Are nations accountable to God for their sins? Does God bring judgment and restoration to reveal Himself to a wayward humanity? Let’s look at Ezekiel 30.
Is this day of the Lord, the day of clouds coming to Egypt and her allies a preview of the final day of the Lord?
Another message came to me from the Lord, who had this to say: “Son of Man, here’s what you are to prophesy and announce, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Wail out loud! Oh no! The day! For comes now the day—comes now the Day of the Lord, the day of clouds! The time of the gentiles is fulfilled!
War will come to Egypt, and Ethiopia will be in anguish when the slain fall in Egypt, when her wealth is carried off, and her foundations are demolished. Ethiopia, Libya, descendants of Lud, all those who have mixed themselves, and Libya—along with everyone in the land of Israel who is in league with them—will die violently.”’” (Ezek 30:1-5 ISV)
Will Egypt’s neighbors who support her suffer along with her?
This is what the Lord says: Those who support Egypt will fall, and its proud strength will collapse. From Migdol to Syene they will fall within it by the sword. This is the declaration of the Lord God. They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. They will know that I am Yahweh when I set fire to Egypt and all its allies are shattered.
On that day, messengers will go out from Me in ships to terrify confident Cush. Anguish will come over them on the day of Egypt’s doom. For indeed it is coming. (Ezek 30:6-9 HCSB)
Who would God use to inflict this divine punishment upon Egypt and her allies?
Thus saith the Lord God; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.
And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the Lord have spoken it. (Ezek 30:10-12 KJV)
What great changes would God be making throughout the region?
Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt. I will make Pathros desolate, Set a fire in Zoan, And execute judgments on Thebes. I will pour out My wrath on Sin, The strong defense of Egypt; I will also cut off the multitude of Thebes.
I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish; Thebes will be breached, And Memphis will have distresses daily. The choice men of On and of Pi-beseth Will fall by the sword, And the women will go into captivity.
In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark When I break there the bars of the yoke of Egypt. Then the pride of her strength will cease in her; A cloud will cover her, And her daughters will go into captivity. Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, And they will know that I am Yahweh.” (Ezek 30:13-19 LSB)
Did Pharaoh’s attempt to protect Jerusalem from Nebuchadnezzar's invasion fail?
In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may be strong to wield the sword.
Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.’” (Ezek 30:20-23 NASB)
Would Nebuchadnezzar embarrass Egypt, a land with many statues of Pharaoh wielding a sword? Are national leaders still in God’s hands?
I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp.
Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezek 30:24-26 NIV)
Does Paul warn about trying to predict a future day of the Lord?
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thess 5:2-4 NKJV)
Are nations accountable to God for their sins? Does God bring judgment and restoration to reveal Himself to a wayward humanity? You decide!
