And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying Son of man, what is
that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days
are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them, therefore, Thus
saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they
shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The
days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be
no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house
of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I
shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for
in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will
perform it, saith the Lord God.
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 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.
Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none
of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken
shall be done, saith the Lord God (verses 21-28).
We must again remember in reading these words that in the midst of
Israel false prophets deluded the people with their false messages. The
rebellious spirit against the Lord was fostered by these men and the
threatening judgments announced by Jeremiah and by Ezekiel were not
believed by the mass of the people. Of them we read elsewhere: "Thy
prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee, and they have not
discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity, but have seen for
thee false burdens and causes of banishment" (Lam. ii:14). Believing the
false messages the people said, "The days are prolonged, and every
vision faileth." Had they really believed that the days were not to be
prolonged and that the vision of judgment upon Jerusalem was about to be
accomplished, they would have surely turned to the Lord and cried to
Him for mercy. Unbelief was responsible for their condition, and in that
unbelief they were sustained by the lying prophets. In the next chapter
the Prophet utters his God-given denunciation of these false prophets
and prophetesses.
All this is present with us to-day. Blinded Israel then did not believe
what the Lord had spoken. They thought themselves secure, that the days
would be prolonged and that the visions had failed. It is so to-day. The
Spirit of God has predicted this for the end of the present age:
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his
coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they
were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Peter iii:3-4). This is the
spirit to-day which has permeated the larger part of the professing
church. What God has said concerning the future, the Coming again of His
Son to judge the world in righteousness is either ignored or rejected,
while many even ridicule these great predictions. It is the popular
opinion that our age is constantly getting better, they dream of
world-peace, great advancement and prosperity. That God has written a
different program in His Word revealed by the Prophets of God in visions
and confirmed by our Lord and His Apostles is completely forgotten. And
this setting aside of the Word of Prophecy has produced in Christendom
similar conditions to those in unbelieving Israel. And there are others
who assent in a measure to the visions of the Prophets concerning things
to come, but they are unconcerned about it. It has no meaning for them.
Like Israel they say, "The vision that he seeth is for many days to come
and he prophesieth of the times that are afar off" (verse 27). It
reminds us of the language of the evil servant who said, "My lord
delayeth his coming."
But what was God's answer? He would end this false hope and false
security. The lying proverb which the false prophets had them inspired
to use would be changed into another. "The days are at hand and the
effect of every vision." All false visions, false divinations and false
hopes which had become so widespread among Israel were to cease, for the
burden of true Prophecy would now be fulfilled. Then solemnly He
declared that His Word was to be done. The Word which He spoke would
come to pass. Even so every word which the Prophets had spoken
concerning the judgment of Jerusalem, the devastation of the land and
the dispersion of the people came to pass.
May we remember that when the world says "Peace and safety," then sudden
destruction shall come upon them (1 Thess. v:1-5). The world and an
apostate church may dream of peace and safety, sneer at divine
interference in mighty judgments, laugh at a second, visible and
glorious coming of the same Lord who died and was raised from the dead,
ridicule the establishment of His great kingdom on this earth and say
every vision faileth--yet we know that the vision will not fail. What
God has spoken will be done. The vision may yet be for an appointed
time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry, wait
for it; because it will surely come; it will not tarry (Hab. ii:3). "Say
unto them, The days are at hand." This was God's message to a people
deceived by false hopes of peace. And may this not be the Lord's message
to us in these dark and solemn days, when the clouds of judgment are
gathering, the days are at hand? May we as the children of light and of
the day wait for the fulfilment of the vision. It will surely come and
not tarry.