What Does It Mean...? -- Ezekiel 14:14, 16, 20

[bejay]

Originally Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 6:45 pm Post subject: Commentary On Ezekiel 14:14, 16, 20

The following is an excerpt from the publication called: The "Report" Volume I pages 247-250.

Does Ezekiel 14, 16, 20 Uphold Watchtower Chronology for the Temple's Destruction?

Ezekiel 14:14, 16, 20 says:

"And had these three men proved to be in the midst of it, Noah, Daniel and Job, they themselves because of their righteousness would deliver their soul, is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.

"Were these three men in the midst of it, as I am alive, is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, neither sons nor daughters would they deliver; they, only they themselves, would be delivered and the land itself would become a desolate waste."

"Even were Noah, Daniel and Job in the midst of it, as I am alive, is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, neither son nor daughter would they deliver; they themselves because of their righteousness would deliver their soul."

The Watchtower asserts that Daniel was captured at the same time as Ezekiel which would be eleven years before the temple was destroyed. But amazingly, they also point out that Daniel actually interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the immense Golden-headed image two years AFTER the destruction of the temple! Notice this quote from the publication Aid To Bible Understanding, page 415, paragraph 10, which says:

"In Nebuchadnezzar's second year (probably dating from Jerusalem's overthrow in 607 BCE) he has a dream that agitates his spirit. All the wise men being unable to reveal it, Daniel comes before the king and not only tells him the dream, by divine revelation, but interprets it, thereby saving himself and the other wise men from execution. This prompts Nebuchadnezzar to make Daniel ?ruler over all the jurisdictional district of Babylon and the chief prefect over all the wise men. (Daniel 2:4)"

However God's Word specifically says this about the timing of the particular "dream" given King Nebuchadnezzar at Daniel 2:1:

"And in the second year of the Kingship of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, and his spirit began to feel agitated, and his very sleep was made to be something beyond him."

Therefore aside from the previous comment above, made by the Watchtower Society in the Aid To Bible Understanding publication being a DIRECT CONTRADICTION of the sacred Scriptures, namely the Bible expressly saying it was the second year of his kingship and NOT the second year after Jerusalem?s temple was destroyed, this raises still another interesting question.

We notice Ezekiel 8:1 clearly fixes the time frame of this statement by saying:

"And it came about in the sixth year, in the sixth [month], on the fifth day of the month, that I was sitting in my house and the older men of Judah were sitting before me, when the hand of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah fell upon me there."

Yes, it was the "sixth year" of his exile when Jehovah stated that ?Daniel, Noah and Job? could not save this wicked city. This would be 5-6 years before the temple was to be destroyed!

Therefore, if Daniel had interpreted the dream two years AFTER the temple was destroyed and thus became famous in Babylon, then what had he done by the "sixth year" of Ezekiel's exile (five years before the temple was destroyed) to distinguish himself with such men as Noah and Job? It is clear that even by the "sixth year" of exile, Daniel was quite famous among all in Babylon Jewish exiles and Babylonians. If we accept what the Society is saying on this matter, the action that made Daniel "someone great" was at least seven years in the future. So now we would have to resolve the question of what Daniel had done at the point of Ezekiel's writing chapter 14, verses 14, 16, and 20 that would have made him without question worthy of mention with these other men of outstanding faith? Also consider this:

At Ezekiel 28:3, the prophet Ezekiel writes this for our benefit.

"Look! You are wiser than Daniel. There are no secrets that have proved a match for you."

Now, after reading this simple verse, we must ask the following question:

Why does Ezekiel speak of Daniel as being so "wise," yes, so "wise" as to be known as one who could unlock "secrets"?

Clearly, Ezekiel is all but coming out and saying that Daniel has preceded him and has gained a reputation as the "wisest" man down in Babylon, able to unlock "secrets." Surely Daniel has already interpreted the Dream of Nebuchadnezzar before the destruction of the temple because Ezekiel uttered these words "in the eleventh year [of exile] on the first day of the month." (See Ezekiel 26:1.) Therefore, Daniel did not interpret the "tree" dream two years after the destruction of the temple, as the Watch Tower Society would have us believe, but he must have interpreted it, as the Bible says, "in the 2nd year of the kingship" of Nebuchadnezzar, several years before Ezekiel is taken captive. This would certainly allow time for Daniel to have gained a reputation as a very "wise" man, able to know "secrets."

Actually, just as the Watchtower Society admits, Daniel did become famous among the Babylonians and Nebuchadnezzar by his interpretation of the Dream -- The Dream that baffles all the wise men of Babylon. And what did Nebuchadnezzar have to say about it? Daniel 2:47, 48 states: The King was answering Daniel and saying: "Truly the God of you men is a God of gods and a Lord of Kings and a revealer of secrets, because you were able to reveal this secret. Consequently the king made Daniel someone great and many big gifts he gave to him and he made him the ruler over all the jurisdictional districts of Babylon and the chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon." But, again, the real question is:

When did Daniel become famous?

If we simply accept what the Bible is saying, we must accept Daniel 2:1 at face value! Yes, Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's Dream in his "second year of KINGSHIP" and not the second year after Jerusalem's temple was destroyed! It's just that simple! And we can be thankful that the book of Ezekiel provides the necessary clues to prove that Daniel was already famous BEFORE the temple was destroyed. Daniel's reputation had to have been already established before the destruction of Jerusalem for Ezekiel to have written about him as he did. (Ezekiel 8:1; 14:14, 16, 20) And the Watchtower Society's present explanation of Daniel 2:1 simply would not allow for that.

bejay