Ezekiel 17:1-24 The Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

[Study Aired May 20, 2024]

Introduction

The word of the Lord has both a physical and  spiritual application. The spiritual application is the one which gives life as it is not time bound but applicable to our lives now. Understanding the physical realities of the word of the Lord on the other hand, is time bound but is equally important in understanding the spiritual realities of the word of the Lord. 

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

As we are aware, it is the things that the Lord has made which help us to understand the truth of the word of the Lord regarding God’s eternal power and Godhead.

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

In today’s study, the physical realities of the Lord are used to explain spiritual truth. The Lord used riddles or parables to show us His provision for the people of Judah and the treachery of the people of the Lord in breaking covenant with Him. Specifically, the Lord is reckoning with the king of Judah for his treachery in breaking the covenant with the king of Babylon. As a result, the Lord threatens the ruin of the king of Judah and his kingdom. In the closing stages of this chapter, the Lord promises to raise the royal family of Judah again, the house of David, after judging them.

The First Eagle and His Work

Eze 17:1  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 17:2  Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; 

The Lord telling Ezekiel to speak in a riddle or parable to the house of Israel is to remind us that His message is only for the elect who are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  The house of Israel here is Babylon is not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom. 

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 
Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Eze 17:3  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: 
Eze 17:4  He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants. 

The great eagle with great wings taking a highest branch of cedar to the city of merchants is explained in verse 12 as follows:

Eze 17:12  Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

We can therefore say that the great eagle represents the king of Babylon who conquered Jerusalem and took the king, together with other royals and sent them to Babylon. In this case, Jerusalem is Lebanon, the royal family is the cedar, and the city of merchants is Babylon. King Jehoiachin was the top branch, the top of the young twigs which the king of Babylon cropped off. Cropping off the top of the young twigs means easily conquering the royal family.

2Ki 24:12  And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. 
2Ki 24:13  And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. 
2Ki 24:14  And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
2Ki 24:15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

It is instructive to note that Babylon is referred to as the city of merchants. This is what the Lord says about Babylon where even the souls of men are traded. The physical churches of this world have become money ventures just like corporate organizations. I remember hearing from one prominent pastor that every activity the church undertakes must generate profit. All of this is to let us know how low Babylon has sunk.

Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 
Rev 18:11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 
Rev 18:12  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 
Rev 18:13  And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Rev 18:14  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 
Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 

As indicated, it is the spirit that gives life. Spiritually, this great eagle is the Lord who came to pick us up as His elect and sent us to Babylon. As the Lord’s elect, we are the royals that are sent to Babylon. The king of Babylon is therefore representing the Lord in bringing us to Babylon. Every called and chosen servant of the Lord must go into Babylonian captivity before we are given to serve the Lord appropriately.  

Jer 27:6  And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
Jer 27:7  And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. 
Jer 27:8  And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. 
Jer 27:9  Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: 
Jer 27:10 For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

The Second Eagle and the Vine

Eze 17:5  He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. 
Eze 17:6  And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. 
Eze 17:7  There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. 
Eze 17:8  It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.

When the Lord, through king Nebuchadnezzar, sent Jehoiachin and the princes to Babylon, he made his uncle Zedekiah king to rule in his stead. The original name of Zedekiah was Mattaniah which means the gift of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar changed into Zedekiah, meaning the justice of the Lord.  This was to remind Zedekiah to be afraid of the justice of the Lord. Zedekiah therefore represents the seed of the land which was planted in a fruitful field with all the requisite ingredients for its growth. As it became a vine and brought forth branches, it became obvious that this vine was gravitating towards another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. This is the interpretation given to Ezekiel:

Eze 17:13  And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land: 
Eze 17:14  That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand. 
Eze 17:15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? 

These verses imply that the seed of the land which was planted was Zedekiah and the other great eagle in this case represents the king of Egypt to whom Zedekiah sent his ambassadors to solicit for resources (horses and people). The vine is the people of Judah who had forsaken their covenant with the king of Babylon and had aligned themselves with Egypt even though the first eagle (king of Babylon) has given them the resources they need to live peacefully by making a covenant with them.   

2Ch 36:10  And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. 
2Ch 36:11  Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:12  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.
2Ch 36:13  And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.
2Ch 36:14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

Spiritually speaking, the seed of the land which represents Zedekiah signifies our lives in the physical churches of this world or Babylon where we are given all the resources we need to become the desired branches of the vine who is Christ.

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

In this situation we can liken our walk in Babylon (people of Israel) to a tree planted by the rivers of water that bears fruit in his season.  

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Unfortunately, we used the resources that the Lord has given to us to become corrupted by chasing after the wisdom and traditions of this world, which is signified here by the vine tilting toward the other great eagle. This other great eagle is our father the devil, who is represented as the king of Egypt. As we are aware, Egypt is a symbol of worldliness, and therefore the prince of this world is the king of Egypt and therefore the devil.

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

Joh 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world [the devil] cometh, and hath nothing in me. 

Eze 17:9  Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof. 
Eze 17:10  Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew. 

In these verses, the Lord is telling us that when we stray from the path of peace, we pierce ourselves with many sorrows. In other words, we end up becoming spiritually dead just like plants which utterly wither when there is no water. The path of peace is the narrow way which few find. However, broad is the way that leads to death.

Mat 7:13  “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Mat 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 

The east wind in verse 10 refers to the tribulations and persecution which comes as a result of the word of the Lord. Just like the parable of the Sower, we receive the word of the Lord with joy but because our roots have not sunk deeper into the soil as a result of our tilting toward the other great eagle (the devil) during our time in Babylon, we become offended or wither when tribulations and persecutions come our way.  

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

The Word of the Lord Explains Itself

Eze 17:11  Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 17:12  Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon; 
Eze 17:13  And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land: 
Eze 17:14  That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand. 
Eze 17:15  But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

As we have shown earlier, these verses were used to explain to us the meaning of the parable or riddle that the Lord gave to Ezekiel. Without the explanation given to us by these verses, chapter 17 of Ezekiel would have been subject to many interpretations. Therefore, these verses establish the principle that we should not go beyond what is written if we are to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord. In simple terms, the Bible explains itself. 

1Co 4:6  I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. (ESV)

Within this principle of not going beyond what is written is also the principle that it is only when we compare scripture with scripture that we come to know the mind of Christ. Our preaching therefore must be based on the principle of comparing scripture with scripture. Many have pierced themselves with many sorrows in their bid to interpret the word of the Lord by going beyond what is written.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

We Must Submit to Authority the Lord has Placed Over Us

Eze 17:16  As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 
Eze 17:17  Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons: 
Eze 17:18  Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape. 
Eze 17:19  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.  

The Lord did not look kindly on King Zedekiah’s decision to ignore the covenant he made with the king of Egypt and sought the support of the king of Egypt (Pharaoh) for horses and people. The consequence for his action is that he shall surely die. We can see clearly that ignoring the king of Babylon’s covenant means breaking a covenant with the Lord. What this is telling us is that when we must submit to authority the Lord has placed over us, we are submitting to Christ. It is instructive to note that in verse 19, the Lord called the covenant the king of Babylon had with king Zedekiah as His oath that he has despised.

1Pe 2:13  Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 
1Pe 2:14  Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 
1Pe 2:15  For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 
1Pe 2:16  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 
1Pe 2:17  Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 
1Pe 2:18  Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 
1Pe 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

If we refuse to submit to those the Lord has placed over us, whether in the body of Christ or at our workplace or our family, we run the risk of becoming spiritually dead. For example, we cannot despise our parents even though they may not know the Lord and then think it will go well with us.

Eze 17:20  And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. 
Eze 17:21 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it. 

These verses show us the consequences of the actions of king Zedekiah to seek support from the king of Egypt and therefore break his covenant with the king of Babylon. Seeking for support from the king of Egypt spiritually means relying on the arm of the flesh, which is empowered by the devil. In verse 20, the result of Zedekiah’s action is that he shall be brought to Babylon. 

Jer 52:8  But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
Jer 52:9  Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.
Jer 52:10  And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 
Jer 52:11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. 

What these verses show us is that if we reneged on our Lord’s covenant with us to take care of us after we have been elected by the Lord to reign with Him, even though we did not deserve it just as Zedekiah did not deserve the kingship and relied on the arm of the flesh, we shall surely end up in Babylon. Babylon is not a location but whenever we refuse to submit to our husband Christ, then we are playing the harlot, and we know that the harlot is Babylon.

In verse 21 we are shown that all the princes around Zedekiah shall fall by the sword. As we can see in Jeremiah 52:10, all the princes and sons of Zedekiah were slaughtered. Falling by the sword in verse 21 refers to our state as being spiritually dead through false doctrines. Those we were scattered towards all winds in verse 21 signify those who are deceived by every wind of doctrine. 

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

What the Lord has Started, He Shall Surely Complete It

Eze 17:22  Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: 
Eze 17:23  In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
Eze 17:24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.

The highest branch of the high cedar in verse 22 represents the Lord’s elect who shall be planted upon a high mountain. Planting us upon an high mountain means that we are given access to rivers and streams as shown in the following verses:

Isa 30:25  And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 

Isa 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

Rivers and streams in the verses above refer to the truth of the word of the Lord. This implies that the Lord planting us on a high mountain means we are being given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Being planted on high mountains with access to rivers and streams also implies that we shall bear forth fruit in our due season and that whatsoever we do shall prosper!!

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 
Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

Verse 23 says that we shall bear fruit and be like the goodly cedar, and under us shall the fowls of every wing dwell. The fowls of every wing being under us implies that we shall be given dominion over the devil and his cohorts.

Luk 8:5  A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

Luk 8:12  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Luk 10:19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

The trees of the field in verse 24 refer to the people of the world. Verse 24 means that the people of the world shall know how the Lord has exalted us from among men. The people of the world shall see this when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

From verse 22 to 24, we are being given assurances by the Lord that what He starts, He is able to bring to completion. We may look at ourselves and not be impressed by our spiritual status. However, the key is to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. It is not about looking at ourselves. He who has started a good work in us shall see to its completion! Like Zerubbabel, the Lord is telling us that it is His work of grace that shall accomplish it!!

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 
Zec 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. 

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

May His name be praised for His wonderful plan of salvation for us!! Amen!!

Video Links

Rev 18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every ship master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Introduction

If we read these words and we forget that they are all addressed to “he that hath and ear” within “the seven churches of Asia”, then these words will mean no more to us now than they did while we were the inhabitants of Babylon.
It is clear to all with “eyes to see” that the vision of Tyre in Ezekiel is one and the same as the vision of Babylon here in the book of Revelation. We are those who must “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, and both the “lamentation upon the king of Tyre”, and the “proverb against the king of Babylon” proceed out of the mouth of God.

Isa 14:3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,
Isa 14:4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
Eze 28:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

Let’s notice these two visions which “are one” have in common. Both are said to be situated on the waters.

Eze 27:1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Eze 27:2 Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;
Eze 27:3 And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.
Eze 27:4 Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty.

Now look at what we are told of Babylon.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Babylon sits on “many waters” which are said to be ” peoples, and multitudes, and nation, and tongues“. Tyre is “situate at the sea… thy borders are in the midst of the seas” and is “a merchant of the people for many isles.”
As Joseph told the Pharaoh “the dream is one”, so too, is the vision of the “lamentation of Tyre” and the “judgment of the great harlot”, Babylon The Great, is one and the same.

Rev 18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

In our last study we saw that “these things”, which are so numerous and which are enumerated in great detail, are all symbols of all that Babylon has to offer us to “conform us to this world” and to keep us from obeying these words:

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [ is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Babylon is said to “make the merchants of the earth rich through the abundance of her delicacies”.

Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

So too, does Tyre makes the “merchants of the earth” rich through her merchandise.

Eze 27:22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.
Eze 27:23 Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, [ and] Chilmad, [ were] thy merchants.
Eze 27:24 These [ were] thy merchants in all sorts [ of things], in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.
Eze 27:25 The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.
Eze 27:26 Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.
Eze 27:27 Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.
Eze 27:28 The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
Eze 27:29 And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land;
Eze 27:30 And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:
Eze 27:31 And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
Eze 27:32 And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?
Eze 27:33 When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.
Eze 27:34 In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall.
Eze 27:35 All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in [ their] countenance.
Eze 27:36 The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt beany more.

Truly “the dream is one”, and Babylon and Tyre are one.

Gen 41:26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

In like manner, the merchants of Tyre are the false prophets with their false doctrines which we have believed, and the merchants of Babylon are the very same false doctrines of false prophets within us. The visions are one.

Rev 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every ship master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

“The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints”, but in Babylon and in Tyre we have brought, “all manner of precious woods… and brass and iron and marble, into the temple of God, and we have turned God’s temple into Babylon, “a den of thieves”.

Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

Likewise “the kings of the earth” of both Tyre and Babylon, are not literal kings, but are symbols of those doctrines of Tyre and Babylon, which appeal to the flesh of the beast which we all are. We are all the friends of these “kings of the earth” through our attractions to the daughters of the kings of the earth, with whom we, just as Solomon did, are “by little and by little” led away from our first love, into serving the God’s of Solomon’s wives, who were the daughters of “the kings of the earth”, those things of this world, which cling to us and rule over us, while we are in Tyre, or in Babylon.

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Jas 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

By placing the love of this world above his love of God, via the influence of his many wives, Solomon, as the Old Testament shadow of each of us, “left his first love” to gain “the friendship of this world”, thus developing “enmity with God” and becoming “the enemy of God”. Here is how it all happened.

Eze 27:33 When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.
1Ki 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
1Ki 11:2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
1Ki 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
1Ki 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

These “many strange women” are not literal women, but they are the doctrines of “that woman Jezebel”, who is within us all while we are subject to her ways while we are in Babylon. Babylon does not believe that being friends of this world makes us enemies of God. Babylon truly believes that it is possible to please the wives of Solomon and still be God’s friend. Babylon’s mantra, concerning the doctrines of “that woman Jezebel”, is “Unity in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials. Of course it is always the leaders of Babylon who will tell you and me what is essential and what is nonessential.
But Christ will have no part of such spiritual fornication and gives us these words.

Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Rev 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

“He which searcheth the reins and hearts… will give unto every one of us according to our works”, and will judge all of Babylon within us until we distance ourselves from all that Babylon is, as we will see Babylon is this way:

Rev 18:18 And [ the merchants of these things] cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

“One hour” is just another way of saying that when we see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place… he must continue a short space… restraining the coming of Christ… till he be taken out of the way”.

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Mat 24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Mat 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

Why would we want anything from our old sin- filled house, and why would we want the clothes we wore in the sinful “field” which is this fleshly world?

Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Jdg 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

We are all in the world before we come out of it, and we all have spotted garments, before we are given “fine linen clean and white”.

Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

But we do not see ourselves as being in Babylon at first. Like Job and like King Solomon, while we are in Babylon and Tyre making merchandise of God’s “gold, silver, and precious stones”, we see ourselves as the best thing God has going. Look at these two sections of scripture:

Job 29:1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
Job 29:2 Oh that I were as [ in] months past, as [ in] the days [ when] God preserved me;
Job 29:3 When his candle shined upon my head, [ and when] by his light I walked [ through] darkness;
Job 29:4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God [ was] upon my tabernacle;
Job 29:5 When the Almighty [ was] yet with me, [ when] my children [ were] about me;
Job 29:6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
Job 29:7 When I went out to the gate through the city, [ when] I prepared my seat in the street!
Job 29:8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, [ and] stood up.
Job 29:9 The princes refrained talking, and laid [ their] hand on their mouth.
Job 29:10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
Job 29:11 When the ear heard [ me], then it blessed me; and when the eye saw [ me], it gave witness to me:
Job 29:12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and [ him that had] none to help him.
Job 29:13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
Job 29:14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment [ was] as a robe and a diadem.
Job 29:15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet [ was] I tothe lame.
Job 29:16 I [ was] a father to the poor: and the cause [ which] I knew not I searched out.
Job 29:17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Job 29:18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply [ my] days as the sand.
Job 29:19 My root [ was] spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
Job 29:20 My glory [ was] fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
Job 29:21 Unto me [ men] gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
Job 29:22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
Job 29:23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide [ as] for the latter rain.
Job 29:24 [ If] I laughed on them, they believed [ it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
Job 29:25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one [ that] comforteth the mourners.

This is but one of three chapters detailing just how much Job thought of Himself. Here is how these three chapters end:

Job 32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

So God corrects Job, and admonishes him for condemning God for “His wonderful works to the children of men”,

Job 40:1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct [ him]? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6 Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
Psa 107:21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psa 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psa 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Our ‘righteousnesses’ are as filthy rags to our Creator.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Now compare all of these scriptures, which seem to be speaking of someone else, to these words which are specifically addressed to you and me as “he that hath and ear to hear” in the book of Revelation.

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

It is the very things we value which are the precious things of Babylon, which, just like Job’s righteousness and our righteounesses, are filthy rags to our God and which keep us in Babylon and separated from our own Creator.
Here is the Old Testament version of “in one hour she is made desolate”:

Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
Job 1:14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
Job 1:15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
Job 1:19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Job 1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Here is this same story in its condensed version in the New Testament.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [ of the Lord, verse 2] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he [“that man of sin” verse 3] might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [ withholdeth] will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

“Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” Here is what Paul told these Thessalonians when He was with them. He told them the same thing he had told the Corinthians.

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

It is our own concept of what makes us righteous which is all the precious things of Babylon. These customs and doctrines of men are the merchandise which convince us that we ourselves are “rich and increased with goods, and in need of nothing” when in reality we “are naked and miserable and blind”.
Next week, Lord willing we will finish this 18th chapter, and we will understand why we are granted to rejoice at the destruction of our own Babylon within us.

Rev 18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Rev 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
Rev 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
Rev 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.