The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

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the commission, and the message to be delivered

You are prepared and the Spirit moves

15 3:12, 14

´WKHQ WKH 6SLULW OLIWHG PH XSµ EHFDXVH \RX DUH UHDG\ WR IXOILOO *RG·V FRPPLVVLRQ DQG GHOLYHU the message to an inhospitable audience ´, ZHQW LQ ELWWHUQHVV WKH DQJHU RI P\ VSLULWµ ´, VDW DPRQJ WKHP IRU VHYHQ FRPSOHWHQHVV GD\V ² RYHUZKHOPHGµ IUXVWUDWHG PD\EH" ´WKH /RUG FDPH WR PH ¶6RQ R PDQ , KDYH PDGH you a watchman for the house of Israel, so hear the word I speak & JLYH WKHP ZDUQLQJ«·µ

Let God guide your emotional feelings

16 3:14

Learning patience

17 3:15

18 3:16 17

A prepared prophet now provided with a title 7KH ´GRWV DUH FRQQHFWHGµ LQ (]HNLHO·V FDOO

highest authority about spiritual dangers. A word from God was the ultimate warning or exact statement of conditions. It is obvio XV WKDW WKH ´ZR rd of the LOR 'µ WKDW Ezekiel was to deliver was considered to be a royal edict or decree (e.g., 6:3; 13:2; 16:35; 21:3). Chapter 33 clearly states the duties of the prophetic lookout. As a watchman, Ezekiel must warn both the righteous and the ungodly. He must make clear that a formerly righteous person cannot rest on past accomplishments, but must now answer for his present spiritual state . The one who knowingly sins must acknowledge his error and cease his sinful ZD\V 7KH ZDWFKPDQ PXVW IRFXV XSRQ WKH SUHVHQW VWDWH RI HYHU\ SHUVRQ·V VSLULWXDO OLIH ,I WKH watchman does his job well, he will be complimented and rewarded, but if he fails to give warning to all ² holding each person responsible for his present life style ² the watchman himself will be held accountable. Fall of the Prince of Tyre Ezekiel proclaimed *RG·V MX dgment on eight Gentile nations (chapters 25-33). Chapter 28 discusses the city-state of Tyre 22 and has been of particular interest to commentators, producing probably as many different interpretations as there are commentaries. The mystery LQYROYHV ´WKH 3ULQFH RI 7\UHµ DQG ZKHWKHU WKLV personality refers to an actual king, the Devil or both. Also, the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:3-23) is frequently added to the riddle. Obviously these two kings did exist, and undoubtedly (like many kings of that day) they sought and claimed divine status. Certain portions of both the Isaiah and Ezekiel texts make extreme, extravagant statements that seemingly could only apply to Satan (i.e., Lucifer or the Devil), raising the interpretation to a much higher application. Recognizing that satanic spirits do lurk around and influence evil kings and nations, a reader then finds it possible to take a text like Ezekiel 28 and apply it to both the evil king (whose name incidentally was Ethbaal II, 585-573 B.C.) and the evil, spiritual personality Satan. When a king gives

22 ³$ IDPRXV SRUW RI WKH 3KRHQLFLDQV VRPH WZHQW\ -five m. S from the sister port of Sidon and fifteen m. N of the Lebanese border with ,VUDHO ´ ( 0 %ODLNORFN ³7\UH ´ The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol.5, p. 832.

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