God’s Fire and God’s Sword

Instead of trees being consumed by fire, God’s people will be cut down with the sword. None will escape (cf. 9:5-6). They are informed the sword will strike “both the righteous and the wicked,” and “everyone from the south to the north” (21:4). Like the fire that will not be extinguished, the sword will not be sheathed (v. 5). What effect Ezekiel’s sermons are having on his audience is debatable (33:32), but when this judgment occurs, “every heart will melt, and every hand will become weak. Every spirit will be discouraged, and every knee will turn to water” (21:7). God is bringing judgment on His people, and nothing will stop His fire or sword.

The idea of Yahweh wielding a sword of judgment was not new to Israel (Deut 32:41; Isa 34:5-8; Jer 50:35; Zeph 2:12). They, however, were accustomed to His enemies being the targets. Yahweh says in Deuteronomy 32:40-41,

I raise My hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever, when I sharpen My flashing sword, and My hand takes hold of judgment, I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me.

A great illustration of this is found in Joshua 5:13-15 where the Lord’s sword is drawn in judgment against the inhabitants of Jericho.

When they learned God would be bringing the sword against His own people, at least two places in Scripture should have entered the minds of Ezekiel’s audience. The first would have been in the first book of the Law and with the first humans ever created. When Adam and Eve sinned and God sent them away from Eden, He “stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life” (Gen 3:24). The second place in Scripture Ezekiel’s peers should have remembered was the covenant between God and His people. In Leviticus 26:25 God informs Israel that if they break the covenant and reject His discipline, He “will bring a sword against [them] to execute the vengeance of the covenant.” Based on the history lesson in Ezekiel 20, Israel never demonstrated much desire to keep their end of the agreement, but God was completely determined to keep His.

How is it that both the green tree and the dry tree are consumed, or more explicitly, both the righteous and the wicked (20:47; 21:4)? Is God going back on His word from Ezekiel 18 and punishing the righteous for the sins of others? No. God never speaks out of both sides of His mouth. The picture of the all-consuming fire and sword in Ezekiel 21 represents God’s complete judgment. His wrath is kindled and what is poured out on Jerusalem’s inhabitants will not be partial judgment. All will be either killed or scattered. The righteous will not bear the penalty of the actions of the wicked, but they may suffer the consequences. For example, when the Lord gave Jericho to His people,

Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites. (Josh 7:1)

Achan’s sin brought consequences on all of Israel (Josh 7:5,11-12). In Ezekiel 21 all will be caught up in the Lord’s judgment as a consequence of the pervasive wickedness in Judah and Jerusalem.

A consideration of the Lord’s judgment with a fire and a sword would be incomplete if the ministry of Jesus were not considered. When Matthew and Luke were each reporting the same teaching of Christ, they described the two images of judgment found in Ezekiel 21. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus cautioned His disciples, “Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt 10:34). In Luke’s account Jesus says, “I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze” (Luke 12:49). Paul tells us that Jesus will one day bring fire again. He told the church at Thessalonica,

This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t . . . obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thess 1:7-8)

After their physical death, those who do not obey God will experience eternal destruction in a fire that will never be extinguished (Rev 20:15). For all eternity, the Lord will be against His enemies, and His sword of judgment will never be sheathed (Ezek 21:3,5) God’s sword and fire have come and are coming again. Are we ready? Are those we love ready? What are we doing to sound the alarm?

God’s Judgment Is Controlled (21:8-23)

Neither the fire nor the sword operates with its own agenda. Both have purposes ordained for them, and both belong to God. Yahweh not only sharpens and polishes the sword but also appoints it for slaughter at all the gates to which the people may try to flee Jerusalem (v. 15). God’s sword has been unsheathed for a massacre (v. 14) of His own people (v. 12). The sword will be placed into the slayer’s hands, and he will slash to the right and turn to the left (vv. 11,16). All the while the Lord will be applauding (v. 17). Anyone want to tell Jerusalem, “Don’t worry, because God has a wonderful plan for your life?” How can these images not move us? How can we not tremble before such a holy God?

Make no mistake, the Lord is not clapping because He takes pleasure in the death of His people (18:32). The applause is for the satisfaction of His wrath and the demonstration of His holiness. Sin will be punished.

In placing His sword in Nebuchadnezzar’s hand, the Lord still retains control. To demonstrate His sovereignty, God tells Ezekiel to mark out a road from Babylon that leads to a fork. One way will lead to Rabbah and the other path will lead to Jerusalem. Ezekiel is to enact Nebuchadnezzar’s divination practices that he uses to discern which path to take. The answer given will be Jerusalem, which some will think is a mistake because they swore an oath. But as we learned in Ezekiel 17, Zedekiah broke that oath. God will expose the guilt of His people.

I want us to consider two thoughts. First, even when he functions as God’s instrument of justice, Nebuchadnezzar does not choose His own path. God certainly does not approve of the king of Babylon’s divination practices, but He does reign over them. Just like the fire and the sword are controlled by God, so is the pagan king. God does not do violence to Nebuchadnezzar’s will; He just lets it carry him to the places ordained. Second, no matter what fortifications are in place, no city can withstand God’s sword of judgment. The word “fortified” is provided to show us there is no man-made refuge that is safe from God’s wrath. Jerusalem could not build a bulwark high enough or thick enough to stop God’s discipline.

God does not start a fire and let it blaze its own trail. Neither does He release a sword and let it cut down lives at will. Both His fire and His sword are evidences of controlled judgment. His discipline is never arbitrary but specific. His judgment is also never without reason.

God’s Judgment Is with Cause (21:24-27; 22:1-12)

Neither the people of Jerusalem nor their prince were innocent in the Lord’s eyes. In Ezekiel 22 God provides a laundry list of their sins that include bloodshed, idolatry, treating parents with contempt, exploiting the sojourner among them, oppressing widows and orphans, despising God’s holy things, profaning His Sabbaths, sexual immorality, incest, and usury (22:1-12). And these were God’s people? They were a light to the nations? No wonder God’s revelatory purpose of demonstrating He is Yahweh is so important to Him. His people certainly are not doing Him any favors with regard to the nations who are watching.

Pertaining to His judgment, Israel cannot plead ignorance or innocence. The sins of God’s people have finally led to their capture (21:24). The sins of the prince will also lead to the Davidic line having to yield the scepter for the time being (v. 26). The result for Jerusalem, for God’s people, and for Zedekiah will be ruin, ruin, ruin (v. 27). The day of punishment has arrived. Payment is required for their pervasive rebellion.

A question remains about how to interpret 21:27. According to a footnote in the HCSB, another possible translation is, “Yet this will not happen until He comes to whom it rightfully belongs, and I will give it to Him.” A traditional understanding utilizing the variant reading is that the scepter of Judah would be taken from Zedekiah, but it would not be permanently removed from the linage of David but given to the Messiah. In blessing Judah, Jacob said, “The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until He whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to Him” (Gen 49:10). There is One to whom the right of kingship over God’s people genuinely belongs (Taylor, Ezekiel, 163). There is no question that Genesis 49:10 is ultimately fulfilled by Christ, but is Ezekiel thinking of the Messiah when he utters verse 27?

The majority of the translation team who worked on the HCSB believes the best rendering of 21:27 includes, “Yet this will not happen until He comes; I have given judgment to Him.” Block affirms, “‘Judgment’ in the sense of punishment suits the context perfectly” (Ezekiel 1–24, 692). He goes on to say the prophet’s pointing to the Messiah would not be out of the question but “such a ray of hope would be quite unexpected from Ezekiel at this point” (ibid.). Block does think Ezekiel is thinking of Genesis 49:10, but he uses a “sinister reinterpretation of the ancient promise” not to laud Judah but to speak of its judgment (ibid., 692–93). Regardless of whether Ezekiel is referring to Nebuchadnezzar or to the Messiah, God is the One who gives the judgment to Him. This truth is further evidence of God’s judgment being controlled even when He has cause. Neither Nebuchadnezzar nor the Messiah will appoint themselves as instruments of judgment. Lastly, if Nebuchadnezzar is the fulfillment of Ezekiel 21:27; Christ alone is the One to whom Genesis 49:10 points. Nebuchadnezzar’s holding of Israel’s scepter would be for just a moment, but Christ will hold it for all eternity.

God’s Judgment Is Consuming (21:28-32)

Though it is doubtful any Ammonites were listening to Ezekiel’s message, this did not stop the Lord from announcing their fate. When God judges the nations in Ezekiel 25–32, He starts with the Ammonites (25:1). If, for some reason, some from this people group were present in Babylon, then they no doubt were relieved when Nebuchadnezzar was led to take the road to Jerusalem instead of to Rabbah (21:22). God’s delayed judgment, however, should never be confused with an acquittal. The Ammonites have acted with evil intent toward God’s people (25:3,6), so He has appointed a sword for their slaughter (21:28).

There is some question whether 21:30-32 is about the Ammonites or about Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Because Ammon receives the same pronouncement of judgment in 25:10 as is recorded in 21:32, I am inclined to believe 21:30-32 is a continuation of God’s address to the Ammonites. They will be totally consumed by God’s judgment. Their punishment of not being remembered means their people group will be “annihilated, permanently deleted” (Block, Ezekiel, 698). “To the Semitic mind nothing could be more terrible: no prospect of restoration, no continuance in succeeding generations, no memorial, not even a memory. Oblivion” (Taylor, Ezekiel, 163). As bad as Judah’s punishment sounded, Ammon’s was worse. Jerusalem would be ruined, but it would also be remembered. The same could not be said for Ammon. First Peter 4:17 is a good summary of Ezekiel 21: “For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?” Just consider Ammon and you will have your answer.

How Can We Avoid God’s Judgment?

In Ezekiel 21 God’s judgment cannot be avoided. He will satisfy His wrath on Jerusalem, on the sanctuaries, on the land, on the people, on Zedekiah, and on the Ammonites. There will be no intercessor between the sinful parties and the Holy God. There will also be no substitute, but each one mentioned will bear the punishment for their rebellion. Which leads us to an important question: Is there any way we can avoid God’s judgment? The simple answer from Ezekiel 18:32 of turning and living is echoed in Christ’s call to repent and believe (Mark 1:15). But how will we escape God’s sword and His fire?

God gave Zechariah the answer long before Christ’s incarnation. The Lord said, “Sword, awake against My shepherd, against the man who is My associate—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts” (Zech 13:7). Christ did not come just to wield God’s sword of judgment but also to receive it. The reason we will not be slashed is because Christ was. This also means God’s fires of judgment will refine us rather than ruin us (Zech 13:9). Christ absorbed the blazing flame of God’s wrath so that our faces might not be scorched. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Reflect and Discuss