Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 

Timeline of the Bible

God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood, but saves  Noah and his family.---  God chooses Abraham and his descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan. ---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead of judges. --- David is Israel's greatest king.--- Israel divides into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.---► The people of Israel and Judah continue to sin and worship false gods.--- God allows the Assyrians and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and Judah.---  ◄This book of the Bible happens during this time The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia. --- When Persia defeats the Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's Temple in Jerusalem again.--- Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected. --- A Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.--- Christianity spreads. --- Paul write letters to Christians in other places. In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed again.

 


Ezekiel 19 - 21

 Sadness for the princes of Israel
The Israelite leaders want to ask God something, but God refuses to answer
them because of their sins.
God tells Ezekiel to make a prophecy that He will destroy Jerusalem.
God gives Ezekiel a prophecy about the king of Babylon.

Ezekiel was one of the Israelites who got sent away (exiled) to Babylon.  He had lived in Jerusalem before the exile. He was in the first group to be exiled to Babylon.  His book starts 5 years after the exile. He was 30 years old when he began to see visions and became a prophet. Ezekiel and some of the other Israelite exiles had a camp by the river named Chebar.


Ezekiel 19


Sadness for the princes of Israel


You should be very sad for the princes of Israel. 
[1] Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,


A mother lion with 2 cubs.

Their mother was a lion.  She had 2 babies.  The first lion cub grew up.  It learned to hunt, and it ate men.  Other countries heard of him.  They captured him and took him to Egypt.
[2] And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
[3] And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
[4] The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.


The mother waited for a long time. When the first lion cub did not come back, she taught the second lion cub how to hunt. He also ate men. He also destroyed their cities. He scared them with his loud roar.
[5] Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
[6] And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
[7] And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.

So, the other nations decided to get him. They came at him from all sides.  They caught him with a net and put him in a pit.
[8] Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.


They put chains on him. They took him to the king of Babylon. He was in a cage so that no one could her him roar anymore.
[9] And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.


The mother compared to a vine planted by the water.


Your mother is like a vine that is planted by the water. She grew a lot and had many branches because she was by the water. She had strong branches like a king's sceptre. She was taller and stronger than all the other branches.
[10] Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
[11] And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

But she was angrily pulled out and thrown down on the ground.  The east wind blew and dried up her fruit. Her strong branches were broken and dried up. The fire burned them. Now, she is planted in a wilderness. The ground is dry and does not have water. Fire came out of her strong branch and burned her fruit. The branch burned, too. Now, she does not have a strong branch.  This should be told with great sadness.
[12] But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
[13] And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
[14] And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.


Ezekiel 20


The Israelite leaders want to ask God something, but God refuses to answer them because of their sins.

Some of the Israelite leaders came to Ezekiel on the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year. They wanted him to ask God something.
[1] And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.


God spoke to me.  He said, "Son of man, tell the Israelite leaders that I won't answer them. You can remind them about the sins of their ancestors.
[2] Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
[3] Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
[4] Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:


Tell them that I said when I chose Israel and helped them leave Egypt, I told them that I am the Lord their God. They should not worship the false gods of Egypt.
[5] And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
[6] In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:
[7] Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.


But they did not obey Me. They didn't listen to Me. They did not stop worshiping the false gods of Egypt. Then, I said I will punish them. I did not want to punish them in Egypt in front of the Egyptians. So, I brought them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
[8] But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
[9] But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
[10] Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

I gave them my laws and told them the punishments. I gave them My sabbath days. It was a sign betweeen us so that they would know I am the Lord that makes them clean.
[11] And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
[12] Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.


But the Israelites did not obey Me. They broke My laws in the wilderness.  They did not obey the rules for the sabbath. I told them I was angry and would punish them.
[13] But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.


I didn't punish them in front of the people who didn't believe in Me. I waited until they were in the wilderness. I made them wait to go into the Promised Land.
[14] But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
[15] Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;


I punished them because they did not obey My laws. They did not respect the sabbath. They worshiped false idols.
[16] Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.


Even though they did many bad things, I did not destroy them in the wilderness. I told their children not to do the same as their fathers. They should not follow their laws or make themselves dirty by worshiping false idols.  I told them that I was the Lord their God.  They should follow My laws and respect the sabbath. The sabbath was a sign between them and Me to show respect and that they belonged to God.
[17] Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
[18] But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
[19] I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
[20] And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.


But the children rebeled against me. They did not obey My laws.  If they had obeyed Me, they would have had good lives. They did not rest on the sabbath. I told them I would punish them.
[21] Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.


I did not punish them when they were with the heathen.  I punished them in the wilderness.  I scattered them through other countries because they did not obey My laws, did not respect the sabbath, and worshiped their fathers' false idols.
[22] Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
[23] I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
[24] Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.

Because they did these bad things, I let them follow the heathen rules.  I wanted them to see how bad their lives would be when they did not follow Me.
[25] Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
[26] And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.

Son of man (Ezekiel), tell the Israelites this. This is what God says, "Your ancestors have been against me.  I gave them the good land, but they sinned and worshiped false gods. They made sacrifices in the hills and trees.
[27] Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
[28] For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.


I asked them where they were going to make sacrifices.  The place is still called Bamah to this day.
[29] Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.

So, ask the Israelites, "Are you still doing the horrible things your parents and ancestors did?  I will not answer your questions.
[30] Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
[31] For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.


You might think  you will be like the other people and worship false gods. But I am telling you that I will punish you. I will make you leave and go to the wilderness like your ancestors. I will meet you there face-to-face.
[32] And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
[33] As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
[34] And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
[35] And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
[36] Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.


I will force you to follow the rules. I will get rid of anyone who does not obey.  They will not be able to enter into Israel.  You will know that I am the Lord."
[37] And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
[38] And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.


As for you, Israel, this is what God says, "Go and worship your idols now, because soon I will not let that continue. When that time comes, everyone will worship Me on My holy Mt. Zion in Israel.  That is where I will accept the sacrifices and offerings.
[39] As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
[40] For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

After I bring you out, I will accept your offerings. The heathen people will see that you value Me. You will know that I am the Lord when I bring you into Israel. That is the land I gave to your ancestors.
[41] I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
[42] And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.



That is where you will remember what you have done. You will remember your sins, and you will be mad at yourselves.  You will know that I am the Lord. Your sins make you deserve to be treated badly.  But I will treat you with mercy in a way that honors My name.
[43] And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
[44] And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.


The Lord continued to speak to me. He said, "Son of Man, turn to the south. Speak to the forest in the south. Tell the forest to listen to the word of the Lord.  He will make a fire in the forest, and it will burn every green tree and every dry tree.   Nothing will put out the fire. Everything from the south to the north will be burned. Everyone will see that the Lord started the fire, and it will not be put out."
[45] Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[46] Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
[47] And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
[48] And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.


Then I said to the Lord, "Lord, the people always say I am just telling stories."
[49] Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?


Ezekiel 21


God tells Ezekiel to give a prophecy that He will destroy Jerusalem.


The Lord spoke to me. He said, "Son of Man, turn your face toward Jerusalem. Speak this about the land of Israel. Tell them that I said this: I am against you, and I will take out my sword and destroy everyone  --   the good people and the evil people.
[1] And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[2] Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
[3] And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.


I will destroy everyone - the good and the bad. I will destroy everyone from the south to the north. Everyone will know that I am the Lord, and I took out My sword. I will not put it away again.
[4] Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
[5] That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.

Son of man, cry and let them hear and see you crying.  When they ask you what is wrong, tell them what will be happening in the future. It will terrify them."
[6] Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
[7] And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.



God spoke to me again. He wanted me to give the Israelites another message. I should tell them that the Lord has a sword. His sword has been sharpened, and it is ready.  It is sharp to kill, and it is polished and shiny. I should ask them if we should continue to party. There is a time of punishment coming.
[8] Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[9] Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
[10] It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.


God has given the sword to get ready. God wants me to cry and yell and show you how upset I am. Very bad times are coming.
[11] And he hath give it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
[12] Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.

It is a time for testing.
[13] Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.
Son of man, clap your hands and tell your prophecy. I am using the sword to punish the people who have sinned.
[14] Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers.
[15] I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.


Go one way or the other. Go either to the right or the left. I will clap My hands. Then my anger will be finished. I, the Lord have said it.
[16] Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
[17] I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.


God gives Ezekiel a prophecy about the king of Babylon

The Lord spoke to me.  He told me to mark 2 roads for the king of Babylon. One road should go to Rabbath (the capital of Ammon), and the other road should go to Jerusalem (the capital of Judah).
[18] The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
[19] Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.
[20] Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
The king of Babylon will stand by the 2 roads. He will look for signs to tell him which way to go. He will go to the right side to Jerusalem. He will take his armies and attack Jerusalem.
[21] For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
[22] At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.


The people in Jerusalem will be surprised. The king of Babylon will remind the people in Jerusalem about their sins. That is why they will be defeated.
[23] And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.


So, the Lord God told them they sinned a lot, and now they will be punished.
[24] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.

You have been a wicked prince. The day is coming when your evil will be finished.  Take off your royal crown.  You are not royalty anymore. The people who were low will now become powerful.  The powerful will become lower.
[25] And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
[26] Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.


I will turn Jerusalem upside down. There will be no more Jerusalem until My chosen one comes. I will give it to him.
[27] I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.


Ezekiel, Son of man, tell them this is what I said about the Ammonites. They will be destroyed. The sword is ready to destroy them. They have treated Israel badly.
[28] And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:


The Ammonites see false visions and tell lies. The day is coming for them to be punished.
[29] Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.


I will punish you in the land where you were born.
[30] Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.


I will show you my disgust of you. I will send fire and mighty soldiers to destroy you. You will be completely destroyed. No one will remember you.  I am the Lord, and this is what I have said.
 [31] And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
[32] Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.