The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #8031 Ezekiel chapter 31

Eve was told to stay away from that "tree" which was in the midst of the garden.

There are two very important basic principles that a person needs to understand in order to rightly divide the Word of God, and in particular this 31st chapter of Ezekiel. The first is that a proper "translation" must be made before a proper interpretation can be achieved. The second is to understand the symbology used so that one can determine the subject and context of what is being discussed. Let's look at a brief illustration of each principle.

Consider the 6th Commandment found in Exodus 20:13, which reads in the king's English, "Thou Shalt Not Kill". Unfortunately, the way most Sunday school classes are conducted in our churches, people rarely get an opportunity to learn what this Commandment really says. Usually a very kind and thoughtful person, though not a Bible scholar, unselfishly gives of his or her time and volunteers to teach Sunday school or Bible class. He or she traditionally chooses a topic for class discussion and after selected Bible verses are read participants are asked to share what these verses mean to them.

"Jane, what does 'Thou shalt not kill mean to you?'" Jane replies, "I think it applies to all life, because all life is precious, even the animals. I don't believe we should kill animals just to get their furs."

"Joe, what about you?" Joe says, "I think the proper killing of animals is OK, such as is required to obtain food, but man has no business and no right taking the life of another human being. Only God has that right. Therefore, I think all capital punishment should be abolished in all the states."

"Class, in the Hebrew in which it was written, the word "kill" used here in Ex. 20:13 is "ratsach", which means "to murder" in a premeditated fashion. In other words a "ratsach" is a homicide, a premeditated murder of a human being. It has nothing to do with animals, accidentally killing someone, or even the killing done militarily in warfare. Any questions so far?

"Furthermore, class, God commands us just a few verses later in chapter 21:12-13 that if a person murders someone, he or she is to be put to death, "killed" not "murdered". They are even different words in English.  However, if someone accidentally kills another person, which is not murder (ratsach), he or she shall not be put to death. So we see that the states that have capital punishment are abiding by the law of God, while those who do not execute convicted murderers are in violation of His law."

This brings us to our second basic principle pertaining to this chapter, which is understanding symbolism. You see, the unique thing about allegory and symbology is that if you understand what it is that the symbols represent then what is being said becomes very, very simple and so easy to understand. However, if you do not understand what or who the symbols represent then the simplicity of that which is written becomes a mystery and is actually hidden from your understanding.

Such we find to be the case with "trees" in the Bible. Why is there such difficulty in understanding who the "Tree of the knowledge of good and evil" is in Genesis chapters two and three? Throughout the Word of God, men and even God Himself are liken to trees.

God says of Himself in Hosea 14:8:

Hosea 14:8
... I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.

Note: If you think Eve ate an apple (by the way, the word "apple" is not anywhere to found in Genesis) and you would like to know what really happened in the garden of Eden, then read Genesis (Part 1) by loging unto Genesis in the Table of Contents to the right of this screen or just log unto the following pamphlet  #6223"Remind me sometime and I'll tell you what really happened in the garden".

Jesus performed 2 miracles in Mark 8. The first one in verse 24 and then another one in verse 25.         Do you have eyes to see them both? 

In Mark chapter 8 we read the account of Jesus healing the eyes of a blind man. Some people think He healed him just so the man could physically see his surroundings. Wrong! He healed his eyes primarily to give him "eyes to see" which is "spiritual vision". It happened on this wise. Jesus first moisten the man's eyes and placed His hands over them and then Jesus asked him what he saw. Here's what the man said:

Ezekiel 31:1
And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

[2] Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

[3] Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

Let's stop and play "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

OK, here is your question for $1,000,000 dollars. Remember, you have used up all three of your lifelines, so you know you can't call your preacher on this one. But don't forget, you can stop right here and walk away Biblically illiterate with your own two cents. For $1,000,000 here's the question:

The "te-ashshur", the plain ordinary "tree" who thinks he is God, is symbolic of whom?:

1. Satan
2. The son of perdition
3. Lucifer
4. The Dragon

Is that your final answer?  It is? Ok ... checking now...

YOUR RIGHT!  You win!  Congratulations! He is the subject being discussed here.

Ezekiel 31:4
The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

[5] Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.

[6] All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.

[7] Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.

Note: Actually, what we as Christians really need to understand from this, is that Satan himself, individually, has no "powers" at all. Oh sure, he's subtle and cunning and talks a good story, but he is not a god with supernatural powers (though he will appear that way when he comes because we are in the flesh while he is not). He is a created son (chapter 28:13 "in the day thou wast created") just like the rest of us. He gets his power and authority from the people and his corrupt system of the four hidden dynasties. But he has NO GODLY powers. You could liken him to Castro, or even to our President. They are mere mortal men, who have no more supernatural power than other mortal men, which is none at all. Got it? They simply derive their "power" from the system. So it is easy to understand in Isa. 14, that during the Millennium when Satan is stripped from his "power" and bound in the pit, that people walk by and say "is this the man who deceived the nations?" That is also why it is easy to understand how it is Michael has no problem man-handling Satan all by himself. One on one, without his gang and his authoritative "powers" Satan is not much at all. You see, although Satan is very beautiful and charismatic, in Luke 10:18 Jesus Christ gave us power and authority over this low-life "box-tree" and all the dirty birds who nest in his boughs.

Ezekiel 31:8
The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

He does not run around with a red suit on toting a three-pronged pitchfork.

This is not how Satan looks!

Ezekiel 31:9
I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

So, in verse 9, where did we find the little box-cedar who thinks he's God?  In the garden of Eden, the garden of God. Imagine that! The "tree" who thinks he knows better than God what's right and wrong for people, was in the garden of Eden. And you know what? He's so subtle and deceptive that he has the majority of Christianity believing it was just an apple tree, and not him. "Who me?", says Satan, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,"I tell you, Eve ate an apple. I never had sex with that woman!"

[10] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;

[11] I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.

[12] And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.

[13] Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:

[14] To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

Isaiah 14:14
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

[15] Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

[16] They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Note: To better understand these next few verses, read them as prophetic history.

Ezekiel 31:15
Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

[16] I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

[17] They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.

Our Father, through Ezekiel, now resumes His address to Pharaoh, the ego-man, from verse two.

Ezekiel 31:18
To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.