Ezekiel Bible Study: January 22, 2025

Okay, so tonight we're going to complete the section we've been in the last couple weeks, which are a series of prophecies, if you recall, about the nations that surrounded Israel and Judah. And they included Ammon and Edom, Moab, the Philistines, the Tyre and Sidon. And the last two chapters from last week, and then the two chapters tonight, will focus in on Egypt. And in these chapters, you remember from last week, God really did take Egypt to task. They were trying to battle against the Babylonians, you recall, as King Zedekiah of Judah broke his oath to Babylon to submit to him, went to Egypt to ally with them, and for some reason, Egypt participated, and they went up against Babylon, and eventually they were crushed by Babylon. But in these chapters that we're looking at in Egypt, especially these last two chapters, they're just really a fitting conclusion when you read them about this section of Scripture that we've been in with these prophecies about these six and seven surrounding nations. God again shows us his power, that what goes on in this world he is in complete control of. He holds Gentile nations accountable for their actions, and he uses them, he shows us clearly, to render judgment on Israel and Judah, his people, when they transgress against him.

And he takes them to task, and he teaches us a pretty strong lesson about pride. Pride that can occur in nations, of course, pride that can occur in us individually.

We just have to be always on the watch out that we don't let ourselves come to think too highly of ourselves, that that can befall us, because God does say in the Proverbs that pride comes before a fall. So let's pick it up in chapter 31 here.

And, you know, he's going to ask Egypt in this section in chapter 31. He's pretty much asking Egypt the question, who do you think you are? You know, when we get into chapter, who do you think you are, Egypt? And then he compares them to Assyria, which was a greater kingdom, greater force than Egypt was at that time. And he pretty much lays it out for him. So in chapter 31 and in verse 1, it says, it came to pass to the 11th year in the third month, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the Word of the Eternal came to Ezekiel, saying. Now this is two months later, if you will, than when we were in last week, when we were in the section of chapter 30, beginning in verse 20. So here, two months later, he says to Elijah, Son of Man, say to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, into his multitude, whom are you like in your greatness? Basically, he's saying, who do you think you are? Who do you compare yourself to? And then he goes into talking about the strongest force, I guess, that was on earth at that time before Babylon, which was the first world-ruling empire, if you will. And so he compares Egypt to Assyria. Assyria, remember, was they just terrorized the nations around them back at that time. They were, history books say, the cruelest of nations. People were in mortal fear of them because of the torture that they could inflict on people, just because they were such a cruel and brutal people. And they used that cruelty and that brutality to win for themselves riches and to make themselves rich. Finally, they were defeated by Babylon. But here God is going to compare Egypt to Assyria. Whom are you like in your greatness, Egypt? Indeed, he says Assyria was a cedar in Levitin.

So we know when we see cedars in Levitin, God uses that as a symbol of strength. Cedars in Levitin were just an outstanding tree, a symbol of excellence. And God is comparing Assyria, even though they were an evil empire, a Gentile apart from God's empire, they were strong. They were strong, and they were the power of their day. Indeed, he says Assyria was a cedar in Levitin with fine branches that shaded the forest of high stature, and his top was among the thick bows. So what he's painting is this tree that loomed above all the other trees. It was beautiful. It was there, and it was just a fine kingdom physically looking in a strong kingdom. In verse 4 he says, just as a physical tree would need the water to grow, he compares this tree Assyria to what made it grow. The waters made it grow. Well, when you look at the commentaries and see what God is doing, he's talking about all these things that flew into Assyria. Sure, they had the Tigris and the Euphrates. They were blessed with rivers that irrigated the landscape and everything there. But on those rivers, there was trade, there was commerce. They were able to move about that region, what they did, and all those things made them grow. The waters made it grow. Underground waters gave it height, with their rivers running around the place when it was planted, and they sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field. They just had their antenna out everywhere as they just took over that Middle Eastern, what we would call the Middle Eastern area today, that area around Israel and Judah. God is the one who is giving its power. You'll remember earlier in Ezekiel, and when we were in the book of Isaiah, we talked about these prophecies, and God was clear there. And later on in these chapters, he'll say, I gave you your strength. I'm the one who did this. And indeed, he did. Therefore, verse 5, he says, it's a serious height was exalted above all the trees of the field.

Every nation looked up to Assyria, even more afraid of them. Its bowels were multiplied, its bowels were multiplied, its branches became long because of the abundance of water as it sent them out. All the birds of the heavens made their deaths in its bowels.

That was their resting place. Everyone wanted to be on that tree. Later, it says some of the same verbiage when it talks about Babylon and how it spread out and how it conquered that area and how the people and how the people, how all the nations flock. All the birds of the heavens, all the birds of the heavens made their nests in its bowels. Under its branches, all the beasts of the field brought forth their young, and in its shadow all the great nations made their home.

They were the top of the heap. They were the creme de la creme of the earth at that time.

If we look at America as the superpower in the world right now that everyone looks up to, that was Assyria back in that day, but they were a cruel empire. They weren't a benevolent empire at all.

Verse 7, he goes on and God continues to compare Egypt. Egypt! Remember Assyria? Look who they are. It was beautiful, verse 7. It was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches because its roots reached to abundant waters. And then he even compares it to his people, Israel and Judah at that time. The cedars in the Garden of God couldn't hide it. They couldn't even compare to Assyria. They were God's people. But he says the cedars in the Garden of God couldn't hide it. They couldn't compare to the kingdom of Assyria at that time. And remember, when we were reading back in Isaiah, they feared. They feared Assyria. They didn't trust God. The king that was there at that time, he was like he wasn't trusting God. He was having none of it. He did whatever he could to enamor himself with Assyria, and it didn't do him any good. The cedars in the Garden of God couldn't hide it. The fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches. These other trees find specimens noble in their own right, but they didn't compare to the greatness that Assyria had. No tree in the Garden of God was like it in beauty.

It was supreme. And then he says in verse 9, he makes it crystal clear, I made it beautiful with the multitude of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it that were in the Garden of God. Everyone envied Assyria. Even the nations of God's people, they all wanted to be like Assyria, but God gave them the power.

So then in verse 10, after he compares this, Egypt, you're so proud of yourself.

You're—remember even in chapter 29 back here, Egypt, the Pharaoh, God says things like, I'm the one who—this river is mine. This river, you know, where is it?

Yeah, behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh King of Egypt, who lies in the midst of the rivers, who has said, My river is my own. I have made it for myself. A foolish thing to say.

But as God calls him out for his pride, he compares them. Compare yourself to Assyria. You don't compare to them. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, because you—now we speak to you, I believe, to Egypt—therefore, thus says the Lord God, because you have increased in height, and it set its tops among the thick boughs, and his heart was lifted up in his height. He's talking about, okay, you two have been a little powerful. You didn't compare to Assyria, but pride has entered into you. Pride is the—you know, when you read through the Bible, I think we mentioned it last week, too—pride was the downfall of these nations.

Assyria, Babylon, you know, Israel, Judah, you know, makes you wonder when the fall of America comes. Whenever that comes, we know America is proud. Is there going to be a pride beyond what is there today that God says, it was never about you? It's, I made you rich. I made you abundant. I'm the reason you are what you are. And humble America like he's humbled other great kingdoms, because you, basically because you put yourself on high and said, I'm so wonderful.

I've done these things. Your heart was lifted up in height. Therefore, verse 11, I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it. I have driven it out for its wickedness. So, Egypt was very proud, but Babylon did come in, and Babylon conquered Egypt, and they completely fell apart.

Now, it's interesting as we progress through these new text, two chapters, Egypt, Egypt, we know, is there in the Middle East. Egypt was a power. They always were an enemy of God, and Babylon did conquer them, right? God took Israel out of Egypt, and God humbled Egypt.

It became a power again, but then Babylon conquered it, and decimated it will. Not so that it was desolate and barren and whatever, but as we read last week, it was never going to be a great power again, and it hasn't been. So, Egypt, you know, was conquered by Babylon, that world-ruling empire, and remember that at the end of the age, the system of the world at that time is called Babylon. Just keep that in mind as we progress through this, because there's likely an element of prophecy here for the end time as we look at these chapters as well.

In verse 12, he says, and aliens, the most terrible of the nations, that would be the Babylon, by Valonias, have cut it down and left it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys, its bowels lie broken by all the rivers of the land, and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it.

Well, actually right there, I'm not sure if he's talking about Egypt or if he's talking about the fall of Assyria in that verse. On its end, it reminds us, if you keep your finger there in Ezekiel 31 and Revelation 19, a similar verbiage that God uses at the end of time when Christ is returning, and he comes and he conquers spend time Babylon, the system that rules the earth and all the armies and forces that are assembled together to fight him as he returns.

If we look at, yeah, verse 17 of Revelation 19, you know, we see that Christ is returning. The armies are gathered there. Verse 17, Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.

The birds come in. They do. They eat those things. They descend on the ruins. And that's what God is saying about here. This fallen kingdom, the birds on its ruin will remain. I'm back in Ezekiel 31, verse 13. On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens and all the beasts of the field will come to its branches. So they're there. This time they're not dwelling in the tree. This time they're not dwelling under the branches. This time they're coming on its ruin, and they're there to devour. What's left? Verse 14.

So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height.

So, you know, when you read when I look at verse 14, God says, so that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height. He means this as an end to it. When this kingdom is ruined, when the birds of prey fall on it, there will be no more kingdoms on earth that will ever again exalt themselves and become so prideful and so full of themselves thinking they did all these things. And when God says it'll never happen again, well, we know after Babylon conquered Egypt, there were other great world-wirling kingdoms. We know the Roman Empire has been there. We know there's a Babylon system at the end of time that will exalt itself and be pride. There's been plenty of plenty of them since this. So this would appear, especially when you look at the verbiage, and compared to Revelation 19, that this could well be. And I'm not going to say for sure, but this may be showing that in time Egypt, whoever that is, is conquered by Babylon again, or Christ this time, excuse me, so that no trees, no kingdom again, is ever going to exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them. So in those verses, they're very interesting verses when you just take them apart from what what God is showing there, but he is teaching us a lesson of pride. He's going to teach us another kind of summary lesson of pride in chapter 32 as he builds to that. But here's these great kingdoms. Assyria has fallen. Now Egypt's going to fall. We know that Babylon fell later on to the Medes and Persians, and kingdom after kingdom has fallen.

Notice what he says their destiny is, for they have all been delivered to death. That's final. They've been delivered to death. They're done to the depths of the earth among the children of men who go down to the pit. Down to the pit in the earth. And there's this language that is very final, very final. That sounds very much like the end of time. In verse 15, it says, Thus says the Lord God, In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. God said, I did it. They mourned. You know, we've read about the mourning that would come when Tyre fell. All the merchants of the world mourned because Tyre was no more. We read in Revelation 18 about when the great Babylon of the end time falls, all the nations of the earth mourned because all their wealth came from it.

God says, I did it. I did it. This was all of me. Verse 16, I made the nation shake at the sound of its fall. It was a climactic fall. You know, at the end of time when nations fall, you know, and when America falls, as prophesied, and Britain, and all the English-speaking nations, and Canada, and Judah, little Israel over there in the Middle East, nations will shake. The whole world will respond to that fall because that will be so great that when you look at Revelation 13, you just see a world in crisis. They have no idea what to do, but then the beast power rises up, and it looks like the Messiah to pull some order out of the chaos that has become the world.

I made the nation shake, verse 16, at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the pit, and all the trees of Eden, all these nations that God compares it to the trees, all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water were comforted in the depths of the earth. They were all together. They all had a common fate. They all went down there, and it was all final. They also went, verse 17, they also went down to hell.

They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword, and those who were its strong arm dwelt in his shadows among the nations. Verse 18, so he says, to which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Egypt, you think you're so great, look what's gone before you. This is kind of like a God talking to Job, you know, an awakening moment.

Who are you, Job? Look at the power I have. Can you do this? Do you know how that works? And it's a very humbling set of verses for Egypt, and for all of us who might ever just let pride get to ourselves. Remember, and hear God is saying to all these nations and all these empires that we've read about in history books and talk about and that we talk about in the Bible, Egypt, to which of these trees will you be likened in glory and greatness? You will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth. You shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised. That's not the people of God. Remember, circumcision is a sign of a covenant with God, Israel, and Judah. The houses of Israel and Judah would have been circumcised, but the rest of the world wasn't. You shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword.

This is Pharaoh, and all his multitude, says the Lord God. This is where you're going. This is where you fall. This is what's going to happen to you. God's judgment on them was quite, quite, quite final, quite striking. You know, when he gave this prophecy to Ezekiel, to whoever Ezekiel told it, you know, he would have told it to the people of of of Judah at that time. Who knows if Egypt ever heard it or not? But the people of Judah certainly heard this prophecy. So when Egypt fell not too long after these verses were written or when the prophecy went out, they would have thought that's exactly what God said would happen. Babylon did. Babylon did conquer Egypt. And so they should have realized God is God. He is the one. What he says is going to happen is there. But even in the face of these fulfilled prophecies, the people of that time didn't turn back to God. You know, the same thing that we do today as God says, you know, cry aloud, spare now, tell the nations their sin, warn them of what is coming.

You know, we'll do it because God says to do it. But he also told Ezekiel, remember early on in the book, they're not going to listen to you, Ezekiel. They're not going to listen to you. Their minds are hardened. They don't listen to anything you say, but you do it anyway. And so the Church of God continues to do it anyway, no matter what the numbers are, to continue doing and preaching the gospel that God wants us to preach.

So, someone else? Oh yeah, Betsy, go ahead.

Ironically, I just listened to your message on the two trees that you gave earlier in December.

And you made the comment that trees are mentioned more the second to mankind in Scripture. And this is really interesting that this whole chapter is above trees. God uses it. Yeah, it's an analogy. Yeah, exactly. It's interesting when you look at the things God created—trees, right? And he compares it to that. Earlier in the week, we have some ministerial trainees in, and we were talking about sheep. And sheep are just this very weak creature. They're so dependent on man. And God created sheep so that we would learn the lesson from that. We need shepherds. We need him as our shepherd, and we need to be guided and protected. So it's interesting how God has built all these lessons into physical recreation as well. Hey, Bill, how are you doing tonight? That's good. We didn't get snow in Vero Beach. You didn't get snow in Vero Beach. Okay, you're too far south. It got chilly, but we didn't have snow. Okay, that's good.

Anyway, my question has to do with the symbolism, or the symbolic value, if you will, of Egypt. Now, let's think about for a moment, Egypt being symbolic, you know, of Israel coming out of Egypt. We all come out of Egypt during the days of 11 bread. It's a symbolic likeness, you know, and Egypt represents to us sin, the way of sin. So are these chapters then very representational of the symbolism also of Egypt, or as it would be, the world?

I know that Egypt as a type for the world will be brought down. All the nations of mankind will become to their conclusion when he establishes Jesus, establishes kingdom, and the whole world will enter into righteousness like the days of 11 bread characteristic.

I agree with you. A little bit later, I'm going to make a comparison of that, because Egypt just isn't a strong nation today, right? When you look at the Middle East, they're there, but they are a symbol of that whole area of the world that has always been against God's people. So yeah, I think that's a very good thought. Now, this was a literal Egypt that was there back in the time that Ezekiel is prophesying. It was literally Egypt, and God did bring them down, and he did say they would no longer be a great nation, and they haven't been. And their line of pharaoh ceased at that time, and he said, you'll never have a prince in Egypt again, and they haven't since that time. Secular history bears that out. So yeah, that's a good thought. We'll get back to that a little bit. Hey, Sherry. Can you just tell me what chapter and verse we're in? My mind went blank, and I can't find it. We just finished Ezekiel 31. We're just getting into Ezekiel 32.

Okay, thank you. Okay, anything else before we move on? Okay, 32. The last chapter in the series of prophecies against these nations. It's kind of easy reading, so I don't have to stop and do a lot of explaining what it is. I will a little bit along the way, but in this, God just gives kind of like an amazing summary of the nations of what we've been talking about. So in chapter 32, verse 1, it says, it came to pass in the 12th year in the 12th month. So this is now one year and nine months later that he's giving this prophecy to Ezekiel. It came to pass in the 12th year in the 12th month on the first day of the month that the word of the Eternal came to Ezekiel, saying, Son of Man, take up—I could just say another, right? Take up another lamentation for Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say to him, You're like a young lion among the nations. Well, there's a symbolism, because when we think of lions of on the land, they are, I guess, considered probably the fiercest of animals, right? You're like a young lion. You're a fearful creature on the land. You're like a young lion among the nations. You're out there, and you're a power. And then he says, You're like a monster in the seas. You know, on the land, on the seas, you've got power on the land, you've got the river running through you. And interesting is that word monster, right? The new King James uses his monster. You look into the coordinates, it would be more like a sea creature that people would fear. Some say it's a crocodile. Others, when I was looking last night, said it may be more like a hippopotamus.

That they have in those areas. And I think somewhere along the line, I've heard hippopotamites are like the most deadly animals, because they're just ferocious. So he says, you know, you've got power. You're like a young lion on the land, and you're like a crocodile or a hippo on the seas. You think you've got life conquered on the land and on the seas. You burst forth in your rivers, troubling the waters with your feet. And that's where they get the hippo thing. Troubling the waters with your feet and following their rivers. So you, you know, you kind of mess up the landscape, if you will. You are a powerful element on the earth. Thus says the Lord God, verse 3, I will therefore spread my net. And remember all the things you said about Pharaoh, King of Egypt, before that. Your pride, you say in your heart, this river is mine. I'm the king of all this. I'm the one who created it. I created all this great might. So thus says the Lord God, I will therefore spread my net over you with a company of many peoples. Many people. Well, this is okay. You're kind of this creature. I'm going to spread my net over you. I'm going to capture you. I'm going to tame you. You're going to be, you're going to be captured. You're going to be defeated with a company of many people.

That would be the Babylonians. And they will draw you up in my net. You're going to be conquered. Your days of glory are over. And I'll leave you on the land. I'll cast you out on the open fields and cause to settle on you. Here we go again. Of the defeated nations, I will cause to settle on you all the birds of the heavens. And with you, I will fill the beasts of the whole earth.

Just like you read back in Revelation 19, ruined nations. And as God uses this analogy again, you're going to die and you will feed all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the heavens. I will lay your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass.

Very end time, end time verbiage here. I will also, verse 6, I will also water the land with the flow of your blood, even to the mountains, and the riverbeds will be full of you.

You know, I don't, I certainly wasn't, you know, we don't know exactly what happened in Babylon when they conquered. I haven't read and I didn't see any commentaries and I didn't do an exhaustive summer, an exhaustive research on it. But I have to wonder, at the time that Babylon conquered physical Egypt back then, were the rivers full of blood? Were they, would they flow even to the mountains and the riverbeds will be full of you? And yet in the end time, you do read, you do read about a time when Christ returns and all those armies are conquered. And I didn't write the verse down, but it's in Zechariah. Let me see what I can find here. It talks about the blood being up to the horse's bridles. It's, well, yeah, here we go. Zechariah 14.

It's not right there where I thought it was. It talks about the blood coming up to the horse's bridles. My hand, my face, my legs aren't falling on it right now. But anyway, you have that.

You have that in Zechariah, where he talks about this great army.

Well, we'll find it later, or someone finds it. You can kind of show us where that verse is. I believe it's in Zechariah. I see here where it says, this flesh will dissolve in verse 12. While they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, their tongue shall dissolve in their mouths. Well, we'll find it later. I'm sure you're familiar with that. It's the same thing. Revelation 14.

Revelation 14. Oh, Revelation. Okay.

Oh, as one of the... okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, one of the... okay. Okay. 1420.

Oh, yeah, okay. Wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the wine press up to the horse's bridles for 1,600 furlongs. That's quite a way. That verbiage looks an awfully lot like what is being talked about here, Ezekiel 32, verses 6 and 7, or 6 anyway.

I'm sure... I mean, we know Babylon did defeat physical Egypt, but God may well be talking about the future, too, of the demise of, you know, this what in Egypt may symbolize. Maybe the nation of Egypt. Maybe that region of the earth, too, right? Because in Daniel 11, you know, we read about, in verses around verses 43 there, where the king of the north... king of the north, which is anti-babylon, marching down through the king of the south, and completely eliminating those lands, except for Ammon, Jordan, and Edom, where God said they will escape the king of the north at that time. And it mentions there that they will take up all the treasuries, all the riches of Egypt. And Egypt does have some, but, you know, if... and I'm using this as an if, only as an if... if God is using Egypt as representative of that whole area that is anti-Israel, all of that force that's there, and the wealth that's there, because there is an awfully lot of wealth in the oil that they have, and as the king of the north conquers that, and then enters into Jerusalem, and the armies surround Jerusalem, you can see what's going on there, if indeed Egypt is more than just Egypt. And again, if. But when you look at these verses, they are very entimish, if I can put it that way. So verse 6 again, I will also put my... I will also water the land with the flow of your blood, even to the mountains, and the riverbeds will be full of you. When I put out your light, you know, Pharaoh saw himself as a star, and they worshipped the sun, right? That was what they did. When I put out your light, it'll be God who puts it out, I will cover the heavens and make its stars dark. There will be these heavenly things. Your future is gone. He may be referring back to the plague of darkness in Egypt when he brought Israel out of Egypt, and that plague of darkness that that just made the darkness impenetrable. Or he could be talking about the future or both.

I will make it a very dark time in your land. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of the heavens, I will make dark over you. Your glory, your power, all the lights have gone out on your kingdom, you will be living in darkness. And when you read the prophecies of Daniel 11, and what's going to come upon those nations in that area, including specifically, God says, the land of Egypt will not escape, you see the darkness that comes on that as they are completely defeated by Babylon at the end time. All the bright lights of the heavens, I will make dark over you and bring darkness upon your land, says the Lord God. Verse 9, I will trouble, I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction among the nations into the countries which you have not known. Oh, when people see what goes on, if we can picture in our minds today a great army marching through the Middle East, and all the Islamic powers that are there and just completely wiping them out, you don't think the world will stand and take notice of what is going on, you know, and it says in Revelation 13, who is like the beast? Who can stand against him?

Who can just march through and conquer this area? I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction among the nations into the countries which you haven't known.

Yes, I will make many peoples astonished at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid of you when I brandish my sword before them, and they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life in the day of your fall. What's next for us? Right? I mean, in Syria, that was what a Syria's legacy was. People will be like, what's going to happen to us? We have no choice but to bow to this great power because of the terror and the torture and the pain they can bring upon us. And he's saying, you know, when you fall, when you fall, the world will tremble.

What is going? They will tremble for their own life in the day of your fall. For thus is the Lord God, the sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you by the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them, the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall. All of them, the most terrible of the nations. What does it say about the Roman Empire? What does it say about that fourth beast? He's cruel above all other beasts. He crushes anything in its way. He is a terror. He is something that promotes terror or generates terror in people. By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them, the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall.

They will plunder the pomp of Egypt. And Daniel says, all the silver, all the riches of Egypt, will become the king of the norths. They shall plunder the pomp of Egypt, and all its multitude shall be destroyed. Also, I will destroy all its animals from besides its great waters. All these things that they have, I guess all their allies or whatever those animals represent, I will destroy all its animals from beside its great waters. The foot of man shall muddy them no more, nor shall the hoods of animals muddy them. So, again, God is kind of actually showing here that this, everything in that land is just going to be quiet and calm. When we get down to the next verse there, it's kind of the verbiage we can't understand, but when you go into commentaries and see how they interpret what these these Hebrew words are here, what God is saying. So, when he's saying, you know, there's going to be desolation in that land, I guess, you know, it really is animals. I will destroy its animals. The foot of man shall not muddy them anymore, nor shall the hoods of animals muddy them, and I will make their waters clear. Their waters are going to be clear still. They're not going to be anyone trampling any of them. No hippopotami wandering through there and muddying the waters, whatever those hippopotamis represent, whatever things of man are causing that today. And I will make their rivers run like oil, says the Lord God. And that's when you look into the commentary and think, what does that mean? Their rivers will run like oil. It's interesting that that word is in there, given what the Middle East is known for, but the commentary says specifically that that means it's like oil. It's just thick. The water is just plastic. Nothing is happening on it. Absolutely nothing. It's like the land is completely quiet, completely desolate. There's no life in it. And so when you look at Daniel 11 and see the King of the North, you know, just marching through it, it's kind of an ominous, almost, if you will, way to look at it and see what God is describing here. Let me just go ahead. You don't have to turn to Daniel 11, but it's actually in verse 43. I'll read verses 40 to 43 in Daniel 11. At the time of the end, the King of the South, that would be that area where Israel and Jerusalem is, right? That Egypt is included in it. You know, that whole Islamic, today we would call it the Middle Eastern area, Islamic nations. The King of the South shall attack him of the King of the North, also known as Babylon, the end-time great power, shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, many ships. He will enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.

Versaam, and these will escape, Edomov, and the prominent people of Ammon. He will stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. Also the Libyans and Ethiopian shall follow with his heels. But you can see, here's this area, and God is saying some very similar things here that is what we see in Daniel 11 when he talks about the finality and these rivers, these rivers that run like oil, calm. Nothing is, nothing is making a ripple in them.

Verse 15, when I make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country is destitute of all that once filled it, when I strike all who dwell in it, then they will know that I am the turtle. One of the phrases we see so many times in Ezekiel, when I take care of them for all the evil that they've worked, whether it's just the nation of Egypt or if it's that area of the world that's there, God says when that happens they will know they can throw all their gods away. They can throw all their other idols and all their other false books of religion away. It's God. It's God. There's only one God. This is the lamentation, verse 16, with which they shall lament her. The daughters of the nations shall lament her. All those things that sprung up from her, right? The daughters of the nation shall lament them. They shall lament for her, for Egypt, and for her multitude, says the Lord God. Well, yes, this is where this is what the world, what do we do now? You know, when you look at the world at that time, you know, America's gone. The beast power has emerged. You know, the Middle East that thought, apparently, that they were pretty proud of themselves, that they could push at the king of the north, right? It takes some gall and some brazenness to think, here's this great power. I'm gonna push at him. I'll attack him. You have to be confident that you're going to win, only to find yourself completely decimated and humbled. And yet, it is what they did. So there will be lamentation over the fall of that land. Verse 17, God goes on to say, It came to pass in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, saying, Son of man, wail, cry, mourn over the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down to the depths of the earth, her and the daughters of the famous nations, with those who go down to the pit. Send them all down there. That's where they're going. That's where their future is. That's the legacy that they have in mind. Whom do you surpass in beauty?

Are you beautiful, Egypt? Are you beautiful? That, if it's a system or that nation?

Who do you surpass? Who are you greater than? Go down. Be placed with the uncircumcised. All those nations that were against God that never knew God, that may have known of Him, but they never submitted to Him. Because it is interesting, as you look at these nations of the world, or these kingdoms, you know, Nebuchadnezzar knew who God was. He never yielded to Him. Pharaoh, you know, in ancient Egypt time, he knew God, but he never yielded to Him. And so, we live in times where God makes His way known. We live in a time even where our current leader talks about God's problem. Well, he credits God with saving his life. He knows there's a God. Do we submit to Him, though?

Do we submit to Him? Did Egypt? Did Assyria? Did Babylon? Did Rome? Did all those kings of Tyre and who knew God, did they? Well, we know the answer to that. So, he says, go down. Be placed with the uncircumcised, not of God, but the pagans, apart from God.

They shall fall in the midst of those slain by the sword. She is delivered to the sword, drawing her and all her multitudes. They all go down together. The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell. All these that come out that have gone down and fallen in the face of the earth.

You guys says they're down in the pit. Figuratively speaking again, history has recorded what's happened to them. They have failed in the ways they didn't recognize God. They didn't give him credit, and he brought them low. And they're all in that same place. They all ended up in the same way and for many of the same reasons. The strong among the mighty, those who are the strongest of the earth, the most mighty of the earth, shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with those who help him.

They've gone down. They lie with the uncircumcised, slain by the sword. This is almost like an epitaph, almost like a eulogy on the kingdoms of the world at that time that God is going to talk about now here as we begin to enter into verse 22. As he talks about all those who have gone down, Assyria is there, and all her company, with their graves all around her, all of them slain, fallen by the sword. Her graves are set in the recesses of the pit. You don't want to be in the pit.

You don't want to be in the pit. And her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror in the land of the living. Oh, and they were on the earth. They brought terror to everyone. Everyone was afraid of them. Now they've fallen. Now they're gone. There's Elam. You know, Elam. I looked it up. They were a fierce and warlike people, kind of a kingdom that was near Persia, that terrorized the world for a period of time at that time as well. The people of that day would have understood who these kingdoms were.

There's Elam. Here's her grave marker. There's Elam in all her multitude, all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down, uncircumcised, apart from God, not God's people, to the lower parts of the earth, who caused their terror in the land of the living. Now they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. They have set her bed in the midst of the slain, with all her multitude, with her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword.

Though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. It was put in the midst of the slain. Kind of, in a way, beautiful verses that God is putting here, but He's teaching us a lesson. All those strong and mighty, they will be laid low, and they will go down to the same place. There are Meshach and Tubal, with all their multitudes. Remember map we put up there when we were talking about the merchants of Tyre, and Meshach and Tubal were up there, and around the Turkey area, and this north of there.

There are Meshach and Tubal, and all their multitudes, with all their graves around it. All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living. They don't lie with the mighty, who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who have gone down to hell with their weapons of war. They've laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities will be on their bones, because of the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. Yes, He says, you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and lie with those slain by the sword.

Remember, this is a prophecy to Egypt. This is what your lot is. This is where you're burying places. This is all the kingdoms that fell before you, who were also great and wreaked terror at the time that they were on earth. And this is where they are, and this is where you're going. There's Edom, Edom, Esau, right? Enemy of Israel. There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who despite their might are laid beside those slain by the sword. They shall lie with the uncircumcised, apart from God, and with those who go down to the pit.

There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians. We just talked about the Sidonians last week, and how they, you know, God's judgment on them for what they did. And remember the people that came from Sidon, they were enemies. Jezebel from that tribe, and the others that were from that tribe, that lured Israel into idolatry with their gods. There are the princes of the north, all of them, all of the Sidonians, who have gone down with the slain in shame at the terror which they caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.

Pharaoh. Pharaoh will see them, and he'll be comforted over all his multitude. Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, says the Lord God. And he wraps up this section, for I have caused my terror in the land of the living, and he shall be placed in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword, Pharaoh, and all his multitude, all those daughters of the nations, all those multitudes around him, says the Lord God. And then this section of, I think it's eight chapters of prophecy that we've been through who come to a close, as God puts his judgment on all those nations around Israel and Judah that have always, always been against them.

So, let's finish there with chapter 32. Beginning next week, we move into a new section that will lead us into pre-millennial times, and then millennial times, in the last part of Ezekiel. Pretty exciting chapters as we delve into those and look at what God says in this prophecy and some other prophecies that supplement and complement what he's given Ezekiel as well.

So, let's quit there and we'll open it up for any questions, any comments on anything that anyone wants to talk about at all. Hey, Bill. Yes, hi. You know how we like to note about the numbers, famous numbers in the Bible? Yes. Numbers 4, Numbers 7, Numbers 10, Numbers 12, these significant numbers. And we know that the Feast of Unleavened—no, the Feast of Tabernacles in the last great day makes eight. And so, interestingly, he has eight uncircumcised words in this chapter.

So, to make the point even long and stronger, he puts the word in there eight times. Yeah, I didn't count him out, but that's an interesting fact. And he keeps repeating it all, but this is the common commonality between these nations.

Hey, Rich and Diane. Hi, Mr. Shaby. I didn't count the number of times they said the pit, but the pit looks like a sister in a dungeon. Could that allude to the fact that maybe the people that go down there will not be resurrected then? Well, remember, I mean, God will resurrect everyone in the Second Resurrection, right? You know, they may die in this time. And he does indicate through all the prophecies of these that we've been reading that they won't live into the millennium, right? He will eliminate those nations. He's pretty clear about what goes on in there. And we look at the attitudes of the Middle East and how they simply, I mean, they are just of a different mindset. They hate Israel. They're raised to hate Israel.

You can see why the King of the North would, God would use them to eliminate that from there. But no, I think God will resurrect everyone. He promises that all those who aren't in the First Resurrection will be in the Second Resurrection. I get the only other question would be then, does the pit have a significance other than just being like a dungeon or it says the pit? Yeah, I think in Revelation, I didn't look that up, I think it's the bottomless pit in Revelation it speaks to. But when you look at the word... That's correct. And it's a different connotation.

Yeah. One is bottomless, the other one is just more of a dungeon or a cistern. The bottomless pit is for the fallen angels and whatever. But this pit is, you know, they're there. They lie with all these nations who went before them. Yeah, that element and that mindset. Yeah. Thanks. Okay. Moses, how are you doing this day?

Doing good. How are you? Okay.

Just a couple of comments about the fires in Southern California. Yeah.

Last week, one of the politicians, I don't know whether he's current or former, but he said that in the 70s, the sheep farmers were allowed to use their sheep graze on the hills of the mountains.

And the foresters were able to... They allowed the foresters to come in and log the temple out of the forest. But it just shows how the environmentalists have determined to worship the creation more than the creator. And they caused a lot of major problems. Yeah, they did. Yeah, they did. Actually, I haven't watched the news in the last few days. It's just been so hectic around here. But I guess the fires are still going on. I haven't heard that they stopped.

I don't know if they've been extinguished or not. So there's some new fires. There's at least one new. Yeah. Okay, okay. Fires in California, snow in Florida. I guess fires in California aren't so unusual, but the way they've happened this year is quite unusual. So let me see. Andrew, how are you tonight? I'm fine. Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time for us. I enjoy it. Yeah. You were doing a very nice job of contrasting the destruction and empires of Egypt and Babylon. And of course, we've just had a administration in Washington soon in Ottawa.

And a number of us, Rick, have been praying for a long time that God would supply an atmosphere of culture and community and politics where the gospel can be preached. And I was just wondering if you're thinking along those lines about how we can better get the gospel to be published and preached and reaching the people with what has been a bit of a lull for a while. I just wondered what your comments about our media is. That is on my mind a lot, and it has been on my mind for several months.

And I do believe God has given us this window to preach the gospel more strongly and literally cover the earth that that's what he wants with his message so that people are aware of the gospel of Jesus Christ and everything else like that.

So yes, we do have plans for that. We're in our strategic planning months right now, and that is a large part of our strategic plan. What do we do? What new media do we do? How do we do things differently using all the resources that are available to us today that are so far different than they were 10 years ago? And get that message out to all classes of people that listen to things in different ways. You know, we know you can't reach everyone by TV today.

You can't reach everyone by Facebook today. You can't reach everyone by YouTube today. But you can reach everyone by using all those things and crafting the gospel message in ways that those can reach the people. And God is the one who opens their ears to hear. Our job is just to get the message out. So know that is very much a big part of our strategic plan.

And God has given us the resources, the talents, the skills to be able to do that. And we live in a time that is unmatched in history that we can literally do it around the world. So we are looking at that. Is there any two or three issue specifics that we might pray about? You know, yeah, pray about it all. Actually, you know, we did this week. On Sunday, we ran a full page ad in the New York Post, which is, I guess, kind of a popular conservative paper in New York.

They actually contacted us and gave us a very good rate. So we have four of those ads running right now. The New York Post does show up on a number of TV shows. We know a number of those commentators in New York read the New York Post regularly. So we're doing that.

You know, just ask God to kind of just direct us and lead us. There's, it's like a maze on how you get into those areas. We know that, you know, as we're into YouTube, we haven't figured out yet how YouTube thinks to put materials in front of people. What are what are the things that people do that it shows up and recommended for you that they might listen to, that he'll inspire, you know, the little, we call them thumbnails, the little titles we have that get people to listen to them and stuff like that. Just ask God to lead us at all because we need his direction in everything, everything we do.

So, and the thing is, as I say, I know he knows exactly how he wants it done. We just have to keep seeking him so that we do it exactly the way that he wants it done. So, Rindji, hi. Hi, Mr. Shaby. How are you? I'm well, thanks.

On the present time, right now there's a ceasefire between, you know, God's in the Hezbollah and Israel, but a mediator of that is the U.E.B. United Arab, Arab, I mean, Arabs. And anyway, they're the ones that are tying all this negotiation together, and they're central economically to all the entire world. And talking about Egypt and everything, all the nations that are in chapter 32, the United Arab Emirates and everything, it's interesting that they're the ones that have all the money and economics and all that.

Money talks in the world and everything. And it's interesting how all those little countries have their own little elements of power in there, right? Like we learned about Syria and somehow Germany's involved in Syria. I've learned over the last couple weeks as well. It's like, what is Germany doing down there in Syria? But yeah, they all have their little elements in that. They all combine together eventually to be a pretty powerful little kingdom.

Yeah, actually they represent all of the Muslim world. Yes, yeah, that's exactly what they do.

Egypt is, I don't know how much, what percent of Egypt is Muslim, but I know a great majority of it.

Very good. Rich, did you have another comment?

Just that Pitt was used eight times as well in the last two chapters. Interesting, yeah. Yeah, it's kind of like poetic, the way that God walks down through those kingdoms and just kind of finishes off their story until they're resurrected again. Tim Duncan, how are you? We talked to him. Hello. Yes, sir. Can you hear me? We can hear you, yes.

Okay. President Biden, through four years, kept saying, we can do all things. We've worked together.

Philippians 4, 13, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens us.

He never added through Christ which strengthens us. He never did, yeah. In fact, they often left God out where they had very good opportunities to include him.

Bill Wilson. Yes, I have to make a correction. There are actually 10 words uncircumcised. Oh, 10? Okay, okay. I went back and reviewed them. I said, oops, I missed two of them. Just two of them. They're 10 actually. Well, 10's a good number too, right? We are. All right. Hey, Marta.

How are you? You're on your, yeah, you're, you have to turn your... Hello. Yes, I have a quick question in regards. I enjoyed viewing the the videos of the maps and so how may I get a copy or how may we get a copy of those maps? The ones from like Tyre that we had up there a few weeks ago? Yeah, please. I can either email them or I don't know, is Dave Porter on? Maybe we can post them on that website. That might be the easiest way to do that. Do I? Oh, not Dave Porter. Dave Permar, yes. I got something else on my mind. If you send me your email, anyone, send me an email and I'll just email them to you. That would be... Yes, okay. Okay. Fine with me. Thank you.

Bill Bruce, hello. Yeah, hello. Listen, you know, I've always wondered to what degree, I mean, you know, it talks about God placing kingdoms and all that and I'm studying Daniel with Darris McNeely and in Daniel it just keeps saying it over and over again. You know, he's telling Nebuchadnezzar God places the powers and I just see kind of a thing. I think they're, like, you know, between Trump and Nebuchadnezzar, you know, he got that shot in the ear and that's got to be kind of humiliating a little bit, I would think. I mean, because he's such a pomp type of person. There just seems to be a correlation there in my brain. Yeah, no, you know, I think that I think I think the only explanation is that God did have his head turned at that time. I think Trump even sees that, right? It's got to be a humbling thing to know God saved you, you know, so that messaging. However he's dealing with it, if he just doesn't let it go to his head and he will just acknowledge God, right? That would be what God would be looking at.

It was interesting at the inaugural, they actually used those verses in Daniel about God raises up kingdoms and raises up kings and deposes of kings and whatever. I was surprised that one of the ministers that were doing the benedictions there read that series of verses at the inaugural this week. I didn't hear that part. That is interesting. Yeah, it was. It was, my ears peaked when I heard that and I thought I don't think he knows what he's talking about or he doesn't know what he's saying. Let me put it that way. Well, I know Trump sure made a lot of promises if he keeps, you know, he said something the other day, though, and he hasn't done it. He said in a meeting I saw that on the 21st he would tell us what those drones were doing and I haven't heard him say anything about it. Yeah, I haven't heard anything about it either. So he does have a lot in his place. I will say he does have endless energy, it seems like, to me. I don't know how at his age he just keeps going. He just keeps going.

Okay, anything else, anyone?

Ben, we will say good night. We will stay warm. Stay warm, everyone, and have a very good Sabbath. We will look forward to seeing, well, those of you in Cincinnati will be there this week, but the rest of you, we will look forward to seeing you next Wednesday. Same time, same station, okay? Have a good night.