Day 252 Reading Schedule: Ezekiel 29-32

Ezekiel 29: Judgment on Egypt

[Overview]

From this chapter to Ezekiel 32, the fall of Egypt and the lamentation for Egypt are recorded. In particular, this chapter explains the fall of Egypt in relation to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh committed the arrogance of deifying himself and forcing people to worship him, and Judah relied on this king of Egypt more than on God. Therefore, God thoroughly judges the king of Egypt to show how powerless Egypt is and to make Israel realize how ignorant they are. This chapter can be divided into the first half (verses 1-12) which prophesies the fall and desolation of Egypt, the middle part (verses 13-16) which prophesies the restoration of Egypt, and the second half (verses 17-21) that promises Nebuchadnezzar's portion and mercy toward Israel.  By declaring the judgment of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Ezekiel is asking people not to rely on human power but only on the power of God. 

Ezekiel 30: Lamentation for Egypt 

[Summary] 

This chapter speaks of the destruction that will come upon Egypt and its allies. In particular, it refers to the destruction of Egypt as the 'Day of the Lord'. Originally, the Day of the Lord proclaimed by the prophets had an eschatological meaning that included a cosmic catastrophe, but in this chapter, it is used only to refer to the day when Egypt and its allies will be destroyed. Ezekiel uses the concept of the Day of the Lord, which is centered on the annihilation of the Gentiles, to explain the destruction of Egypt, which was the core of world power at the time, and clearly shows that God himself raised Babylon to punish the arrogant nation. This chapter consists of the judgment on Egypt (verses 1-19) and the fall of Egypt (verses 20-26). 

Ezekiel 31: The Fall of Egypt Like the Cedar of Lebanon

[Overview]

This chapter reminds Egypt of the glory and fall of Assyria, causing Egypt to anticipate its downfall. Assyria became the ruler of the nations with the power and abundance that God had granted them, but because of this, it became arrogant and was destroyed by God. Through this rise and fall of Assyria, Ezekiel warns Pharaoh and emphasizes the legitimacy and necessity of Egypt’s downfall. In this way, by warning Egypt through the glory and fall of Assyria, he strongly shows that no matter how high human power is, it cannot escape God’s rule. This chapter consists of the first half (verses 1-9) which likens Assyria’s glory to cedar, the middle part (verses 10-14) describes Assyria’s downfall due to arrogance, and the second half (verses 15-18) that refers to Assyria’s downfall as going down to Hades.

Ezekiel 32: Lament for Pharaoh

[Overview]

This chapter can be said to be the conclusion of the prophecies of judgment on Egypt and the Gentiles. In this chapter, the prophet separates the subjects of judgment into the king and the people. The reason for this is that, while in the previous contents, the prophet viewed the cause of judgment on Egypt as having a communal nature, in this chapter, the responsibility for judgment is further individualized and subdivided. However, this separation does not mean that the final judgment of the king and the people will be different. However, since they played different roles in the history of this world, they are each held to different responsibilities. In this chapter, unlike the prophecies of judgment on other Gentile nations, the prophet describes the final state of Egypt as a state of Sheol that deviates from the order of this world, thereby warning of the end of the forces that reject God. This chapter consists of the first half (verses 1-16) containing prophecies directed at the king of Egypt and the second half (verses 17-32) containing prophecies directed at the Egyptian people.