Ezekiel 13:16
those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw a vision of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.'
those prophets of Israel

God indicts men from among His own covenant people who claimed prophetic authority while speaking lies. Their messages opposed the warnings God gave through Ezekiel and Jeremiah, strengthening rebellion rather than calling Israel to repentance.

Jer 23:16 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Do not listen…
Jer 23:21-22 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run…
1Ki 22:22-23 And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit…

who prophesied to Jerusalem

Jerusalem stood as Judah’s capital and the location of the temple, yet its religious privileges did not shield it from judgment. As Babylon’s armies closed in, the city needed truth that would lead to humble submission before God, not words that encouraged resistance to His discipline.

Jer 23:14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen…
Jer 23:15 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says:…
Jer 14:16 And the people to whom they prophesy will be thrown…

and saw a vision of peace for her

The false prophets announced safety and restoration as though God had revealed it to them. Their assurances directly contradicted the Lord’s warning that Jerusalem would fall because of persistent idolatry, injustice, and covenant unfaithfulness.

Jer 14:13 “Ah, Lord GOD!” I replied, “Look, the prophets…”…
Jer 28:9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace,…
Zec 10:2 For idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions…

when there was no peace,

Jerusalem’s outward worship concealed deep spiritual corruption, and the coming Babylonian destruction was certain. Promising peace apart from repentance was not comfort but deception; it left the people unprepared for the judgment already at hand.

Jer 6:14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care,…
Jer 8:11 They dress the wound of the daughter of My people…
Jer 23:17 They keep saying to those who despise Me, …

declares the Lord GOD.’

The sovereign Lord Himself exposes the prophets’ false visions and confirms the certainty of His judgment. God’s word stands over every human claim to spiritual authority, and His people must test all teaching by what He has truly revealed.

Ezk 11:5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me…
Ezk 20:3 Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel…
Ezk 20:33 As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet of God, Ezekiel was called to deliver messages of judgment and hope to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile.

2. False Prophets
These were individuals in Israel who claimed to speak for God but delivered false messages, particularly of peace, when God had not spoken such things.

3. Jerusalem
The capital city of Israel, which was under threat and eventually fell to Babylon due to the people's disobedience and the false assurances of peace.

4. The Lord GOD
The sovereign and true God of Israel, who speaks through His prophets and judges falsehood.

5. Visions of Peace
The false assurances given by the prophets, which contradicted the reality of impending judgment due to the nation's sin.
Teaching Points
Discernment in Prophecy
Believers must exercise discernment and test the spirits to ensure that messages claiming to be from God align with Scripture.

The Danger of False Assurance
False promises of peace can lead to complacency and unpreparedness for God's true plans. We must seek God's truth rather than comforting lies.

The Role of True Prophets
True prophets speak God's word faithfully, even when it is unpopular or difficult. We should value and heed messages that align with biblical truth.

God's Sovereignty and Judgment
God is sovereign and His plans will prevail. False messages cannot thwart His purposes, and He will hold false prophets accountable.

Peace through Obedience
True peace comes from obedience to God and alignment with His will, not from false assurances or human desires.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can we discern between true and false messages that claim to be from God in today's context?

2. What are some modern examples of "visions of peace" that might lead believers astray, and how can we guard against them?

3. How does understanding the historical context of Ezekiel's message to Jerusalem help us apply this passage to our lives today?

4. In what ways can we ensure that our hope and peace are grounded in God's truth rather than in human assurances?

5. How do the warnings against false prophets in Ezekiel 13:16 relate to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament about false teachers?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 6:14
This verse also addresses false prophets who declare peace when there is no peace, highlighting the consistent message of warning against false assurances.

Matthew 7:15
Jesus warns about false prophets who come in sheep's clothing, emphasizing the need for discernment.

1 Thessalonians 5:3
Paul speaks of a false sense of peace and security before sudden destruction, paralleling the false prophets' message in Ezekiel's time.
Peace, and There is no PeaceHomiletic MagazineEzekiel 13:16
The Sin and Punishment of False ProphetsW. Jones Ezekiel 13:1-16
The Foolish Builders - a ParableW. Jones Ezekiel 13:10-16
The Vanity of Flattering CounselJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 13:10-16
People
Ezekiel
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Affirmation, Along, Declares, Jerusalem, Peace, Prophesied, Prophesy, Prophesying, Prophets, Says, Seeing, Sovereign, Vision, Visions, Wit
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 13:1-23

     7760   preachers, responsibilities

Ezekiel 13:10-16

     5604   walls

Library
That the Ruler Should not Set his Heart on Pleasing Men, and yet Should Give Heed to what Ought to Please Them.
Meanwhile it is also necessary for the ruler to keep wary watch, lest the lust of pleasing men assail him; lest, when he studiously penetrates the things that are within, and providently supplies the things that are without, he seek to be beloved of those that are under him more than truth; lest, while, supported by his good deeds, he seems not to belong to the world, self-love estrange him from his Maker. For he is the Redeemer's enemy who through the good works which he does covets being loved
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Of the Character of the Unregenerate.
Ephes. ii. 1, 2. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. AMONG all the various trusts which men can repose in each other, hardly any appears to be more solemn and tremendous, than the direction of their sacred time, and especially of those hours which they spend in the exercise of public devotion.
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

That the Ruler Should be Discreet in Keeping Silence, Profitable in Speech.
The ruler should be discreet in keeping silence, profitable in speech; lest he either utter what ought to be suppressed or suppress what he ought to utter. For, as incautious speaking leads into error, so indiscreet silence leaves in error those who might have been instructed. For often improvident rulers, fearing to lose human favour, shrink timidly from speaking freely the things that are right; and, according to the voice of the Truth (Joh. x. 12), serve unto the custody of the flock by no means
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. We come now, as was proposed, to observe, Thirdly,(474) That faith unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to that rule. It is the laying down a man's state, and condition, and actions beside the rule of God's word, or the principles of nature's light. It is the chief piece
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Purity and Peace in the Present Lord
PHILIPPIANS iv. 1-9 Euodia and Syntyche--Conditions to unanimity--Great uses of small occasions--Connexion to the paragraphs--The fortress and the sentinel--A golden chain of truths--Joy in the Lord--Yieldingness--Prayer in everything--Activities of a heart at rest Ver. 1. +So, my brethren beloved and longed for+, missed indeed, at this long distance from you, +my joy and crown+ of victory (stephanos), +thus+, as having such certainties and such aims, with such a Saviour, and looking for such
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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