Deuteronomy 30:1-20). They had to change their hearts (James 4:6-10). God’s part was through the word that would make them clean (John 15:3).
5. What was going to happen to those whose hearts walked after their detestable things and their abominations?
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God was to recompense their way on their own heads: “But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 11:21).
Their hearts reflect who they are and that is they are detestable, etc. (Mark 7:21-23).
As we have previously read and will later read, their own way on their heads (Ezekiel 9:10; 22:31).
God has a pattern of allowing men to reap what they have sown (Job 4:8, Job 34:11, Proverbs 1:31, Proverbs 12:14, Proverbs 14:14, Proverbs 24:12, Isaiah 3:10-11, Jeremiah 2:19, Jeremiah 4:16-18, Jeremiah 32:19, Ezekiel 22:31, Hosea 7:2, Hosea 8:7, John 5:28-29, Romans 2:4-11, and II Corinthians 5:10).
6. Where did the glory of the Lord go to when the cherubims lifted off?
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The mountain on the east side of Jerusalem: “(22) Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. (23) And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (Ezekiel 11:22-23).
Cf. Ezekiel 9:3; 10:18-19
7. For what reason did the Spirit take Ezekiel in a vision to Chaldea?
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To tell those in exile what he had been shown: “(24) Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. (25) Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me” (Ezekiel 11:24-25).
In the land of Chaldea (Ezekiel 1:3) for that is where Judah was taken (Jeremiah 22:25).
Ezekiel speaking ALL that the Lord had shown him (I Chronicles 17:15, Jeremiah 26:1-2, Ezekiel 3:17-21, and Acts 20:20; 26-27).