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CHAPTER 17
Ezekiel shows in a parable how Israel, while subject to Babylon, wrongfully sought help from Egypt—Yet the Lord will bring forth in the last days, a goodly tree from the cedars of Lebanon. |
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1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israela; 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great aeagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers coloursa, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: 4 He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and acarried it into a land of btrafficka; he set it in a city of merchants. |
2a a riddle, and speak a parable unto the
house of Israel A riddle is a mystery set with off set seeming
statements which must be solved by viewing the unlikely as likely. Though
this riddle is spoken to the house of Israel, that is Ephraim and his
companions is will occur from within the confines of the Kingdom of Judah.
And there are two elements within the Kingdom of Judah which connect directly
with the House of Israel/Ephraim. First there is the high connection of the
House of David in which Israel has the greater right as the House of
Obed/Jesse/David is that vicarious provided heir of the covenant of Abraham
which came through Joseph, Ephraim, Nun, Jehoshua and the Ephrathite house of
Mahlon and Elimelech (See Messiah ben David ~
Messiah ben Joseph). And also within the Kingdom of Judah is found a low
connection in that remanant of Israel of Manasseh and Ephraim which remained
in Jerusalem even after the dividing of the kingdoms. This of course is
personified in Lehi of Manasseh and Ishmael of Ephraim.
3a A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours The Amereicas have scripturally been reference as the land of the spreading wings, even the wings of an eagle. Metaphorically, giving the land of Joseph, America, a life of its own, it could very well be spoken of in a parable as 'a great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers'. And due to the many peoples and nations, it also could be referenced as being of divers colours. This would tie in quite will with the fact that the 'riddle' was directed to the house of Israel/Ephraim, which is the people to be associated with the Land of Joseph, the Americas. 4a the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick The top would reference the high connection of the House of David, which Mulek the son of Zedekiah would have been, a single twig from among 'his young twigs'. The rest of the sons of Zedekiah were put to death in the eye sight of Zedekiah prior to his eyes being put out. The land of 'traffick' and the city of merchants could very well be that great city of commerce of the Jaredites which rested just north of the narrow neck of land which lead into the land southward. There is every possibility that the tarshish ships of King Solomon which would be at sea for the space of 3 years before there return would have sailed to and traded with the great city of commerce of the Jaredites. The cocaine, maijauna and tobacco mummies of the Egyptians would suggest just such a trade 'trafficing' with America, likely by the great international trade route of King Solomon which ran through the international sea port of the gulf of Aqaba, Elath or EzionGeber. The Book of Mormon states that Mulek's group was brought by the hand of the Lord to the land north but there upon finding the total destruction and ruin of that land they would call desolation, from thence they came into the land southward and ended up in the center or heart of the land of Zarahemla. Thus Mulek, the son of Zedekiah, the single twig from the young twigs or sons of Zedekiah was carried into first the land of the Jaredites, likely that great sea port of Jaredite international trade. |
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5 He took also of the seed of the land, and
aplanted it in a fruitful
fielda; he placed it by
great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
6 And it grew, and became a spreading avine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. 7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathersa: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. |
5a took alsp of the seed of the land, and
planted it in a fruitful field In addition, the seed of the land,
which has a dual reference to the seeds that Lehi brought with him out of
the east to America as well as to the families of Lehi and Ishmael, was also
brought by that great winged eagle (see verse 7) to be planted in a very
fruitful field. Lehi's seed when first planted at their base camp in America
grew 'bountifully' as did also his posterity in the 'fruitful field' of the
Americas, a land choice above all others. And the 'vine' grew abundantly in
the land of America as so stated in the riddle.
7a also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers Here is brought out the 'dualistic' nature of the riddle, that it did applied to the land of Joseph, the Americas, and also to the of Babylon and what would be done to Judah by that hand. This is the part of the riddle which Ezekiel will explain as it did apply to the Jews and their captivity. |
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8 It was planted in a agood soil by
great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might
bear fruit, that it might be a goodly
vinea.
9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof. 10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the aeast bwind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew. |
8a that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine The Nephite nation for a time was that 'goodly vine' which produced fruit but it did wither and was fully destroyed as a nation with but comparatively few people remaining. The 'east wind', that wind of afliction and adversity did cause it to wither and be destroyed. | |
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11 ¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
12 Say now to the arebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the bking of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylona; |
12a the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon This is a parallel answer to the riddle in that the short termed son of Jehoiakim, Jehoachin, was taken to Babylon with many of the princes and skilled labors of Jerusalem. | |
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13 And hath taken of the king's
aseed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken
an boath of hima:
he hath also taken the cmighty of the land:
14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand. 15 But he arebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much peoplea. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? |
13a made a covenant with him, and hath
taken an oath of him When King Nebuchadnezzar removed Jehoachin
and installed Zedekiah, Zedekiah and the people did covenant with the king
of Babylon and also with the Lord in the House of the Lord to submit
themselves to the king of Babylon. And not only this, in a manner similar to
that which King Josiah did, King Zedekiah in conjunction with this covenant
to the King of Babylon, and likely under the guidance, suggestion and even
direction of the 'Jewish Princes and Prophets' of Babylon, Daniel etal., King
Zedekiah recommitted the Jewish people to the Law of God in the temple. This
is referenced to in Jeremiah chapter 34 concerning that part of the Law which
they had 'outwardly' defiled, the releasing of the Hebrew servants even after
a contrived aditional 7 years from the date of the oath and covenant to do
so (See Jeremiah 34 commentary).
15a he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people This detail which is only presumed in Jeremiah's accounting of the events, is brought clearly out here in the prophecies of Ezekiel. King Zedekiah and his Princes (Elders/Sarim) had sent ambassadors to Egypt and had obtained an agreement with Egypt to come to the defense of Jerusalem against Babylon. This aliance with Egypt gave King Zedekiah the confidence, along with the persuasion of the Sarim, Priests and Prophets of the Temple to defy the king of Babylon and to break that covenant he had made with him. This was also that time which after 6-7 years after having reclaimed the Hebrew servants after once releasing them 7 years prior in the inaugeral year of Zedekiah, that the Jews continued to keep them in servitude and did not release them according to their covenant even as they had contrived it and came under undeniable condemnation of God's Law as laid out by Jeremiah in Jeremiah chapter 34. |
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16 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in
the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose
oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in
the midst of aBabylon he shall
diea.
17 Neither shall aPharaoh with his mighty barmy and great company cmake for him in the war, by casting up dmounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons: 18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape. |
16a with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die Though King Zedekiah was blinded, after the destruction of Jerusalem, he and his remaing people were taken to Babylon, and there Zedekiah did die. | |
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19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live,
surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath
brokena, even it will I recompense
upon his own head.
20 And I will spread my anet upon him, and he shall be btaken in my snare, and I will bring him to cBabylon, and will dplead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. 21 And all his fugitives with all his abands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be bscattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it. |
19a surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken Here is evidence that beyond that oath and covenant which Zedekiah did make unto the King of Babylon, that at that same time and in conjunction with that covenant unto the King of Babylon, that King Zedekiah and his people, which he caused them to also take upon them; that King Zedekiah had taken the oath and the covenant of the House of the Lord unto the Lord. And in addition to the breaking of the covenant with Babylon, King Zedekiah and the Jewish people, had broken their oath and covenant which they had sworn unto the Lord to keep his Law, the Law of Moses. | |
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22 ¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take
of the highest abranch of the high cedar, and will set
it; I will crop off from the top of his young btwigs
a btender one, and will cplant it upon an high
mountain and eminenta:
23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have aexalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have bdone it. |
22a I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and eminent Here now is Ezekiel's further prophetic mention of the dualistic nature of the riddle again. The highest branch, from his young twigs, the tender youth of Mulek was taken and planted in the high mountain of the eminent land of Joseph, Anmerica. Remember, this is being pronouced during the reign of Zedekiah during the actual events, and though the events are concurrent as well as to come, that portion of Ezekiel's riddle which applied to the Book of Mormon events were not known to the Jewish people. They would know of Jehoachin's removal and would come to see that which befell Zedekiah, but they were not aware of Lehi's removal and he and Mulek's eventual occupations upon the Land of Joseph, America. |
22a
Omni 1:15(14-17);
Mosiah 25:2;
Hel. 8:21 b Jacob 5:24(22-24) b IE. Mulek, son of king Zedekiah c TG Israel, Scattering of 24a 2 Ne. 20:33; D&C 112:8(3-8) b Ezek. 36:36
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