John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 12:26-28

"Again the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many day to come, and he prophesieth of times that are far off. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: There shall none of my words be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, saith the Lord Jehovah." — Ezekiel 12:26-28 (ASV)

Indeed, such detestable blasphemy as we recently heard is not condemned in the Jews here, but rather an indirect ridicule, whose tendency was first to weaken all confidence in Prophecy, and then to eliminate all heavenly doctrine. Those who are now condemned by the Prophet did not dare to bluster defiantly against God, but when others concluded the Prophecies to be vain and frivolous because the time was delayed, they said—it may happen that God will accomplish what He has proclaimed against us by His servant; meanwhile, let us feast securely, as we shall be dead before these things can happen.

Therefore, we see that there were two classes of men: some who utterly rejected God’s Prophets and shamelessly derided their threats; this flagrant impiety has already been exposed. But others neither openly nor distinctly pronounced God to be a liar, but rather dismissed the fulfillment of the prophetic announcement as a distant concern.

We see that the first group was so depraved that they almost openly derided God, thereby banishing all fear from their hearts since God delayed the appointed time. For Jeremiah had labored in vain for many years, daily summoning them with a loud trumpet to God’s tribunal and setting the Chaldeans before their eyes.

Since Jeremiah accomplished nothing, Ezekiel was chosen. After Ezekiel denounced a more vile impudence in despising God, he now attacks the hypocrite who had not yet gone so far as to slander God with words. But as I have just remarked, slipping from this false security into open contempt for God is easy.

Those, then, who pretend to be secure and out of danger because God patiently delays His judgments, eventually conclude that He is content with His own ease and does not concern Himself with human affairs. Let us therefore be on our guard against the snares of Satan. Let us not only abhor the vile blasphemy of which the Prophet speaks, but as soon as God threatens us, let us act to forestall His judgment. We must not promise ourselves a long period of escape, which may render us so numb as to deprive us of all fear.

The house of Israel then said, he prophesies for many days. They did not openly assert that Ezekiel was speaking rashly and arrogating to himself the prophetic name, but they said that he prophesied for many days and a long period.

Now God adds, You shall say to them, it shall no longer be delayed. Some interpret these words this way: “All my discourses shall not be delayed.” They prefer a change of number and understand it as: “Each of my words shall not be delayed.” But the other view seems to suit the context better: It shall no longer be delayed, for the words which I speak I will carry out.

Here again, God confirms what we previously saw: that He would not speak in vain, since His counsel is not divided. It is characteristic of humans to lie, to speak emptily of what they cannot perform, and to change their minds. Nothing of this kind ought to be imagined of God, for His action is always in union with His speech.