Compare Ezekiel 12:12 with Jeremiah 39:4-7; how do both passages relate? Passage Snapshots • Ezekiel 12:12: “And the prince who is among them will lift his belongings on his shoulder at dusk and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes.” “4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls. They headed toward the Arabah, 5 but the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. 6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.” Prophetic Details in Ezekiel 12:12 • “The prince who is among them” – unmistakably points to King Zedekiah, Judah’s last monarch (cf. Jeremiah 52:10-11). • “Will lift his belongings on his shoulder at dusk” – a secretive, nighttime escape attempt. • “They will dig through the wall” – indicates a desperate breach of Jerusalem’s fortifications. • “He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes” – foreshadows blindness to come. Historical Fulfillment in Jeremiah 39:4-7 • Nighttime flight: Zedekiah flees “at night … through the gate between the two walls.” • Stealth and urgency: the escape is via the hidden route near the king’s garden. • Pursuit and capture: Chaldean forces overtake the fleeing king in the plains of Jericho. • Blinding: Nebuchadnezzar “put out Zedekiah’s eyes,” matching Ezekiel’s imagery of a face unable to see. • Exile: the blind king is “bound … to take him to Babylon,” fulfilling Ezekiel 12:13, “I will scatter him to the four winds … yet he will not see it, though he will die there.” Key Connections • Same individual – Ezekiel’s “prince” equals Jeremiah’s “Zedekiah.” • Same timing – both passages sit in the context of Babylon’s final siege of Jerusalem (586 BC). • Same actions – night escape, wall breach, capture, blinding, deportation. • Prophecy-fulfillment pattern – Ezekiel utters the prediction while still in Babylonian exile; Jeremiah records the event as history in Judah. Additional Confirmation • 2 Kings 25:4-7 and Jeremiah 52:7-11 narrate identical details, reinforcing the literal fulfillment. • Ezekiel 12:13 amplifies the prophecy: “I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare; I will bring him to Babylon … yet he will not see it.” The blindness explains how Zedekiah could arrive in Babylon without “seeing” it. Theological Significance • God’s Word stands – detailed prophecy fulfilled with precision underlines divine sovereignty (Isaiah 46:9-10). • Sin has consequences – Zedekiah’s rebellion against God-given warnings brought judgment (2 Chron 36:11-16). • Hope remains – even amid judgment, God preserved a remnant and promised restoration (Jeremiah 29:10-14; Ezekiel 37). Takeaway for Us Today • Trust Scripture’s reliability; what God foretells, He accomplishes. • Heed divine warnings rather than hardening the heart like Zedekiah. • Recognize God’s justice and mercy working together—discipline aims to bring His people back to Himself. |