Ezekiel 21:15
So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter.
So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble
This phrase indicates a profound sense of fear and despair among the people. In biblical context, the heart often represents the center of emotion and will. The melting of hearts suggests a complete loss of courage and resolve, reminiscent of Joshua 2:11, where the inhabitants of Jericho lose heart upon hearing of Israel's approach. The stumbling implies confusion and vulnerability, as seen in Isaiah 8:15, where many stumble and fall due to a lack of faith and understanding. This imagery underscores the psychological impact of impending judgment.

I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter
The gates of a city were crucial for defense and commerce, often symbolizing the strength and security of a community. The appointment of a sword at all gates signifies an inescapable judgment, as the gates are the first line of defense. Historically, gates were places of legal and social transactions, making this a metaphor for the comprehensive nature of the coming destruction. The sword is a common biblical symbol of divine judgment, as seen in Genesis 3:24, where a flaming sword guards the way to the Tree of Life, indicating separation from God's presence due to sin.

Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning
The imagery of a sword flashing like lightning conveys both the swiftness and the inevitability of judgment. Lightning is often associated with divine presence and power, as in Exodus 19:16, where thunder and lightning accompany God's descent on Mount Sinai. This phrase emphasizes the sudden and overwhelming nature of the coming judgment, leaving no room for escape or delay. The readiness of the sword suggests that the time for repentance has passed, and the execution of justice is imminent.

it is drawn for slaughter
The drawing of the sword signifies the active execution of judgment. In ancient warfare, a drawn sword was a clear signal of impending battle and conflict. This phrase highlights the certainty and severity of the punishment awaiting the people. The term "slaughter" indicates not just defeat but total destruction, reflecting the seriousness of the people's rebellion against God. This connects to the broader theme of divine retribution found throughout the prophetic books, where God's holiness demands justice for sin.

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

2. Israel
The nation to whom Ezekiel is prophesying, specifically the people of Judah who are facing impending judgment.

3. Babylon
The empire that serves as the instrument of God's judgment against Israel.

4. The Sword
Symbolizes the impending judgment and destruction that God is bringing upon Israel through Babylon.

5. The Gates
Represents the entry points of the city, indicating that the judgment is unavoidable and will penetrate all defenses.
Teaching Points
The Certainty of God's Judgment
God's judgment is inevitable and precise, as symbolized by the sharpened and polished sword. Believers should live with an awareness of God's holiness and justice.

The Call to Repentance
The imagery of hearts melting and stumbling serves as a call to repentance. It is a reminder to turn back to God before judgment comes.

The Sovereignty of God
God uses nations and events to accomplish His purposes. Understanding His sovereignty should lead to trust and submission to His will.

The Urgency of Readiness
Just as the sword is ready to strike, believers must be spiritually prepared for the return of Christ and the final judgment.

The Role of Prophets
Ezekiel's role as a prophet highlights the importance of listening to God's messengers and heeding their warnings.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of the sword in Ezekiel 21:15 help us understand the nature of God's judgment?

2. In what ways can we see God's sovereignty at work in the world today, similar to how He used Babylon in Ezekiel's time?

3. How can the call to repentance in Ezekiel 21:15 be applied to our personal lives and communities?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to be spiritually prepared for Christ's return, in light of the urgency depicted in this passage?

5. How can we discern and respond to modern-day "prophets" or messages that call us back to God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 25:9
This passage also speaks of Babylon as God's instrument of judgment, reinforcing the theme of divine sovereignty over nations.

Isaiah 34:5-6
These verses describe God's sword of judgment, similar to Ezekiel's imagery, emphasizing the certainty and severity of divine retribution.

Hebrews 4:12
While this verse speaks of the Word of God as a sword, it connects to the idea of God's judgment being precise and penetrating.
Irresistible SlaughterJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 21:1-17
The Sacred Song of the SwordW. Jones Ezekiel 21:8-17
The SwordJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 21:8-17
People
Ammonites, Ezekiel
Places
Babylon, Jerusalem, Negeb, Rabbah
Topics
Ah, Bright, Brightness, Death, Doors, Faint, Fall, Fallen, Falling, Flame, Flash, Gates, Glittering, Grasped, Heart, Hearts, Increased, Lightning, Melt, Multiplied, Multiply, Oh, Order, Point, Pointed, Polished, Readiness, Ruins, Sharpened, Slaughter, Soft, Stationed, Striking, Stumbling-blocks, Stumblings, Sword, Threatening, Whetted, Wrapped, Wrapt
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 21:15

     4838   lightning
     5323   gate

Library
Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and Ungodly Men.
Scriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And Ungodly Men. When the Lord is punishing such a people against whom he hath a controversy, and a notable controversy, every one that is found shall be thrust through: and every one joined with them shall fall, Isa. xiii. 15. They partake in their judgment, not only because in a common calamity all shares, (as in Ezek. xxi. 3.) but chiefly because joined with and partakers with these whom God is pursuing; even as the strangers that join
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Light for them that Sit in Darkness;
OR, A DISCOURSE OF JESUS CHRIST: AND THAT HE UNDERTOOK TO ACCOMPLISH BY HIMSELF THE ETERNAL REDEMPTION OF SINNERS: ALSO, HOW THE LORD JESUS ADDRESSED HIMSELF TO THIS WORK; WITH UNDENIABLE DEMONSTRATIONS THAT HE PERFORMED THE SAME. OBJECTIONS TO THE CONTRARY ANSWERED. 'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.'--Galatians 3:13. by John Bunyan--1674 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This solemn and searching treatise was first published in 1674, a copy of which is in
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Sundry Sharp Reproofs
This doctrine draws up a charge against several sorts: 1 Those that think themselves good Christians, yet have not learned this art of holy mourning. Luther calls mourning a rare herb'. Men have tears to shed for other things, but have none to spare for their sins. There are many murmurers, but few mourners. Most are like the stony ground which lacked moisture' (Luke 8:6). We have many cry out of hard times, but they are not sensible of hard hearts. Hot and dry is the worst temper of the body. Sure
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Saurin -- Paul Before Felix and Drusilla
Jacques Saurin, the famous French Protestant preacher of the seventeenth century, was born at Nismes in 1677. He studied at Geneva and was appointed to the Walloon Church in London in 1701. The scene of his great life work was, however, the Hague, where he settled in 1705. He has been compared with Bossuet, tho he never attained the graceful style and subtilty which characterize the "Eagle of Meaux." The story is told of the famous scholar Le Clerc that he long refused to hear Saurin preach, on the
Grenville Kleiser—The world's great sermons, Volume 3

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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