Nov 16th

“Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

Now as for you, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; even go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will see, though they are a rebellious house.

Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you will go out at evening in their sight, as those going into exile.

In their sight, dig a hole through the wall and go out through it.

In their sight, carry the baggage on your shoulder and bring it out in the dark. You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a wondrous sign to the house of Israel.”

I did so, as I had been commanded. By day I brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.

And in the morning the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

Say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are in it.” ’

Say, ‘I am a wondrous sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity.’

The prince who is among them will carry his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes.

I will also spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there.

And I will scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them.

So they will know that I am Yahweh when I scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries.

But I will spare a few of them from sword, famine, and pestilence that they may recount all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am Yahweh.”

Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me saying,

“Son of man, you shall eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

Then you will say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, “They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with desolation because their very soil will be made desolate of its fullness on account of the violence of all who inhabit it.

The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ”

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

“Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are long, and every vision fails’?

Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But speak to them, “The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision.

For there will no longer be any worthless vision or flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel.

For I, Yahweh, will speak, and whatever word I speak will be done. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and do it,” declares Lord Yahweh.’ ”

Furthermore, the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

“Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he beholds is for many years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’

Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be done,” ’ ” declares Lord Yahweh.

Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying,

“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh!

Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the wickedly foolish prophets who are walking after their own spirit and have seen nothing.

O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among waste places.

You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of Yahweh.

They behold worthlessness and lying divination who are saying, ‘Yahweh declares,’ when Yahweh has not sent them; yet they wait for the establishing of their word.

Did you not see a worthless vision and speak a lying divination when you said, ‘Yahweh declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?” ’ ”

Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you have spoken worthlessness and beheld a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,” declares Lord Yahweh.

“So My hand will be against the prophets who see worthless visions and utter lying divinations. They will not be in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am Lord Yahweh.

It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash;

so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a stormy wind will break out.

Now behold, the wall will fall. Will it then not be said to you, ‘Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’ ”

Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will make a stormy wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume it in wrath.

So I will pull down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and it will fall, and you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am Yahweh.

Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is gone, and its plasterers are gone—

the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ declares Lord Yahweh.

“Now as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own heart. Prophesy against them

and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to hunt down souls! Will you hunt down My people’s souls, but preserve your own souls?

For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death souls who should not die and to keep other souls alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.” ’ ”

Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt souls there as birds, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let their souls go, the very souls whom you hunt as birds.

I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am Yahweh.

Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have strengthened the hands of the wicked not to turn from his evil way and preserve his life,

therefore, you women will no longer see worthless visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.”

Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

a minister in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.

Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law;

who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.

For finding fault with them, He says,

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Now even the first covenant had requirements of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.

For there was a tabernacle prepared: the first part, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread, which is called the holy place.

And behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the first part of the tabernacle performing the divine worship,

but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.

The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the holy places has not yet been manifested while that first part of the tabernacle is still standing,

which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,

since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, requirements for the body imposed until a time of reformation.