August 21, 2025
How Does God Feel About False Prophets?
Ezekiel 13-15
Aaron Hornback
Big Book Idea
While destruction had, and will come, eventually there will be restoration.
Key Verse | Ezekiel 13:10-11
"Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out."
Ezekiel 13-15
Chapter 13
False Prophets Condemned
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ 3 Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. 5 You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD. 6 They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the LORD,’ when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. 7 Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the LORD,’ although I have not spoken?”
8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God. 10 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, 1 13:10 Or plaster; also verses 11, 14, 15 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. 12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. 14 And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD. 15 Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God.
17 And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them 18 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.
20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. 21 Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the LORD. 22 Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, 23 therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD.”
Chapter 14
Idolatrous Elders Condemned
1 Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? 4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the LORD will answer him myself. 8 And I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the LORD. 9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they shall bear their punishment 2 14:10 Or iniquity; three times in this verse —the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike— 11 that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord God.”
Jerusalem Will Not Be Spared
12 And the word of the LORD came to me: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply 3 14:13 Hebrew staff of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, 14 even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God.
15 If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, 16 even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast, 18 though these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be delivered.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, 20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.
21 For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! 22 But behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. 23 They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord God.”
Chapter 15
Jerusalem, a Useless Vine
1 And the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? 4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything! 6 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them. Though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, and you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. 8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord God.”
Table of Contents
Introduction to Ezekiel
Timeline
Author and Date
The first dated message in Ezekiel is from the summer of 593 B.C., four years after Nebuchadnezzar deported the first group of exiles to Babylon. The latest dated oracle is 22 years later, in April 571 B.C. If Ezekiel was 30 years old when his ministry began (1:1), the final vision of the book came when he was about 50.
Theme and Purpose
Ezekiel spoke to a people forced from their home because they had broken faith with their God. As the spokesman for the Lord, Ezekiel spoke oracles that defended his reputation as a holy God (see especially 36:22–23). The primary purpose of Ezekiel’s message was to restore God’s glory before Israel, who had rejected him in front of the watching nations.
Background
Ezekiel prophesied during a time of great confusion following Israel’s exile to Babylon in 597 B.C. A former Judean king was among the exiles (the 18-year-old Jehoiachin), and the Babylonians had appointed a puppet king to the throne in Jerusalem (Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah).
In times of crisis, God sent prophets to bring his message to his people. Judah’s exile was therefore a period of intense prophetic activity. (Jeremiah also served during this time.)
Ezekiel’s fellow exiles were his main audience, but his oracles also communicated to people who remained in Judah.
Key Themes
- As a priest, Ezekiel was deeply concerned with restoring God’s people to holiness. His understanding of the depth of Israel’s sin is clear in his version of Israel’s history (ch. 20). Even the oracles about a restored Israel (chs. 40–48) include a way to deal with the people’s sin so they can survive in the presence of a holy God. Ezekiel’s concern with sin also accounts for the many places where the book echoes the laws given in the Pentateuch, as well as the similarities between Ezekiel’s new temple (chs. 40–42) and the Exodus tabernacle.
- Israel was subject to its national God. However, this God is no tribal deity. He is supreme over all nations. Therefore Nebuchadnezzar, king of mighty Babylon, was simply a tool in God’s hand to accomplish God’s purpose (e.g., 21:19–23; 30:25). God’s absolute supremacy is most clearly demonstrated in the battle against Gog, the final enemy (chs. 38–39), where God alone crushes Gog’s vast hostile forces.
- Ezekiel declares judgment on those clinging to false hope, but offers true hope to those who accept God’s judgment (37:11). He linked God’s judgment with the hope of a new heart and spirit (36:22–32).
- The condemnation of Israel’s “princes” (e.g., ch. 19) finds its hopeful counterpart in the promise of a future “prince” who would rule with justice (34:23–24) and connect the people to God (46:1–18).
Outline
- Inaugural Vision (1:1–3:27)
- Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (4:1–24:27)
- Oracles against Foreign Nations (25:1–32:32)
- After the Fall of Jerusalem (33:1–39:29)
- Vision of Restoration (40:1–48:35)
The Near East at the Time of Ezekiel
c. 593 B.C.
Ezekiel recorded his visions and prophecies while living near Babylon, where he had been exiled years earlier. By Ezekiel’s time, the Babylonian Empire had conquered almost all of the area along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It would eventually conquer even the land of Egypt, where many other Judeans had fled.
Fact: Vine
Ezekiel compares the Jerusalemites to a vine that can only be used as fuel for a fire (ch. 15). In the Bible, the people of God are often compared to a vine. Jesus describes his relationship with his followers using vine imagery in John 15:1–11.
Fact: Was Job a real person?
Was Job a real person? It is not known exactly when Job lived, but he was a real person. Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and James 5:11 refer to him as a historical figure.
Fact: “prophesy out of their own hearts”
The women in 13:17 who “prophesy out of their own hearts” were false prophets and magicians. Unlike Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), these female prophets did not speak God’s words.
Ezek. 13:1–9 Introductory and concluding phrases and distinctive content separate these verses from those that follow. The basic charge—that these prophets speak their own delusions—is voiced in vv. 2–3 and developed throughout. The metaphors of vv. 4–5 are striking. Like jackals (v. 4; compare Jer. 9:11) these false prophets are scavengers, but they ought to have protected the people by speaking God’s word to them (Ezek. 22:30; see also Ps. 106:23).
Ezek. 13:10–16 A further connection with Jeremiah brackets this second oracle: the false declaration of peace (vv. 10, 16; compare Jer. 6:14; 8:11). The false prophets’ word of well-being gives the people false hope.
Fact: “prophesy out of their own hearts”
The women in 13:17 who “prophesy out of their own hearts” were false prophets and magicians. Unlike Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), these female prophets did not speak God’s words.
Ezek. 13:17–21 Attention turns to women who give prophecies out of their own imaginations. The term “prophetess,” used to describe genuine agents of God (e.g., Miriam in Ex. 15:20; Deborah in Judg. 4:4; Huldah in 2 Kings 22:14), is avoided in describing these impostors. Focus shifts to magical practices. The striking phrase hunt for souls (Ezek. 13:18, 20) identifies this activity as spiritual manipulation. Such behavior is forbidden in Lev. 19:26, 31 and Deut. 18:10–14.
Ezek. 13:1–23 Two groups are condemned: male “prophets” who simply prophesy falsely (vv. 1–16), and women who pretend to be prophets (vv. 17–23). Compare Mic. 3:5–7.
Ezek. 13:22–23 The false female prophets of the preceding oracle are addressed in v. 23 (you shall no more).
Ezek. 14:9 I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet. One of the forms of God’s judgment is allowing people to believe falsehood, or even (as in this verse) leading them to believe falsehood. Yet Scripture also consistently affirms human responsibility for the decision to sin (note the idolatry [v. 7] that came before this deception, and the just punishment from God [vv. 9–10]). Moreover, Scripture states that God himself cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18), and it never excuses human beings for speaking or believing falsehood.
Ezek. 13:1–14:11 Chapters 13–14 condemn those who speak false prophecy (ch. 13) and ignore true prophecy (14:1–11).
Ezek. 14:1–11 The theme of false prophecy continues (vv. 9–11). The elders in exile (v. 1) approach Ezekiel (compare 8:1; 20:1). They want him to give them a word from the Lord, but the Lord knows they are idolaters. The key verse in this section is God’s question in 14:3 (Should I indeed . . . be consulted by them?), which brings three responses. Verses 4–5 give an apparent “yes,” but what it might mean to lay hold of the hearts (v. 5) is explained in the following verses. The second response comes in vv. 6–8: any divine answer to the idolatrous elders will involve calling for their repentance (v. 6); if they do not repent, God will reject them (v. 8). In his third response (vv. 9–11), God acknowledges that he himself has deceived that prophet but that they shall bear their punishment, with the ultimate goal that Israel may no more go astray from me (compare 1 Kings 22:13–28).
Fact: Was Job a real person?
Was Job a real person? It is not known exactly when Job lived, but he was a real person. Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and James 5:11 refer to him as a historical figure.
Fact: Was Job a real person?
Was Job a real person? It is not known exactly when Job lived, but he was a real person. Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and James 5:11 refer to him as a historical figure.
Ezek. 14:12–23 Five distinct paragraphs make up this oracle. The first four describe four forms of divine judgment on Jerusalem: famine (vv. 12–14); beasts (vv. 15–16); sword (vv. 17–18); and pestilence (vv. 19–20). The final paragraph provides a summary and holds open the possibility that a remnant will be spared (vv. 21–23). All five paragraphs emphasize the accountability of each person for his or her own life. Compare 3:16–21 and ch. 18.
Ezek. 15:1–8 Comparing Israel to a vine is a common OT theme (e.g., Ps. 80:8–16; Jer. 2:21). (On Israel as a vineyard, see Isa. 5:1–7; Jer. 12:10; as an olive tree, see Jer. 11:16; Rom. 11:17–24.) The mixing of vine imagery and spiritual unfaithfulness in Jer. 2:20–21 is also found in Ezekiel 15–16. Ezekiel further develops the vine metaphor in ch. 17 (compare 19:10–14). Here in 15:1–8, the point is simple: the wood of a vine is fit only for burning—and so it is with the inhabitants of Jerusalem (v. 6). Such a pessimistic evaluation matches God’s evaluation of the whole of Israelite history in ch. 20.
Fact: Vine
Ezekiel compares the Jerusalemites to a vine that can only be used as fuel for a fire (ch. 15). In the Bible, the people of God are often compared to a vine. Jesus describes his relationship with his followers using vine imagery in John 15:1–11.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Ezekiel 13-15
Today's devotional will take us through a challenging passage. God asks Ezekiel to prophesy against false prophets who speak from their own heart instead of God's. As I read these passages, Jeremiah 17:9 comes to mind, which says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"
The heart is a terrible guide for truth! Ezekiel 13 highlights false prophets who mislead people about Israel's preparation for conflict. God has strong words about this in Ezekiel 13:10-11. God tells Ezekiel that Israel's wall will fall, and violent storms will break out. This is in direct response to their disobedience.
In Ezekiel 14, God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against certain elders of Israel who have set up idols in their hearts. These elders separated themselves from God, and the idols in their hearts had become stumbling blocks. At this point, the spiritual situation in Israel was dire. However, God has restoration in mind. Toward the end of the chapter, God tells Ezekiel there will be some survivors of the calamity. As believers, it is easy to read passages like this and feel anxiety. Sin does have consequences, but if we are in Christ, we have nothing to fear. Meditate on Romans 8:1, which says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." He is our Shepherd, and we can confidently run to him about things like what Ezekiel has prophesied against.
Our reading ends with God utilizing an analogy to show the product of Israel's unfaithfulness. God tells Ezekiel that Israel is like a branch disconnected from its vine and burned. The branch not anchored in God loses its effectiveness. John 15:1 states, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser." Our lives don't have to match Israel's spiritual condition. In Christ, we have access to everything needed to live a holy life.
In all, God cares deeply about false prophecy and idolatry. Since God is just, he must punish these sins. However, in Christ we can have confidence that we can bring anything to the Father.
This month's memory verse
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
– Lamentations 3:21-23
Discussion Questions
1. What key indicators does God use in these passages to identify false prophets? How can we apply this to our lives so we can identify similar patterns in 2025?
2. Are there any idols in your life that need to be confessed to God? How can being free from these idols allow you to see God clearly?
3. How do you personally feel when you read challenging passages about God's judgment and wrath? Does it encourage you to run to God? Is the result of reading passages like this a heavy heart? I encourage you to be honest with yourself, your community, and God himself.
4. In Ezekiel 15, God uses the analogy of a useless vine to describe Israel. What can we learn from Jerusalem in this passage? How can we as 21st-century Christians avoid putting ourselves in that same condition?