This is what the Sovereign Lord says
Ezekiel 12:26-28 - God reliably fulfills His promises, the perfect example of which is the coming of the Messiah — foretold in Old Testament prophecy and fulfilled in the New Testament.
“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’ “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ””
Ezekiel 12:26-28 NIV
Between Barb’s new series about the Book of Daniel and several of my more recent devotionals covering verses from the Old Testament (various prophets, Psalms, and a short detour into 1 Chronicles), God is pointing us toward building a foundation of knowledge and His wisdom that all culminates in the new covenant and Jesus.
Ezekiel (the Hebrew name means “God is strong” or “God strengthens”) died around 570 BC, having prophesied for about 22 years during his lifetime. The visions for which he is well known, including an encounter with God and seeing “four living creatures with four wheels beside them” can be precisely dated to 593 BC.
By chapter 12 of Ezekiel’s prophecies, God has spoken to him of the impending exile of the Israelites and Ezekiel has dutifully passed God’s Word along to the people. Sure enough, in verse 27 God knows what the Israelites think: that the prophecies are about something that will happen in “the distant future”. God, knowing of course what was about to transpire, knew that it would be a scant six years after this prophecy that the Babylonians would capture Jerusalem, destroy Solomon’s temple, and send the upper class citizens of Jerusalem into exile.
Prophets such as Ezekiel are chosen by God to deliver His messages to His people. Today we don’t see many prophets (if any, although there’s a fascinating and documented prophecy made in 1970 that foretold of a future US president), and we depend mainly on Scripture and the Holy Spirit to discern God’s message.
Like so many times before in the history of the Israelites, they were going to go through many tough years of exile for one reason: disobedience. God brings down His judgement on those who turn away from His commands!
God refers to Ezekiel as “son of man”. That title should seem familiar to Christians, as Jesus used it to refer to Himself. In both cases, it is a title that emphasizes the humanity of the person in question — Jesus or Ezekiel.
In reference to the skepticism of the Israelites towards Ezekiel’s prophecies, this was very common in the prophetic books of the Old Testament. In most cases, the people doubted that God’s warnings through the prophets were relevant to them or that these occurrences would happen in the near future. It was a way of denying (or perhaps misunderstanding) just how much God wanted His people to take action immediately on His messages.
The New Testament is different: it calls believers to be watchful and ready for God to fulfill His promises. This is true in Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:44 - “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
In verse 28, God tells His people that He is going to fulfill the prophecy very soon! As mentioned earlier, it took six years for the prophecy to be fulfilled. In terms of the thousands of years of history between God, Israel, and Judah, this is essentially no time at all.
God also reminds His people of two things in this last verse: first, his sovereignty — note how He bookends the phrase “None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled,” with the preface of “This is what the Sovereign Lord says” and finishing with “declares the Sovereign Lord.” This is God speaking, NOT Ezekiel!
The second reminder — “whatever I say will be fulfilled” — is that God always follows through on His promises. God controls history; fulfilled prophecies are widespread in the Bible. This reminder is both a reassurance that God’s plans are going to unfold despite Mankind’s attempts to ignore those plans, and a warning to any who doubt or dismiss the Word of God. God reliably fulfills His promises, the perfect example of which is the coming of the Messiah — foretold in Old Testament prophecy and fulfilled in the New Testament.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Your word is true and unfailing. You have spoken, and what You declare will come to pass. Forgive us when we doubt or grow weary in waiting. Strengthen our faith to trust in Your perfect timing, knowing that Your promises will not be delayed. Lord, let our hearts be steadfast in hope, our spirits watchful in expectation, and our lives aligned with Your will. May we walk in obedience, believing that what You have said, You will surely do. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.