THUS MY ANGER WILL BE SPENT AND I WILL SATISFY MY WRATH ON THEM: (6:12; 7:8; 13:15; 20:8 20:21; Da9:2) (16:42 16:63; 21:17; 23:25; 24:13; Is1:21)

"My anger will be spent" Jeremiah echoes Ezekiel recording that "The LORD has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; and He has kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations." (La 4:11) and that "The punishment of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer..." (La 4:22) Thus God's anger was spent and His wrath satisfied in one sense "when seventy years (of Judah's Babylonian were) completed" (Jer25:12) and when Jerusalem (and the Temple) had been destroyed. This "installment" if you will of God's anger and wrath was spent,  but as we have come to understand, Old Testament prophecies often have more than one fulfillment. From Ezekiel's and Jeremiah's perspective, there was an immediate, complete fulfillment and yet history awaits another phase of the fulfillment of God's anger and wrath against His people, Judah and Israel.  Jeremiah describes this future judgment crying out "Alas! (Woe) for that day is great. (how awful that day will be!- NIV) There is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob's distress, but he will be saved from it." (Jer30:7)  Daniel helps us understand the chronology of Jacob's distress recording that "Seventy weeks (or more literally "70 seven's" or 490 and the only logical interpretation is 490 years) have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place"  (Da9:24) which culminates at the termination of the period of time referred to as the "last days" (in which we are now living), which will be punctuated by the revealing of the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction (2Thes2:3 2:4), the Antichrist who makes "a firm covenant with the many (the Jews) for one week (a seven year period often referred to as "the Tribulation" which strictly speaking is only used in Scripture of the last 3 and 1/2 year phase), but in the middle of the week (in the middle of the 7 year period, the "70th or last week" of Daniel's 70 weeks) he (the antichrist 2Thes2:3 2:4) will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering (referring to the sacrifices in the rebuilt Jewish Temple which has not yet occurred but which will be rebuilt Rev11:2); and on the wing of abominations will come one (the antichrist) who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (Da9:24 25 26 27) Jesus explained that this was a yet future prophecy, warning His Jewish hearers that "when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place( let the reader understand)...then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall." (Mt24:15 24:21) Daniel adds that the "the king (the antichrist) will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god (cf 2Thes 2:4), and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods (cf Da 7:11); and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done." (Dan11:36) When is God's indignation against the Jews ultimately and totally finished and satisfied? A complete answer would require a detailed exposition of Daniel 2 and 7 as well as Revelation 6-19, but John gives a good summary in his description of the seven bowl judgments (which will transpire in the period of Jacob's distress in the last 3 and 1/2 years beginning when the antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel by going into and desecrating the holy of holies in the rebuilt Jewish Temple) which he saw as a "sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished." (Rev 15:1) When "the seventh angel (pours) out his bowl upon the air; and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." (Rev 16:17), then in fact God's anger will be spent and His wrath satisfied and a remnant of Messiah believing Jews will be saved when "THE DELIVERER (Messiah) WILL COME FROM ZION, (and) HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." (Ro11:26, 27)

If this mode of prophetic interpretation is new or confusing to you, then continue studying through Ezekiel we will expand on in other notes.

AND I WILL BE APPEASED: (Dt32:36; Isa1:24; Zech6:8) "avenged", "comforted", "satisfied", "I will get revenge", "I will be eased and comforted"

THEN THEY WILL KNOW THAT I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN IN MY ZEAL (jealousy) WHEN I HAVE SPENT MY WRATH UPON THEM:(6:10; 36:5; 36:6 38:18 38:19; Is9:7; 59:17) "After I have carried out my anger against them, they will know how strongly I felt" (ICB), "they shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken in my jealousy, when I spend my fury on them" (NRSV), "they shall know that I Jehovah have spoken in my jealousy, when I have accomplished my fury upon them" (DNT), "Then you’ll know that I was serious about this all along, that I’m a jealous God and not to be trifled with" (Message) "And when my fury against them has subsided, all Israel will know that I, the LORD, have spoken to them in my jealous anger" (NLT)

"Zeal" (qinah) expresses a very strong emotion whereby some quality or possession of the object is desired by the subject and can be translated  jealousy.  Allusions to God's jealousy are especially frequent in Ezekiel (see table below)

The International Bible Encyclopedia adds that "the root idea of both the Greek and the Hebrew word translated "jealousy" is "warmth," "heat." Both are used in a good and a bad sense--to represent right and wrong passion. When jealousy is attributed to God, the word is used in a good sense. The language is, of course, anthropomorphic; and it is based upon the feeling in a husband of exclusive right in his wife. God is conceived as having wedded Israel to Himself, and as claiming, therefore, exclusive devotion. Disloyalty on the part of Israel is represented as adultery, and as provoking God to jealousy." (See Scriptures below)
 

Applied to God "jealousy" does not have the connotation of envy so often seen in human jealousy. Heathen gods were feared because they were thought to be jealous of man’s good fortune. God’s jealousy is His determination to demand undivided allegiance to Him. Anyone who gives His “glory” to an idol or His “praise to graven images” arouses His holy zeal to vindicate His honor. He becomes a devouring fire to demonstrate that He is unyielding in His claim to undivided allegiance.

In Deuteronomy God says "You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous (qinah) God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth." (Dt 6:14-15)

Vine adds this note on God's jealousy commenting that "While the word is used in our language in an evil sense, it has a somewhat different meaning, especially in the Old Testament. It is often used in connection with the marriage relation, and, in this respect, the relation between Jehovah and Israel. Just as jealousy in husband or wife is the forceful assertion of an exclusive right, so God asserts His claim, and vindicates it, on those who are His sole possession. As to His spiritual relation to Israel, see, for example, Isaiah 54:5 reminds Israel "Your maker is your husband". God thus claims that He is to Israel as husband is to wife, and accordingly idolatry and wickedness in every form are spiritual adultery. His people in their evil ways are represented as provoking Him to jealousy

Oh, how the modern church as the bride of Christ needs to be reminded of the jealousy of Jehovah for His beloved wife Israel even to the point of sending purifying fire. Read through the following passages that discuss God's jealousy and make a list of what you learn. These truths will help us understand why He was hurt by Judah's adulterous hearts in Ezekiel 6:9.
 

"A reproach, a reviling, a warning and an object of horror to the nations" Reproach (cherpah) (7 occurrences in Ezekiel) is that which is causes disgrace (source of shame), contempt (despising), scorn, taunting (speaking words to harm and insult) and in sum refers to the state of dishonor and low status which Jerusalem will find herself in because of the utter destruction.

Asaph similarly records that Israel became "a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and derision to those around us." (Ps79:4)

Before Israel entered the promised land, God prophesied that the day would come when "all the nations shall say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?' Then men shall say, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. And they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them. Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day." (Dt 29:24-28)

After Solomon had finished building the house of Jehovah, God warned him that if he or his sons turned away (both situations in fact occurred) from following Him then He would "cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. (nations)" (1 Ki9:7)

Stop, look and listen to the message in these passages because of "these things happened to them as an example (types), and they were written for our instruction (warnings, admonition), upon whom the ends of the ages have come."  (1Co10:11)

WHEN I EXECUTE JUDGMENTS AGAINST YOU IN ANGER, WRATH AND RAGING REBUKES. I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN: (25:17; Is66:15 16; Na1:2)

"Deadly arrows"

Israel had made God jealous by pursuing idolatry rather than Him saying that as a result "I will heap misfortunes on them. I will use My arrows on them. They shall be wasted by famine, and consumed by plague And bitter destruction; And the teeth of beasts I will send upon them, With the venom of crawling things of the dust." (Dt 32:23 24)

THEN I WILL ALSO INTENSIFY THE FAMINE UPON YOU AND BREAK THE STAFF OF BREAD: (14:13; 2 Ki6:25; Is3:1)

In Leviticus God warned Israel "I will let loose among you the beasts of the field, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie deserted." (Lev26:22)

PLAGUE AND BLOODSHED ALSO WILL PASS THROUGH YOU: (12; 14:19; 38:22)

AND I WILL BRING THE SWORD ON YOU: (6:12; 21:3; 23:47)

I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN: (13,15; 17:21 17:24; 21:32; 22:14; 26:14 Mt24:35)

"Have spoken" is a frequent passage in Ezekiel (click here) emphasizing that this is God speaking.