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Thursday, 18 August 2011

Day 232: Further prophecies


Cosmic prophecies today, and a king who can't take advice.
Tyre’s funeral song
Ezekiel 27:26-36
The fall of the king of Tyre
Ezekiel 28:1-12, 19
Prophecy against Pharaoh
Ezekiel 30:20-26
Further prophecy against Egypt
Ezekiel 31:1-18
Jeremiah’s advice sought
Jeremiah 37:3-4
Egyptian intervention
Jeremiah 37:5
Egyptian army to return home
Jeremiah 37:6-10
Jeremiah arrested, then released
Jeremiah 37:11-21

Ezekiel’s poetry suddenly morphs into a heavenly plane, and instead of the king of Tyre, he seems to be talking about Lucifer, once chief angel, now the eternal enemy of God. Or else he’s describing Tyre’s fall in the most cosmic terms he can imagine.
He also prophesies against Egypt. Like Assyria, which is no more., Egypt’s power is going to be brought low. Egypt might have been as glorious as one of the trees in the garden of Eden, but it makes no difference. She will be humbled.
Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, King Zedekiah asks Jeremiah for advice. This coincides with Egypt’s army appearing at Judah’s southern borders, and causing the Babylonians to withdraw. Doubtless, Zedekiah hoped that Pharaoh had scared the Babylonians off for good, despite the prophets’ many warnings not to rely on Egypt. But Jeremiah puts it starkly: Babylon will be back, and is arrested for his pains.

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