Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Ezekiel Chapter 33
Metaphysically Interpreting Ezekiel 33:1-9
33:1And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 33:2Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman; 33:3if, when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 33:4then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 33:5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul. 33:6But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, and the sword come, and take any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
33:7So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 33:8When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand. 33:9Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he turn not from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Metaphysically Interpreting Ezekiel 33:10-20
33:10And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Thus ye speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live? 33:11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 33:12And thou, son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth. 33:13When I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in his iniquity that he hath committed, therein shall he die. 33:14Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 33:15if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 33:16None of his sins that he hath committed shall be remembered against him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
33:17Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 33:18When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die therein. 33:19And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. 33:20Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
July 14, 1929: Ezekiel 33:7-16
Historically considering him, where among the Hebrews should we classify Ezekiel? Ezekiel should be classed as a seer and a prophet. His name means “God strengtheneth.” He calls himself a “watchman unto the house of Israel.”
In the consciousness of the individual, what does a watchman represent? In each individual the true watchman is the inner consciousness of Spirit, which sees all that is going on in the soul and body of man. In olden times the watchman stood on the city walls, where he could see and report what was going on in and about the city.
In order to be a competent watchman for the spiritual welfare of others, what is required of one who assumes that part? One who feels that he has been selected by the Lord to guide and direct others in spiritual ways should first discipline his own thought people, and should become acquainted with both the inner and the outer realms of thought, emotion, and sensation in soul and body consciousness. In the Scriptures these realms are designated as “the house of Israel”; and when he who plans to be a watchman for the spiritual welfare of others has disciplined his own thought people, he can go forth and successfully carry the message of life to others.
In verse 10 “the house of Israel” is represented as confessing the depleting effect of its transgressions and sins, and pondering in its heart some method of reform, as denoted by the question: “How then can we live?” What is the answer to this supplication of the sinning thoughts? Verse 11 is a complete answer to this question: “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
Explain the meaning of verse 12. Verse 12 is somewhat involved, but the meaning evidently is that our good intent will not save us when we sin, nor will our past sins weigh against us when we repent.
What is the meaning of verse 13? Verse 13 means that, when we speak the Truth of eternal life and do wrong while resting in that consciousness, our former righteousness will not be remembered, and we shall suffer for the wrong as fully as if we had not formerly been righteous.
Explain verses 14, 15, and 16. The verses mentioned reiterate the saving power of repentance and of the abandonment of evil thoughts and ways by making restitution. “Walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be remembered against him.”
November 10, 1935: Ezekiel 33:7-16
What sin debars man from making a new beginning in right living? The sin that he refuses to give up is the only bar to the new life in Christ that awaits man's claiming. Habitual sinning in time vitiates the whole moral nature and becomes the sin against the Holy Spirit.
What is the meaning of Ezekiel? The name Ezekiel means “God strengthens” or “whom God makes strong.” That power in us which moves us to place our full reliance on Jehovah is symbolized by Ezekiel.
The duty of the watchman in ancient times was to warn of approaching danger. What fills this office in the life of man? The Lord Jehovah or spiritual I AM in man points out to him the way of peace and safety. Man is free, however, to follow or disregard the warning at will.
To what does the “house of Israel” correspond in us? The house of Israel is the structure of our religious beliefs and convictions that we build up through the habit of meditating on God.
To what extent are we responsible for making clear to others the truth that we know? We are responsible for showing all men by our example the full measure of our understanding of Truth, and for explaining by the spoken or written word also to such as are ready for it.
What is man's salvation? The truth that applies to man is his salvation, provided he understands and uses it. “Guide me in thy truth, and teach me; For thou art the God of my salvation.”
We believe that only the good is true. If we see someone fighting evil and acting as if it were real, what is our duty in the case? We should declare the truth silently first, and after we have laid the foundation for the spoken word by our own realization, we should call attention to the reality of good and the passing nature of evil.
What position is right for us to maintain in regard to death? We should affirm the Christ life as eternal and omnipresent, and know that death is no part or manifestation of the divine law.
Metaphysically Interpreting Ezekiel 33:21-22
33:21And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. 33:22Now the hand of Jehovah had been upon me in the evening, before he that was escaped came; and he had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
Metaphysically Interpreting Ezekiel 33:23-33
33:23And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 33:24Son of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance. 33:25Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes unto your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? 33:26Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbor's wife: and shall ye possess the land? 33:27Thus shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely they that are in the waste places shall fall by the sword; and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured; and they that are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. 33:28And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through. 33:29Then shall they know that I am Jehovah, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.
33:30And as for thee, son of man, the children of thy people talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from Jehovah. 33:31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain. 33:32And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33:33And when this cometh to pass, (behold, it cometh,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-28-2014
