In order to understand Daniel’s prophecy about the major empires of world history, we must compare Daniel’s prediction in chapters 2, 7, and 8. Daniel gives us three pictures of these world empires—all of which correlate with one another.
Problem: Other portions of Scripture contain Aramaic. Walvoord notes, “A similar use of Aramaic is found in Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Jer. 10:11; and the two words of the compound name Jegar-Sahadutha in Genesis 31:47.”[1]
Problem: Amillennial interpreters argue that the dispensational reading of Ezekiel 40-48 is heretical, because it contradicts the author of Hebrews, who claims that reverting to animal sacrifices is apostasy. For instance, Curtis Crenshaw writes, “The passage most commonly mentioned that represents great difficulty to dispensational literalism is Ezekiel’s temple vision.”[1] Likewise, Floyd Hamilton writes, “The restoration of the whole sacrificial system seems to dishonor the sacrifice of Christ… According to a literal interpretation of Ezekiel 40-48 the whole ceremonial law is to be again set up in Israel.”[2]
Problem: Ezekiel predicts that God will bring Gog and Magog into the land of Israel. He writes, “I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out” (Ezek. 38:4). The language used is definitely God’s active will, whereby he brings the people to the land of Israel. Then it states, “You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you” (v.9). Later, we read, “I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel” (Ezek. 39:2).
Problem: Does this passage refer to the modern regathering of Israel?
Problem: According to the prophecies in Ezekiel 26, God would bring Nebuchadnezzar against the proud city of Tyre and would utterly destroy it. However, Ezekiel 29:18 indicates that Nebuchadnezzar failed to capture Tyre. How can these two statements be reconciled?
Problem: Ezekiel tells us that God “gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live.” However, the Bible declares that God’s laws are perfect and holy (Lev. 11:45; Ps. 19:7; Rom. 7:7).
Problem: Christian apologists often claim that this passage predicts the coming of the Messiah through the line of Jacob. However, critics claim that the language is too unclear. Which is true?
Problem: In Ezekiel 5:7, the Israelites were condemned because they had “multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around” them. Yet, here in Ezekiel 16:47 they were condemned by God who said, “You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations.”
Problem: Ezekiel declares that God “induced” the false prophets to speak and then would “destroy” them for doing so. But this sounds deceptive.
Problem: Ezekiel speaks here of “living creatures” whose faces were in “the likeness of a man” which moved “like a flash of lightning” (v. 14). They were “lifted up from the earth” (v. 19) and their “wheels were lifted up together with them” (v. 20). Some have taken this to be a reference to UFOs and extraterrestrials. Are there human-like UFO creatures in outer space?
Problem: This and many other verses in Scripture describe God as merciful and compassionate, slow to wrath and plentiful in kindness (cf. Ps. 94:9; James 5:11; 1 John 4:16). By contrast, there are numerous passages in the Bible which reveal God as wrathful and vengeful. God told Moses, “You shall destroy all the peoples whom the Lord your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them” (Deut. 7:16; cf. 1 Sam. 6:19; 15:2–3; Jer. 13:14; Heb. 12:29).
Problem: According to this prophecy of Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar would attack and devastate Egypt. However, the Greek historians made no mention of this event, and there does not seem to be sufficient historical evidence to substantiate the claim that there ever was such an invasion. Is this an error in the biblical record of history?