Ezekiel 21:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

By iniquity, by iniquity I will establish him, and it shall not be until the One to whom it belongs comes, and I will give it to Him. Simmachus translated it as: And you, lawless one, leader of Israel, whose day is approaching, predetermined in a time of iniquity: thus says the Lord God, He has removed the turban and laid down the crown; neither shall these things endure; He shall uplift the humble and bring low the proud. By iniquity, by iniquity, will I bring it about. And this is not the One to whom judgment belongs, whom I will give it to. After the fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of the people, this message is directed to the leader of Israel, certainly referring to Zedekiah, who marked the end of the kings of Israel from the tribe of David. He proclaims, a day is approaching for you, long ago foreordained, which has caused the priesthood and kingship of the Jewish people to cease. The turban serves as a distinguishing ornament of the high priesthood, while the crown is the diadem, the emblem of the king. Was it not this turban and crown which failed to execute true judgment, instead, like the king of Babylon, elevating whom they wished and degrading whom they wished? Therefore, it is not just once or twice, as stated in the Septuagint, but three times I will ascribe this iniquity to you eternally, which may not be immediately attributed to you, but will only be accounted for when Christ comes, to whom judgment rightly belongs, and to whom the Father will assign both the kingdom and the judgment, or the Church gathered from the nations: for the Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). Additionally, it is written: O God, grant Your judgment to the King, and Your righteousness to the King’s Son (Psalm 71:1). He is the One to whom authority and the everlasting priesthood are assigned, of whom James stated, ‘The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler from his lineage until He comes, and He is the expectation of the nations’ (Genesis 49:10). In the passage we translated: not he, Simmachus rendered beautifully: there shall be neither this nor that. For since the directive was given, Remove the turban, lay down the crown, it joins: there shall be neither this nor that, meaning the kingdom and priesthood shall end. Therefore, those who came after as kings and high priests until Christ's coming, like Hyrcanus the high priest who donned the diadem, foolishly sought to claim both roles for themselves, while the kingdom after Zedekiah rightly belonged not to them, but to Him to whom it had been set aside, and Who is the expectation of the nations, of whom Malachi says, You priests who disdain My name (Malachi 1:10), and shortly thereafter, the kingdom of Zedekiah also belonged not to them, but to Him to whom it had been ordained, and Who is the hope of the nations, as also stated by Malachi, You priests who despise My name (Malachi 1:10). A moment later, He declares, My will is not fulfilled in you, and I will not accept an offering at your hands. For from the sunrise to the sunset, My name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place, incense is offered to My name, and the offering is pure (Malachi 1:11). This pure offering, devoid of the blood of goats, sheep, and cattle (Psalm 49), is fulfilled at Christ’s coming when the Desired of All Nations makes His entrance, and the Sun of Righteousness rises, bringing healing in His rays (Malachi 4:2).