In the previous chapter, God’s words turned toward Egypt. Within the prophesy, we read God would strike Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar’s hand. Ezekiel continued to emphasize that by God’s actions toward Egypt, they—the nations—would know I AM is the Lord.
Read Ezekiel 30:1-5.
- The day of the Lord, a day of doom for the nations, was near.
- The Lord told Egypt to wail and “announce the coming day of horrific judgment”1 from God.
- The clouds mentioned on that day might also refer to the Lord’s divine presence.
- The Lord made himself known to Israel in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night as he led them out of bondage from Egypt.
“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people” (Exodus 13:21-22). 
- Egypt trembled and experienced great distress in response to God’s destruction.2
- God would strike Egypt with the sword and carry away their wealth.
- God would break through and destroy Egypt’s dependence on other nations.3
- Nations surrounding Egypt and those who had alliances with them would also fall by the sword.
What might be the significance of the Lord’s presence in cloud and fire in this prophecy against Egypt?
Why do you think God broke through and destroyed Egypt’s dependence on other nations?
Read Ezekiel 30:6-12.
- God’s trademark signature seems to be leaving desolation in his wake.
- Just as he led his people out of Egypt with a pillar of fire, God would use fire to destroy Egypt.
- The Lord mentioned fire at least three times in this prophecy.
- Ezekiel used five different verbs—action words—to describe how God would punish Egypt.
- The complete word picture is that the Lord would break through, destroy, cause the land to be desolate, cause the people to perish and wander, lay to waste, dry up, break into pieces, and ruin Egypt.4
- God’s messengers would frighten Cush out of her self-assured carelessness.5
- Cush would tremble in terror at the sight of Egypt’s doom.
- God would use Nebuchadnezzar to put an end to Egypt.
- God defined Babylon as the most ruthless of nations, and they would bring about Egypt’s destruction.
- After Nebuchadnezzar drew his sword against Egypt, God would dry up the Nile.
- Evil men and foreigners would take over the land.
Why do you think God’s judgments often included devastation and destruction?
How does God jar us out of complacency, arrogance, and pride?
Read Ezekiel 30:13-19.
- In this section, the Lord provided details of Egypt’s destruction.
- He would destroy the idols (always plural!) and worthless, false gods and images.
- Egypt would no longer have an official leader.
- The fear of the Lord would reign throughout the land.
- He would pour out his wrath on Egypt’s stronghold, in effect destroying their defenses.
- Specific cities in Egypt would experience fire, punishment, judgment, agony, storm, distress, the sword, and captivity.
- It’s not clear if one or more cities may have been split or divided by force.
- Egypt’s cities would be taken captive by the conquering nation.
- Finally, God would break Egypt’s political subjection and her strength would come to an end.
- Egypt and the nations would know that I AM the Lord.
Why does Scripture often refer to idols as plural?
Why do you think God named specific punishment for specific Egyptian cities?
How might the “fear of the Lord” be a positive result in this scenario?
Read Ezekiel 30:20-26.
The first prophesy against Egypt (chapter 29) was given in the tenth year. Toward the end of that chapter, in the twenty-seventh year, Ezekiel recorded a prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar’s role in Egypt’s demise. Chapter thirty’s details were written at the same time, toward the end of Ezekiel’s ministry. Ezekiel then wrote about the initial weakening of Pharaoh in the eleventh year.
- God said he broke Pharaoh’s might and strength and it would remain too weak to hold a sword.
- God would not allow Pharaoh to recover or regain strength enough to overpower Babylon.
- Next the Lord would break Pharaoh’s remaining strength so the sword would fall from him.
- God would disperse the Egyptians and scatter them—two different words, each meaning disperse and No one could look around and wonder why the cities’ residents were gone.
- He would strengthen Babylon and give the king the Lord’s sword.
- Pharaoh would groan in “despair because of [Nebuchadnezzar’s] oppression”6 and fall limp even before Babylon attacked with the sword.
- By these things—Pharaoh’s weakness and Babylon’s strength—they will know I AM is the Lord.
Why did the Lord so clearly and completely break Pharaoh’s might and strength?
Why do you think God used Babylon as a tool in his punishment of Egypt and surrounding nations?
When aligning prophecy with history, we can remember these factors:
- We may not have access to all the historical evidence.
- Sometimes a prophecy will relate back to Israel (and Judah) in ways we don’t fully understand.
- Biblical prophecy often has more than one time of fulfillment; part may be fulfilled within the prophet’s lifetime, another part later in Israel’s history, and part may not yet have been fulfilled.
- Egypt, Babylon, and other specifics often also have symbolic meanings in Scripture, as well as literal.
God’s purposes remain faithful, true, and clear in this chapter: that ALL nations would know I AM is the Lord.
These verses from Psalms help us understand why Ezekiel chose God’s glory and making his name known as themes.
“All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name” (Psalm 86:9).
“The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all peoples see his glory” (Psalm 97:6).
“He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:3).
“The nations will fear the name of the Lord,
all the kings of the earth will revere your glory” (Psalm 102:15).
How can we remember and worship God’s glory and greatness this week?
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D. The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), 258
- Ibid., 341
- Ibid., 273, 453
- Ibid., 1, 273, 373-374, 1097, 1124, 1164
- Ibid., 128
- Ibid., 697