What is the significance of the repeated striking in Ezekiel 21:14? Setting the Scene • Ezekiel speaks to Judah on the brink of Babylon’s invasion. • God pictures His judgment as a flashing sword (vv. 9–13). • Into that vision comes the command: – “So prophesy, son of man, and clap your hands together.” (Ezekiel 21:14) – “Let the sword strike twice, even three times.” (Ezekiel 21:14) What the Repeated Striking Looks Like • The prophet literally claps his hands—an audible, public action. • The clapping mimics the blows of a sword: one, two, three. • God echoes the gesture Himself: “I too will clap My hands, and I will satisfy My wrath.” (Ezekiel 21:17) Literary Force of the Repetition • Hebrew writers double or triple words for intensity (Isaiah 6:3; Jeremiah 7:4). • “Twice, even three times” underlines certainty: the sword will not miss or quit. • Each strike marks a stage of judgment—city, sanctuary, prince (cf. Ezekiel 21:12–13, 25). Prophetic Symbolism 1. Certainty of Judgment – God is not warning vaguely; the sentence is fixed (Hebrews 9:27). 2. Escalation of Severity – Like Leviticus 26:21’s “seven times,” repetition stresses compounding wrath. 3. Completeness of the Slaughter – No corner of society escapes; the sword “closes in…from every side.” (snippet, Ezekiel 21:14) Parallel Illustrations • 2 Kings 13:18–19—Elisha orders Joash, “Strike the ground…He struck three times and stopped.” – More blows would have meant fuller victory; likewise, Ezekiel’s triple strike shows total defeat. • Revelation 8–9—the first, second, third trumpet judgments build to a climax, reflecting the same progressive pattern. Key Takeaways for Today • God’s repeated blows remind us He is patient but not indulgent; sin invites real, measured consequences (Romans 2:5). • His warnings come with vivid actions so we cannot claim ignorance (Amos 3:7). • The only safe refuge is repentance and faith in the One who bore the sword for us (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). |
    |