THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This posthumous work of Pastor Russell (arranged for use as a textbook) is
much condensed, including the extracts from the Pastor's pen, all of which are
referred back to his works. The abbreviations used are:
| A, B, C, D,E, F |
The six preceding volumes of "STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES". |
| (Citations to E in italic figures refer to old editions,
figures in ordinary type to later editions.) |
| B. S. M........... |
"THE BIBLE STUDENTS MONTHLY." |
| H..................... |
"What Say the Scriptures ABOUT HELL?" |
| P-D................. |
"PHOTO-DRAMA OF CREATION" Scenario. |
| T..................... |
"TABERNACLE SHADOWS." |
| S..................... |
"SPIRITISM" Pamphlet. |
| Z...................... |
"ZION'S WATCH TOWER," followed by year and page. |
The citations to REVELATION and EZEKIEL refer to the comments herein, as well
as to the Bible text.
Other abbreviations used are:
| Barnes.......... |
Barnes' "Revelation". |
| Brit................. |
"Encyclopedia Britannica." |
| Buck.............. |
Buck's "Theological Dictionary". |
| Coffin............ |
Coffin's "Story of Liberty". |
| Cook............. |
Cook's "Revelation" ; a compendium of the presentations of seventy-two
leading commentators on Revelation, in all languages and all ages of the
Church. |
| Edgar............ |
Edgar's "Pyramid Passages". Vol. II. |
| McC............... |
McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia. |
| Mosheim...... |
Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. |
| S. B. D........... |
Smith's Bible Dictionary. |
| Smith............. |
Smith's "Thoughts on Daniel and Revelation". |
| Weym............ |
Weymouth's New Testament in Modern
Speech. |
EZEKIEL 15
438
FIT FOR FUEL ONLY
15:1-8. And the word of the Lord came unto me,
saying, Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch
which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken thereof to do any
work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is
cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the
midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? Behold, when it was whole, it
was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the
fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? Therefore thus saith the Lord God, As
the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for
fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set My face
against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour
them; and ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. And
I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the
Lord God. — Ecclesiasticism, which imagines itself to be the true
vine (John 15:1) with the sects as branches, is a wild vine (Rev. 14:18), unable
to support itself and clinging like a parasite upon others for support. It
brings forth no character fruitage, is unfit for any Divine purpose, is slender,
half-charred by the assaults of Higher Criticism, and fit only to be
destroyed. — Psa. 80:8-16.