Eze 13:23 | KingComments | STEP | Besides false prophets, there are also false prophetesses. About them also comes a word from the LORD to Ezekiel ( ). They are women of the people to whom Ezekiel belongs, “the daughters of your people”, who also speak from their own inspiration (cf. ). He is to set his face against them and prophesy against them. These women are engaged in sorcery ( ). With them there is no false appeal to the Name of the LORD with a statement like “the LORD declares”, but an outright preaching and practice of apostasy. Woe is also pronounced upon them, as well as upon their male colleagues ( ). Their business is sewing “magic bands” around “all wrists” and making large and small “veils” for large and small heads. They know exactly who fits what. The ‘outfit’ they offer is supposed to provide protection from evil spirits. What happens in reality is that with their demonic activities they entangle souls in satan’s nets and lead them on the road to destruction. The magic bands on the wrists act like chains by which a prisoner is bound and deprived of his freedom. The veil speaks of being under the power of another, belonging to someone else ( ). This is how these demonically controlled women capture the souls of God’s people. Let them not think that they will preserve their own souls in life. Their demonic pursuits profane the LORD to His people ( ). The prophetesses don’t let themselves pay fat for it either. For their obscure services they ask for only a few hands of barley and a few fragments of bread. It is a time of scarcity and everyone should be able to benefit from their ‘gift’, they think. That way, at least they have a nice supply of food. God is disgusted with them because they turn justice upside down. They lie to the people in the most terrible way. And the people listen. The lying prophets stand guilty because of their lies, and the people stand guilty because they listen to those lies. Every member of God’s people must reject the lie and seek the truth. The work of these women results in some put to death who should not die and others being kept alive who should not live. The true prophets threaten the wicked with God’s judgment and comfort the righteous with His gracious promises. The false prophets act just the other way around. They are bent on destroying the righteous by leading them away from the straight path and keeping the souls of the wicked alive by intoxicating them with lies. The Lord GOD will judge the lying prophets ( ). He will tear off their magic bands from their arms. Those bands are like shackles. They are chains with which people are caught as if they were birds. The souls caught by them the LORD will set free by breaking their sorceries. The veils, by which sight is taken away, He will tear ( ), so that they may see clearly. Thus He will rescue His people from their hand, in which they were a prey. Then those women will know that He is the LORD. He is the almighty Conqueror over all the powers of darkness. Ties to the occult must be severed, or true freedom will never come. As long as someone maintains something of the occult in his life, he remains a prey to satan. Only God can break those bonds and give clear vision of Who He is. He wants to do that with every person who turns to Him. The false prophetesses have acted entirely contrary to the heart of God ( ). They have grieved the heart of the righteous, which is set on Him, by telling lies. The sorrow that this means for them does not come from Him. The heart of the righteous, which shares in the feelings of God, is also grieved because the false prophetesses have encouraged the wicked in his wickedness, so that he does not repent of his evil way and God keeps him alive. Spreading lies causes sadness in those who want to live according to the will of the Lord for the lie itself and for the effect of the lie in those who believe and follow the lie. God wants to save people, but lie prophetesses are out to destroy people. They allow themselves to be used by the father of lies who is a murderer of people from the beginning ( ). God will put a stop to these dark practices and judge the practitioners of this occultism ( ). False visions and divination He will eradicate by the judgment on its practitioners. Thus, He will rescue His people from the hand of these people. By this the prophets will know that He is the LORD. He is proving Himself to be the LORD in carrying out the judgment He has promised.

‏ Ezekiel 13:23

Judgment on the False Prophetesses

Besides false prophets, there are also false prophetesses. About them also comes a word from the LORD to Ezekiel (Eze 13:17). They are women of the people to whom Ezekiel belongs, “the daughters of your people”, who also speak from their own inspiration (cf. Eze 13:2). He is to set his face against them and prophesy against them. These women are engaged in sorcery (Eze 13:18). With them there is no false appeal to the Name of the LORD with a statement like “the LORD declares”, but an outright preaching and practice of apostasy.

Woe is also pronounced upon them, as well as upon their male colleagues (Eze 13:3). Their business is sewing “magic bands” around “all wrists” and making large and small “veils” for large and small heads. They know exactly who fits what. The ‘outfit’ they offer is supposed to provide protection from evil spirits.

What happens in reality is that with their demonic activities they entangle souls in satan’s nets and lead them on the road to destruction. The magic bands on the wrists act like chains by which a prisoner is bound and deprived of his freedom. The veil speaks of being under the power of another, belonging to someone else (Gen 24:65). This is how these demonically controlled women capture the souls of God’s people. Let them not think that they will preserve their own souls in life.

Their demonic pursuits profane the LORD to His people (Eze 13:19). The prophetesses don’t let themselves pay fat for it either. For their obscure services they ask for only a few hands of barley and a few fragments of bread. It is a time of scarcity and everyone should be able to benefit from their ‘gift’, they think. That way, at least they have a nice supply of food. God is disgusted with them because they turn justice upside down. They lie to the people in the most terrible way. And the people listen. The lying prophets stand guilty because of their lies, and the people stand guilty because they listen to those lies. Every member of God’s people must reject the lie and seek the truth.

The work of these women results in some put to death who should not die and others being kept alive who should not live. The true prophets threaten the wicked with God’s judgment and comfort the righteous with His gracious promises. The false prophets act just the other way around. They are bent on destroying the righteous by leading them away from the straight path and keeping the souls of the wicked alive by intoxicating them with lies.

The Lord GOD will judge the lying prophets (Eze 13:20). He will tear off their magic bands from their arms. Those bands are like shackles. They are chains with which people are caught as if they were birds. The souls caught by them the LORD will set free by breaking their sorceries. The veils, by which sight is taken away, He will tear (Eze 13:21), so that they may see clearly. Thus He will rescue His people from their hand, in which they were a prey. Then those women will know that He is the LORD. He is the almighty Conqueror over all the powers of darkness.

Ties to the occult must be severed, or true freedom will never come. As long as someone maintains something of the occult in his life, he remains a prey to satan. Only God can break those bonds and give clear vision of Who He is. He wants to do that with every person who turns to Him.

The false prophetesses have acted entirely contrary to the heart of God (Eze 13:22). They have grieved the heart of the righteous, which is set on Him, by telling lies. The sorrow that this means for them does not come from Him. The heart of the righteous, which shares in the feelings of God, is also grieved because the false prophetesses have encouraged the wicked in his wickedness, so that he does not repent of his evil way and God keeps him alive.

Spreading lies causes sadness in those who want to live according to the will of the Lord for the lie itself and for the effect of the lie in those who believe and follow the lie. God wants to save people, but lie prophetesses are out to destroy people. They allow themselves to be used by the father of lies who is a murderer of people from the beginning (Jn 8:44).

God will put a stop to these dark practices and judge the practitioners of this occultism (Eze 13:23). False visions and divination He will eradicate by the judgment on its practitioners. Thus, He will rescue His people from the hand of these people. By this the prophets will know that He is the LORD. He is proving Himself to be the LORD in carrying out the judgment He has promised.