Ezekiel 12 27

Ezekiel 12:27 kjv

Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.

Ezekiel 12:27 nkjv

"Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.'

Ezekiel 12:27 niv

"Son of man, the Israelites are saying, 'The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.'

Ezekiel 12:27 esv

"Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.'

Ezekiel 12:27 nlt

"Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, 'He's talking about the distant future. His visions won't come true for a long, long time.'

Ezekiel 12 verses

Ezekiel 12 27 Meaning

Ezekiel 12:27 presents the common mindset of the exiled Israelites: they believed Ezekiel’s prophetic messages of judgment and calamity were for a distant future, not for their immediate generation. They viewed his visions as "far off" and therefore dismissed the urgency and gravity of his warnings. This reflects their spiritual complacency and denial, essentially deferring divine judgment indefinitely into the future, making the prophecies seem irrelevant to their present lives.

Ezekiel 12 27 Context

Ezekiel 12:27 falls within a section where the prophet Ezekiel addresses the skepticism and complacency of the exiles in Babylon concerning God's prophetic warnings. Chapters 1-11 depict Ezekiel's call and visions of God's glory departing the Temple, signifying impending judgment on Jerusalem. Chapter 12 details a symbolic act of Ezekiel packing an exile's bag and publicly digging through a wall, representing the king Zedekiah's escape attempt and the city's coming destruction. This specific verse, 12:27, is God's direct response to a popular proverb (introduced in 12:22 and reinforced by the people's statements) that essentially claimed all prophetic visions and words were failing or applied only to a far-off future. The people, having witnessed prophecies not yet fully realized or experiencing what they considered prolonged delay since Jeremiah's predictions, had grown apathetic. They comforted themselves with the idea that any dire predictions would not affect their generation, thus enabling them to ignore calls for repentance or the reality of their situation. This verse sets the stage for God's firm declaration in the subsequent verses that His word will no longer be delayed but will be fulfilled swiftly and in their lifetime.

Ezekiel 12 27 Word analysis

• Son of man (בֶן־אָדָם - ben-adam): This is God's characteristic address to Ezekiel, appearing over 90 times in the book. It highlights Ezekiel's humanity and frailty in contrast to the divine source of his message, underscoring that he is a human instrument delivering a heavenly word. It later carries messianic connotations in Dan 7:13 and the New Testament.
• behold (הִנֵּה - hinnēh): An emphatic interjection drawing immediate attention to the statement that follows. It signals a crucial observation or declaration.
• the house of Israel (בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל - bêt-yiśrāʾēl): In Ezekiel, this term typically refers to the exiles from Judah (the southern kingdom), representing the remnant of God's chosen people, despite their exile and current spiritual state. It emphasizes that these are God's covenant people.
• says (אֹמְרִים - om'rim): A present participle, indicating an ongoing or habitual statement. This wasn't a one-off remark but a prevailing sentiment and common proverb among the people.
• The vision that he sees (הֶחָזוֹן אֲשֶׁר־הוּא חֹזֶה - heḥazôn ʾăšěr-hû ḥozêh): "Vision" (ḥazôn) refers to divine revelation, often implying a visual component. "He sees" refers to Ezekiel, the prophet. It points to the source of his prophetic messages – divinely revealed, not human conjecture.
• is for many days (לְיָמִים רַבִּים - ləyāmîm rabbîm): This phrase conveys the idea of a distant future, a long time hence. It's the core of their dismissal, signifying postponement and irrelevance to their current situation.
• and he prophesies (וְהוּא נִבֵּא - wəhûʾ nibbēʾ): "Prophesies" (nibbēʾ) refers to the act of speaking forth God's word, distinct from "seeing a vision" but intertwined as part of the prophetic ministry. This emphasizes both the visual and verbal aspects of Ezekiel's work.
• of times far off (לְעִתִּים רְחוֹקוֹת - ləʿittîm rəḥôqôṯ): "Times" (ʿittîm) indicates specific periods or seasons, while "far off" (rəḥôqôt) means distant. This phrase reinforces "many days," creating a double emphasis on the delayed nature of the prophecies, highlighting the people's profound skepticism and procrastination.

Word-groups by word-groups analysis

• "Son of man, behold, the house of Israel says": This opening establishes God's address to Ezekiel concerning the pervasive, expressed sentiment among the exiles. It points to a deep-seated spiritual issue within the community.
• "The vision that he sees is for many days, and he prophesies of times far off": This phrase directly reveals the core of the people's skepticism. They see Ezekiel's work as a historical record or future possibility, not as an immediate and personal message for their present lives. This twin expression underscores their entrenched belief in postponed judgment.

Ezekiel 12 27 Bonus section

The belief expressed in Ezekiel 12:27, of postponing divine judgment, is a recurring theme throughout biblical history and prophetic literature. It highlights the human tendency to become complacent when God's immediate action is not apparent, leading to a spiritual "slumber" that dismisses the urgency of the divine word. This mindset often emerges when there's a perceived gap between the prophecy and its fulfillment, testing the faith and patience of those who hear it. However, it fails to recognize God's perfect timing and His sovereign control over history. The swift response promised by God in the following verse (Ezek 12:28) signifies that such human rationalizations and attempts to control the timeline of divine decree are futile and will be directly confronted by the Lord Himself, reinforcing the active, living nature of His word.

Ezekiel 12 27 Commentary

Ezekiel 12:27 perfectly encapsulates the spiritual apathy and denial prevalent among the Israelite exiles. Confronted with daunting prophecies of continued destruction and judgment, their human inclination was to defer the discomfort of repentance and impending doom. They rationalize by pushing the fulfillment of the prophetic word far into the future, rendering it irrelevant to their present moral and spiritual choices. This statement is a profound theological challenge to God's immediate sovereignty and the veracity of His word, presenting an insidious form of disobedience rooted in disbelief rather than outright rebellion. God's response, delivered through Ezekiel, will vehemently reject this notion of deferred judgment, affirming the swift and certain execution of His purposes within their lifetime. It underscores that God's patience is not an invitation to presumption or procrastination but a call to immediate responsiveness.

• Example for practical usage: A believer postponing repentance for a known sin, reasoning that God is patient and there will be ample time to change later.
• Example for practical usage: Individuals dismissing warnings about global crises or future events by assuming they are distant and won't affect their generation.