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RABBI HANANIAS is said to have satisfactorily solved the difficulties (Mischna) which were alleged against its canonicity. Sirach 49:8 refers to it, and JOSEPHUS [Antiquities, 10.5.1]. It is mentioned as part of the canon in MELITO'S catalogue [EUSEBIUS, Ecclesiastical History, 4.26]; also in ORIGEN, JEROME, and the Talmud. The oneness of tone throughout and the repetition of favorite expressions exclude the suspicion that separate portions are not genuine. The earlier portion, the first through the thirty-second chapters, which mainly treats of sin and judgment, is a key to interpret the latter portion, which is more hopeful and joyous, but remote in date. Thus a unity and an orderly progressive character are imparted to the whole. The destruction of Jerusalem is the central point. Previous to this he calls to repentance and warns against blind confidence in Egypt ( Ezekiel 17:15-17 After it he consoles the captives by promising them future deliverance and restoration. His prophecies against foreign nations stand between these two great divisions, and were uttered in the interval between the intimation that Nebuchadnezzar was besieging Jerusalem and the arrival of the news that he had taken it ( Ezekiel 33:21 HAVERNICK marks out nine secsections:--(1) Ezekiel's call to prophesy

(Ezekiel 33-39) "The destruction of the old sinful Israel was not the end of God's dealings with his people. The old order would be followed by a new and perfect kingdom. The destruction of the sinful foreign nations would prepare the way for this. The exiles would be returned to Palestine; and a new kingdom would be set up under totally new conditions of worship and fellowship with God. The remainder of Ezekiel falls into two parts: (1) the first deals with the restoration from captivity (Ezekiel 33-39), and (2) the second deals with the new arrangement and laws of the future kingdom (Ezekiel 40-48).[1]

EZEKIEL'S CALL TO HIS NEW MISSION; STRESSING THE OLD RULES

It was a discouraging situation that confronted Ezekiel. Israel was not yet a united entity.

(1) There was the arrogant and conceited remnant that remained in Judea, the few left behind by the Babylonians, the few groups of stragglers rounded up by Gedaliah, and a few that had escaped and were in hiding in the remote caves and inaccessible places on the road down to Jericho. The immoral character and the conceited self-assurance of this group made it absolutely impossible for God to find a place for them in his eternal purpose. They were claiming, that since they were "the seed of Abraham," then they were the heirs of Palestine and all the other blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. This, of course, was the old conceit of the Pharisees of Jesus' day who claimed to be the "seed of Abraham," but were actually the children of the devil (John 8:44). Ezekiel would deal with both this group and the second one in this chapter.

From chapters 25-32, Ezekiel condemns judgment upon seven particular nations who mocked YHWH, the God of Israel because of the captivity; they too would soon see their fate. These nations are Ammon, Moab (Modern day Jordan), Edom, Philistia (Modern day Palestine), Tyre, Sidon (Modern day Lebanon), and Egypt.

Chapters 4-24, Ezekiel delivered the message of doom to the captives. He told several parables, one that compared Israel to an adulterous woman (16:1-63). He taught them that God was cleansing His chosen nation, “Fou have borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations’, the LORD declares” (16:58).

The book of Ezekiel is Narrative History, Prophetic and Apocalyptic in genre and even contains Parables. The prophet Ezekiel wrote it approximately 571 B.C. (this date is accurately precise because this book contains more defined dates than any other book in the Bible.) Key personalities include Ezekiel, Israel’s leaders, Ezekiel’s wife, King Nebuchadnezzar, and “the prince”.

It was written to announce judgment upon Judah, to allow them one last chance to repent. It also foretells of the coming deliverance of God’s nation from captivity in Babylon. It mainly discusses the events during the Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel is a priest who is called by God to deliver His messages.

•    In chapters 1-3, God commissions his servant Ezekiel. He receives visions, and his message is to confront God’s sinful nation, “I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day ” (2:3).

In Jeremiah 51:1-58, We read Jeremiah prophesying of Babylon's doom and destruction. The first several verses seems to indicate he is writing about the literal Babylon. Either the Law of Double Reference applies here, or he is simultaneously inferring of a figurative Babylon. Let's analyze these verses carefully. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad [insane] (51:7). This is the same reference in Rev. 17:3 and 18:2 . O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness (51:13). Babylon (Iraq) isn't surrounded by oceans only one little strait. America is surrounded by three bodies of waters; The Atlantic, The Pacific and The Gulf of Mexico. It appears that Jeremiah could of been speaking of America in these verses. John speaks of "Great Mystery Babylon" and "The Mother of Harlots" and "The city which sitteth on seven hills." Rome is surrounded by seven hills. It could be implying of The Vatican (The Mother of Harlots ie., religious denominations who subscribe to the doctrine of the Trinity and who are affiliated with the WCC & NAE) and of America.

In chapter 50, God promises to rescue His nation from captivity. In verse 17-18 God declares, “Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The

first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and the last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.” The capital of Assyria was destroyed so severely it was not discovered until the 19th century A.D.

Chapter 48

Moab is next set to the bar before Jeremiah the prophet, whom God has constituted judge over nations and kingdoms, from his mouth to receive its doom. Isaiah’s predictions concerning Moab had had their accomplishment (we had the predictions Isa. 15, and 16 and the like Amos. 2:1 ), and they were fulfilled when the Assyrians, under Salmanassar, invaded and distressed Moab. But this is a prophecy of the desolations of Moab by the Chaldeans, which were accomplished under Nebuzaradan, about five years after he had destroyed Jerusalem.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 47:1

1That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh conquered Gaza.

47:1 This first verse dates the prophecy (i.e., before Pharaoh conquered Gaza).

The Babylonian conquest of Philistia was also prophesied in 25:20. There are several other places where the destruction of Philistia is prophesied (cf. Isa. 14:29-31; Ezek. 25:15-17; Joel 3:4-8; Amos 1:6-8; Zeph. 2:4-7; Zech 9:5-7).

Herodotus (Hist. II, 159) mentions that Pharaoh Necho II conquered a Philistine city (i.e., Gaza) about 609 b.c. This would link up with his replacing Josiah's heir (Jehoiahaz) with another puppet king (Jehoiakim), also in 609 b.c. The problem with this date is that Nebuchadnezzar did not invade until 601 b.c.

The Expositors Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 655, lists three possible dates for the invasion of Babylon (if the MT is correct).

1. 609 b.c. - same time as the death of Josiah by Necho II

2. 604 b.c. - after the defeat of the Egyptian army at Carchemish

3. still later in the reign of Pharaoh Hophra (or Apries, 588-569 b.c.), when he invaded Phoenicia and Philistia, which were on the way (i.e., southern coast)

The following sound clips are sermon excerpts of renowned preachers and evangelists such are:  Ian Paisley, Leonard Ravenhill, Paris Reidhead, Duncan Campbell, A.W. Tozer, T. Austin Sparks