Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

Sermon on Ezekiel 4:1-17

Introduction
May 21 Doomsday Prophecy (by Evangelist Harold Camping)
Harold Camping, an 89-year old engineer-turned-evangelist, predicted that the world would end on May 21. When it did not come true, many were left devastated. To their disbelief, all were “left behind”. Before last Sat, many believers resigned from their jobs and sold their properties and possession in anticipation of the coming “rapture”. I can only imagine the look on their boss’s face when they ask for their jobs back on Monday. Tom Evans was on the board of Family Radio, the organization led by Harold Camping, who calculated and promoted the May 21 date. After the failed prediction, Evans has this to say, "I don't know where we went wrong other than that we obviously don't understand the Scriptures in the way that we should." Evans like many others was filled with a sense of guilt and desire for repentant. Camping was wrong once in 1994 and now wrong again on May 21. Camping now claims that May 21 was an “invisible judgment day” and the real day is Oct 21. Those who continue to believe him would have to wait five more months. Have we really learned the lesson? Do we truly “understand the Scriptures in the way that we should”?

Ezekiel’s Sign-Acts: Prophecy about the Siege of Jerusalem
The Bible is filled with many prophecies too. About 2600 years ago, Ezekiel was also prophesying about God’s judgment on the people of Israel and Judah. What is the difference between Ezekiel’s prophecies from Camping’s? Let’s take a deeper look at Ezekiel 4.

This is the fifth week we have preached on the book of Ezekiel, and you must have already noticed the new and innovative method of dramatizing the Scripture reading each week as performed candidly by our youths. Even though drama cannot express everything accurately from the written text, it is a perfect example of how God’s word was actually prophesied in the book of Ezekiel. They are known as sign-acts. God’s word came to Ezekiel and the prophet was “commanded” by God to act these prophecies out to his people. It is ancient dramatization. The youths are doing like-wise to give you a sense of what prophet Ezekiel was doing then. Personally, I have found the dramatization of the Scriptural reading refreshing and great! Keep it up, Zan and gang.

In Ezekiel 4 and 5, there are four interrelated sign-acts. Three of which are in ch. 4 alone: 1) drawing the city of Jerusalem on a clay tablet, 2) lying 390 days on the left and 40 days on his right, 3) baking a multi-grain bread-cake over human/cow dung. The sign-acts in Ezekiel 4 are explained as follows.

1) drawing the city of Jerusalem on a clay tablet
• Clay tablet (v. 1) = city of Jerusalem
• “lay siege to it” (v. 2) = military siege against the city by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (587 BC)
• Iron pan (v. 3) = city wall
• “It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it.” (v. 3) = God is going to punish his own people.

In this first sign-act, Ezekiel was asked to draw the outline of the city of Jerusalem on the clay brick. The brick would represent the city of Jerusalem. In this sign-act, Ezekiel was actually prophesizing about the second siege of Jerusalem or known also as the Fall of Jerusalem which occurred later in 587 BC.[i]

To be under siege is a very fearful thing. As you try to keep the enemies out, you are also keeping yourself in for an indefinite period of time. You will be surrounded by your enemies. Your enemies will constantly be bombarding at your gates and city walls. Your supply is limited as you cannot leave your city to look for food and water. No clean water, no fresh food as farms are usually located outside the city walls. The longer the duration of the siege, the condition of the city worsen. You have no control of what is going to happen in the next minute. You live in constant fear and uncertainty. There will be chaos, possible fires and famine, destruction of many houses and buildings, and many lives will be lost. No city desires to be under siege by her enemies.

Ezekiel began his prophetic ministry in Babylon after the first siege of Jerusalem. Ezekiel was among the exiles in Babylon, the rest of the remnants remained in Judah. After the first siege, the people of Judah continued to live in sin. This was the catalyst for Ezekiel’s prophecy in the first 24 chapters of the book. The message of Ezekiel is very simple: God is going to punish his own people. “It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it” (v. 3). Ezekiel was asked to lay siege upon the clay brick and break down the city wall. This came true as God allowed Babylon to lay siege on his own city and brought down the city wall and destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem in 587 BC.

2) lying 390 days on the left and 40 days on his right
• “bear the sin of the house of Israel” (v. 5) = representation and identification
• Left side, 390 days, 390 years of sin (v. 5) = Israel (northern kingdom)
• Right side, 40 days = 40 years (v. 6) = Judah (southern kingdom)
• “Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem” (v. 7) = Facing judgment on Jerusalem
• Tied with a rope (v. 8) = bound by God’s prophecy (cannot escape God’s punishment and judgment)

In the second sign-act, Ezekiel was asked to “bear the sin of the house of Israel” (v. 5). This verse alone has many interpretations. The most likely explanation is that Ezekiel will represent the house of Israel and suffer God’s punishment. Ezekiel is not to bear the sins of Israel in the same manner as how Christ bears the sins of the world. Ezekiel does not atone for the sins of Israel but suffers the same fate as Israel in a prelude of the imminent judgment. In his sign-acts, he identifies with Israel and represents Israel before God’s judgment.

The laying on the left and right sides, and the co-relating days are pretty straight forward to understand. The days and the years are not to be taken literally.[ii] The differential in their dating value is to indicate that the northern kingdom had betrayed God much longer than the southern kingdom Judah. Ezekiel was asked to “turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem” (v. 7) as a symbolism of facing or witnessing the judgment on Jerusalem. Unlike Camping’s explanation about an “invisible judgment day” on May 21, God’s judgment in Ezekiel is clear for all to see. Not only will the judgment be visible, the prophet as a representation of Israel will not escape the siege as well. The prophet will be tied with a rope as a symbolism of being bound by the actualization of God’s prophecy. Israel cannot escape God’s punishment and judgment. All of Israel and Judah will come under judgment. It will surely come.

3) baking a multi-grain bread-cake
• Multi-grain bread-cake baked over human/cow dung (v. 9-13) = God’s people will be defiled
• “bake it in the sight of the people” (v. 12) = God’s people will bear witness to God’s judgment
• “I will cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem” and “eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair” (vv. 16-17) = famine

In the third sign-act, Ezekiel was asked to bake multi-grain bread-cake over human/cow dung. He was not asked by God to use dung as one of the ingredient. Our dearest Michelle Quak was first to highlight my error in my last sermon. Dung was to be used as a fuel for baking, not as an ingredient. This was actually quite common for places of famine, where fuel is scarce. The idea of defilement is still very much valid here. God is going to defile his own people just as how baking bread over dung is an act of defilement also. Whether human dung or cow dung, it is still considered unclean by the Jewish people. If you have eaten smoked salmon or smoked sausages, you will know that the taste of the wood is infused into the salmon or sausage during the smoking process. The smell of burning dung would likely be infused into the bread as well.

To “bake it in the sight of the people” (v. 12) is a symbolism of God’s people bearing witness to God’s judgment. It will be publicly known that God is going to defile his people right in their presence. And in the rest of the verses, God describes the condition of people after the fall, like in a famine, food and water will be scarce. This is in line with the condition of a siege.

Ezekiel vs. Camping: A Timely Issue [iii]
Both Ezekiel’s prophecy[iv] and Camping’s prophecy were about judgment. What’s the difference? How do we know which prophecies are true and which are not? The true test is in the actualization of the prophecy.[v]

Deuteronomy 18:21-22
21And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— 22when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

This may sound like common sense, and in a way it is. It is that simple. God’s prophecies are simply those that come true. That’s it. It is only when the event occurred, and when the people reflect on such significant events, like the flood, the exodus, the fall of Jerusalem, that they realized what the prophet prophesized had come true. The second siege of Jerusalem took place on 587 BC. May 21 was rather uneventful.

Camping’s prediction came not from God, but from his “miscalculation” of dates in the Bible. He failed to understand that the Bible’s system of dating is very different from modern’s historical method of recording events. Today, we use specific dates as precise recording of time of event. In the Bible, this was not so. For the ancient historian, experiencing the event that is to happen is more important than knowing when exactly the event happens. Let me say this again. The ancient biblical writers are more concerned with recording significant events, be it a prophecy or an actual historical event, than predicting or recording exactly when these events will happen.

Fore-telling vs. Forth-telling
Prophecy in the Bible is forth-telling, and not fore-telling. Fore-telling is about predicting the future. Forth-telling is about bringing a message of God to his people. Prophecy may include some indication of time, but never a specific date or year. When Ezekiel wrote about his prophecy, he does not know that the Fall of Jerusalem will occur in 587 BC. He only knows that God is going to bring judgment to Judah soon. God is going to defile his own people. When does it happen? No one knows except God. It happens when it happens. This is an important aspect of prophecy in the Bible. This is where Camping and all false prophets have made the BIGGEST MISTAKE about their own prophecies.

Prophecy is not a predication of a date of judgment. It is a forth-telling of God’s message through his mouth-piece, in this case, his prophet Ezekiel. It is a message of repentance. Prophecy tells us what God is going to do. It does not tell us exactly how and when it will happen. Whether it is May 21 or Oct 21, it should not be important to us. If it happens, we begin our new life with Christ in eternity. If it does not, life goes on. The thing is, with or without these “doomsday prophecies” we should be living faithful lives, none the same.

If it comes true, it is from God. If it does not come true, it is from men. This begs the question. So, when given a prophecy at hand, how are we to respond to it? Good question. Let’s find out. Although the Bible does not tell us specifically which prophecies are from God and which are man-made. But it gives us certain principles in how we should relate to prophecies. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples, “beware of false prophets” and do not be “alarmed” by these things that are meant to take place.

Matt 7:15
15Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Matt 24:3-8, 11
Signs of the Close of the Age
3As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” 4And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Be aware and do not be alarmed. The failed prediction on May 21 is one of many examples of false prophecies in history. It is not the first, and neither will it be the last. Sometimes, as Christians, we hear of many other so-called “doomsday prophecies” circulating on the internet[vi]. I believe that the Bible states pretty clearly that no one knows when Judgment Day is, not even Jesus Christ himself. In Matt 24:36, Jesus tells his disciples.

Matt 24:36
36“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,b but the Father only.

How does Camping and his followers, supposedly Christians, explain this verse? Surely as “faithful” Christians, they would know of this famous verse? Indeed, they provided their explanation on their website[vii], giving a fairly comprehensive explanation of their “theology” and reasons for the May 21 prophecy. Camping and his followers believe that “the true believers who know the time (the hour) and much about Judgment Day (the day). They are not in the nighttime of spiritual darkness.”[viii] Their belief is based mainly on an interpretation of Ecclesiastes 8:5 (as translated in KJV).

Ecclesiastes 8:5 (KJV)
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth [better translation: will know] both time and judgment.

If only Camping continued reading verses 6 and 7. Allow me to share a clearer modern translation from Dr. Seow Choon-Leong[ix]:

Ecclesiastes 8:5-7 (The Anchor Bible Commentary: Ecclesiastes)
5Whoever keeps the commandment will not experience a harmful thing. As for time and judgment, a wise heart knows: 6that for every matter there is time and judgment; that the evil of humanity is heavy upon them; 7that no one knows what is going to happen; and that no one can tell them when it will happen.

It does not get any clearer than this. It is simply saying that a wise person knows that there is a time for everything, including judgment, but even he will not know what or when these things will happen. Camping and his followers truly believe that they are the true believers, the wise ones whom God has given discernment on when the Day of Judgment will come. They are like the Gnostics of ancient days who believe that they were given special revelations by God. They presented their “proofs” proudly on the May 21 date on their website. Now that the Day did not come true, Camping gives us a new date. Christianity has once again been made a mockery of. When will we ever learn?

Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to share a little more about our response to “doomsday prophecies”. As Christians, we want to be “prepared” for Christ’s second coming. Nothing wrong here. But how are we preparing ourselves? Camping’s followers prepared themselves by selling their houses and quitting their jobs. Many Christians begin reading books about the end times and started becoming “aware” of these “doomsday prophecies” on the internet. Popular end-times books like “The Late, Great Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsey was a world-wide phenomenon during the late 1970’s. As a young Christian then, I too read it and was terrified by it. The entire “Left Behind” best-selling novel series (1995-2007) by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins are read by many Christians around the world. It has since been made into a movie and many PC games too. I was a little horrified to find these books in our church and children’s library. As a pastor, I cannot stop you from reading these books on Armageddon or the end-times. As interesting as they may be, it gives the reader the impression that they are “getting ready” for the end times when in fact, they are creating a false reality of Christ’s second coming. I can only strongly discourage you from reading them. They are not helpful and should not be recommended to your friends or family. As a Christian, we know that Christ will come again. We are told to lead faithful lives.

Never once, were Christians ever asked to predict the end-times. But it has become an obsession for many. Why? Why are we obsessed with knowing the date of Armageddon? I feel that our obsession stem from our insecurity about our salvation. We want certainty and assurance of salvation even when we are not leading faithful Christ-like lives. Knowing when the exact hour of Christ’s second coming would allow for us to repent just in time for his return. So, we put our trust in these “doomsday prophecies” and hope that we got it right. We want to know that we are the faithful ones and not the rest who were “left behind”. Again, this is different from what our church preaches. Our salvation rest not in our works or our preparation, like selling our houses and quitting our jobs in anticipation of the end days, it rests solely on what Christ has already done on the Cross. Since the birth of Christianity, our preparation has always been to lead faithful lives, sharing the gospel and building the people of God as Church. This has not changed. This is more than enough for us to do while waiting for Christ’s return. When and in what manner does he come, is irrelevant to our faith.

May God continue to be the light on our paths and the guide in our walk with Christ.

Notes:
i. Ezekiel chapters 1-24 were written about and before the second siege of Jerusalem. The first siege took place in 597 BC. After defeating king Jehoiakim of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah as tributary king of Judah (southern kingdom) at the age of twenty-one. Nebuchadnezzar also deported the rightful king Jehoiachin of Judah to Babylon together with Ezekiel and other Jewish elites. How did the second siege come about? Zedekiah, the puppet king in back Judah revolted against Babylon, and entered into an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar responded by invading Judah[1] and began a second siege of Jerusalem, which lasted about thirty months. In 587 BC, the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar broke through Jerusalem's walls, conquering the city. This makes Ezekiel’s prophecy true, simply because it happened.
ii. In the LXX, Greek version of the Bible, 390 was changed to 190 to give a closer time-line to the actual event.
iii. http://www.irr.org/mit/js-failed-prophecies.html “How can we test a person like Joseph Smith who claims to be a prophet?”
iv. http://www.gcfweb.org/institute/prophet/ezekiel-1.html Survey of the Old Testament: The Prophets (Ezekiel)
v. It is important to know who the prophet is. Ezekiel was a recognized prophet of his people. Even though he was not well-liked, but he speaks with authority and speaks in the name of the Lord. Many so-called prophets today speak of receiving a word from God. It does not necessarily mean that they are speaking in the name of the Lord. They could be speaking the Lord’s name in vain. We have to be careful in discerning the source of the prophecy and the reliability of the prophet as well.
vi. http://carm.org/jehovahs-witnesses-and-their-many-false-prophecies “Jehovah's Witnesses and their many false prophecies”
vii. http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/nomanknows/nomanknows.html No one knows the day or hour?
viii. Ibid.
ix. Seow Choon-Leong, The Anchor Bible Commentary: Ecclesiastes, p. 276.