Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

The "Tender Twig" of Ezekiel 17

by John D. Keyser

Herbert Armstrong, in his booklet The United States and Britain in Prophecy, uses the 17th chapter of Ezekiel to try and prove his hypothesis that the "tender twig" was a key in the transfer of David's throne to Ireland:

"The strange truth of the PLANTING and the REBUILDING of David's throne is revealed in 'a riddle and a parable' couched in symbolic language never understood until this latter day. Yet it stands today so clearly explained a little child could understand!

"It fills the 17th chapter of Ezekiel's prophecy. The whole chapter should be carefully read. Notice, first, this prophetic message is addressed NOT to Judah, the Jews, but to the house of Israel. It is a message to give light to the lost ten-tribed house of Israel in these latter days!

"First, Ezekiel is told to speak a riddle, and then a parable. The riddle is found in verses 3 to 10. Then, beginning in verse 11, the Eternal explains its meaning. 'Say now to the rebellious house [God says, the "rebellious house," being ten-tribed Israel (Ezek.12:9), to whom Ezekiel is set a prophet (Ezek.2:3; 3:1, etc.)], Know ye not what these things mean? tell them...' and then the riddle is clearly explained."

Armstrong discusses the great eagle next:

"A great eagle came to Lebanon and took the highest branch of the cedar. This is explained to represent King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who came to Jerusalem and took captive the king of Judah. The cropping off of the cedar's young twigs and carrying them to a land of traffic is explained to picture the captivity of the king's sons. 'He took also of the seed of the land' means Nebuchadnezzar took also of the people and the mighty of the land of Judah. He 'set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low statue' means the Jews [Israelites] were given a covenant whereby, although they were ruled over by the Chaldeans, they might live in peace and grow. The other 'great eagle' is explained to represent Pharaoh of Egypt.

"Thus the riddle covers the first half of Jeremiah's commission. Now notice what is revealed concerning the second part -- the PLANTING of David's throne! It comes in the parable, verses 22-24: 'Thus saith the LORD God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar.' From God's own explanation we have learned that the cedar tree represents the nation of Judah; its highest branch is Judah's king. The riddle told us Nebuchadnezzar took the highest branch -- the king. The parable now tells us God -- not Nebuchadnezzar, but God -- will take of the highest branch. Not the branch, but OF the branch -- of Zedekiah's children. But Nebuchadnezzar took, and killed, all his SONS."

Armstrong now gives his interpretation of the "tender twig":

"God, through his prophet Jeremiah, is now going to take OF this highest branch and 'SET IT' (verse 22). 'I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a TENDER ONE, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent,' continues the Almighty! Ah! 'A tender young twig'! The twigs of this highest branch represent the children of King Zedekiah! Certainly a tender young twig, then, represents a DAUGHTER! '...and will PLANT it.' Could symbolic language say plainer this young Jewish princess is to become the royal seed for PLANTING again of David's throne? Where? '...upon an high mountain and eminent,' says the Eternal! A 'mountain' in symbol always represents a NATION.

"'In the mountain of the highest of Israel will I plant it,' answers the Eternal! David's throne now is to be planted in Israel, after being thrown down from JUDAH! Could language be plainer? '...and it [the tender young twig -- the king's daughter] shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar.'"

Concludes Armstrong:

"Did David's throne cease with Zedekiah? Did God forget His covenant? No! Compare this language with the passage in Isaiah 37:31-32: 'The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward [be planted], and BEAR FRUIT UPWARD.' It was PLANTED in Israel, who removed from Judah! After this Hebrew princess is 'planted' on the throne, now in Israel, lost from view -- that throne is to BEAR FRUIT. She is to marry, have children, and her sons are to continue David's dynasty!" [1]

While the first part of Armstrong's explanation for Ezekiel 17 is fairly accurate, the last part (covering verses 22-24) is sheer invention! Let's go through the chapter and comment on some of the pertinent verses:

Verse 3: "And say, Thus saith the LORD God; A great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar."

Adam Clarke, in his commentary, breaks this verse down as follows: "A great eagle: Nebuchadnezzar. See Jer. xlviii. 40; xlix. 22; Dan. vii. 4. And see here, ver. 12, where it is so applied. Great wings: Extensive empire. Long-winged: Rapid in his conquests. Full of feathers: Having multitudes of subjects. Divers colours: People of various nations. Came unto Lebanon: Came against Judea. The highest branch: King Jehoiachin he took captive to Babylon. The cedar: The Jewish state and king." [2]

Verse 4: "He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic: he set it in a city of merchants."

Adam Clarke: "A land of traffic: Chaldea. A city of merchants: Babylon; for which this city was the most celebrated of all the cities of the east. Its situation procured it innumerable advantages; its two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, and the Persian Gulf, gave it communication with the richest and the most distant nations."

Verse 5: "He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree."

Adam Clarke: "The seed of the land: Zedekiah, brother of Jehoiachin. Planted it in a fruitful field: Made him king of Judea in place of his brother. Placed it by great waters: Put him under the protection of Babylon, situated on the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. And set it as a willow tree: Made him dependent on this city of great waters, as the willow is on humidity."

Verse 6: "And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs."

Adam Clarke: "A spreading vine of low stature: The Jewish state having then no height of dominion, it must abide under the wings or branches of the Chaldean king. Whose branches turned toward him, and the roots -- under him: Zedekiah was wholly dependent on Nebuchadnezzar, both for his elevation to the throne, and his support on it."

Verse 7: "There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation."

Adam Clarke: "Another great eagle: Pharaoh-hophra, or Apries, king of Egypt. With great wings: Extensive dominion. And many feathers: Numerous subjects. Did bend her roots: Looked to him for support in her intended rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar."

Verse 8: "It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine."

Adam Clarke: "It was planted in a good soil: Though he depended on Babylon, he lived and reigned as Nebuchadnezzar's vice-regent in the land of Judea."

Verse 9: "Say thou, Thus saith the LORD God; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power, or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof."

Adam Clarke: "Shall it prosper: Shall Zedekiah succeed in casting off the yoke of the king of Babylon, to whom he had sworn fealty? Shall he not pull up the roots: Nebuchadnezzar will come and DETHRONE HIM. And cut off the fruit: The children of Zedekiah. The leaves: All the nobles; all shall perish with Zedekiah."

Verse 10: "Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew."

Adam Clarke: "Shall -- utterly wither: The regal government shall be no more restored. Zedekiah shall be the last king, and the monarchy shall finally terminate with him."

Verse 12: "Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon:"

Adam Clarke: "Know ye not what these things mean?: They are explained in this and the following verses."

Verse 14: "That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand."

Adam Clarke: "That the kingdom might be base: Have no political consequence; and at last sink into a miserable government under Gedaliah."

Verse 15: "But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?"

Adam Clarke: "Sending his ambassadors into Egypt: Zedekiah must have sent his ambassadors into Egypt, between the sixth month of his sixth year, and the fifth month of his seventh year. Compare chap. viii. 1, with chap. xx. 1."

Verse 16: "As I live, saith the LORD God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die."

Adam Clarke: "In the midst of Babylon he shall die: His eyes were put out; he was carried to Babylon, and never returned."

Verse 18: "Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape."

Adam Clarke: "Seeing he despised the oath: This God particularly resents. He had bound himself by oath, in the presence of Jehovah, to be faithful to the covenant that he made with Nebuchadnezzar, and he took the first opportunity to break it; therefore he shall not escape."

Verse 21: "And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it."

Adam Clarke: "All his fugitives: All who attempted to escape with him, and all that ran to Egypt, &c., shall fall by the sword.

Now we come to the point where Herbert Armstrong and the British-Israelites depart radically from a correct understanding of Ezekiel 17:

Verse 22: "Thus saith the LORD God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and eminent:"

Adam Clarke: "I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar: I will raise up ANOTHER MONARCHY, which shall come in the LINE OF DAVID, namely, the MESSIAH; who shall appear as a TENDER PLANT, as to his incarnation; but he shall be HIGH AND EMINENT; his Church, the royal city, the highest and purest ever seen on the face of the earth."

That "the highest branch of the high cedar" refers to the Messiah is made plain by Isaiah 11:1: "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a BRANCH shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him...with righteousness He shall judge the poor...."

Notice, now, Jeremiah 23:5-6:

"'Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'that I will raise to David a BRANCH of righteousness; a KING SHALL REIGN and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'"

To say that the "highest branch" represents the king of Judah is nonsense and untenable biblically!

The "tender one" in verse 22 (that Armstrong claims represents a "daughter" of Zedekiah) is, in reality, Yeshua the Messiah! Notice: "For He shall grow up before Him as A TENDER PLANT, and as a root out of dry ground. he has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him" (Isaiah 53:2).

Armstrong claims that "A 'mountain' in symbol ALWAYS represents a NATION." This is simply not true. While often a "mountain" in the Bible does refer to a nation, the "high mountain and eminent" in verse 22 is MT. ZION -- as all commentaries agree! "Yet I have set My King on MY HOLY HILL OF ZION" (Psalm 2:6).

Verse 23: "In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell."

Adam Clarke: "In the mountain of the height of Israel: Christ shall be "planted" in the Kingdom of God. And bear fruit: Multitudes of people shall be converted during the Millenium. And under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing: All the nations of the earth shall receive his Gospel. In the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell: Trust in him alone for salvation, and be saved in their trusting."

"The mountain of the height of Israel" in this instance obviously refers to the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God that is soon coming -- NOT a nation of Israel as Armstrong claims! In Ezekiel 20:40 we read: "'For on MY HOLY MOUNTAIN, ON THE MOUNTAIN HEIGHT OF ISRAEL,' says the LORD God, 'there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your sacrifices, together with all your holy things.'"

Isaiah 2 also makes this clear:

"The word that Isaiah the son of Amos saw concerning Judah and JERUSALEM. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For OUT OF ZION shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD FROM JERUSALEM" (Verses 1-3).

Verse 24: "And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it."

Adam Clarke: "All the trees of the field shall know: All the people of Israel and of Chaldea. I the LORD have brought down the high tree: Have DETHRONED JEHOIACHIN. Have exalted the low tree: Put ZEDEKIAH, brother of Jehoiachin, IN HIS PLACE. Have dried up the green tree: ZEDEKIAH, who had numerous children, but who were all slain before his eyes at Riblah. And have made the dry tree to flourish: Have raised up a rod out of the stem of Jesse, THE FAMILY OF DAVID BEING THEN APPARENTLY DRIED UP AND EXTINCT. This was the PROMISED MESSIAH[!!] of the increase and government of whose kingdom and peace there shall be no end; upon the THRONE OF DAVID, and upon his kingdom, to order and establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth, even for ever."

Some commentaries state that the last part of Ezekiel 17 refers to the true Davidic king Jeconiah in Babylon being restored to honor, while the appointed usurper Zedekiah in Judea would be destroyed. However, as Greg Doudna correctly points out, "the one prophetic parable used to predict the transfer from Judah to the exiled house of Israel [according to the British-Israelites and Armstrong] -- the eagles and transfer of the cedar twig of Ezekiel 17 -- is correctly interpreted by commentators as referring to the true Davidic king...in Babylon being restored to honor, while the appointed usurper in Judea would be destroyed -- IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GOING TO IRELAND."

Once again we see that Herbert Armstrong is at variance with all the commentaries AND the Word of YEHOVAH God when he says that "all the trees of the field..." are "all the nations of the earth." (USBP, p.90). He goes on to say that the high tree is Judah and the low tree Israel, and that the green tree is Judah and the dry tree Israel. This simply is not true!

References:

[1] Herbert W. Armstrong, The United States and Britain in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God. Pasadena, CA., 1980, pp. 88-89.

[2] Adam Clarke, Clarke's Commentary, Vol. IV. Abingdon Press, Nashville & New York, 1999.

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