The Bible in a Year
“I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” —Ezekiel 21:27
Ezekiel spoke these words during one of the darkest periods in Judah’s history. Jerusalem faced destruction, King Zedekiah’s throne was about to fall, and the people were discovering that religious heritage could not protect a nation that continually rejected God. In the surrounding passage, God commands that the royal crown be removed. Human leadership had become corrupt, and the kingdom would not be restored by another ordinary ruler. Judgment would continue “until he come whose right it is.”
The Hebrew text repeats the word ‘avvah three times: “ruin, ruin, ruin.” The repetition communicates complete upheaval. God would overturn the political and spiritual order upon which the people had falsely depended. What appeared permanent would become rubble. The crown would be removed, the proud would be brought low, and every counterfeit security would be exposed.
This is a difficult word, but it is also necessary. Before people welcome the rightful King, they must recognize the failure of lesser thrones. We often ask God to strengthen the kingdoms we have constructed—our plans, reputations, ambitions, and comfortable routines. Sometimes, however, God’s faithful work involves overturning what we have trusted in place of Him. God may disturb a false peace because He intends to establish a righteous kingdom.
Yet Ezekiel’s message does not end with ruin. Judgment is followed by a promise: “Until he come whose right it is.” The Hebrew expression ’asher-lo hammishpat means that the right, judgment, or legitimate authority belongs to this coming ruler. Christian readers hear within this promise the announcement of Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the rightful King.
John Butler writes, “The Messianic throne of Israel belongs to Jesus Christ.” The New Testament establishes that claim from its opening pages. Matthew traces Jesus’ legal descent through David’s royal line, while Luke records Gabriel’s promise to Mary: “The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever” (Luke 1:32–33). Jesus did not seize authority as an ambitious man. The kingdom is His by divine appointment, covenant promise, righteous character, sacrificial victory, and resurrection power.
The words “until he come” remind us that history is moving toward an appointed meeting with Christ. His first coming revealed the nature of His kingdom. He entered humbly, served the forgotten, confronted hypocrisy, carried our sins to the cross, and rose victorious over death. Humanity crowned Him with thorns, but God exalted Him and gave Him “a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).
Christ will also come again. His return will not be an uncertain effort to gain control of a world that has escaped God’s attention. It will be the public revelation of the authority He already possesses. The apparent disorder of history does not mean that heaven has lost the crown. Jesus reigns now at the Father’s right hand, and His kingship will one day be universally acknowledged. Paul writes that Christ must reign until every enemy has been placed beneath His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25).
God’s declaration, “I will give it him,” brings the passage to its rightful destination. Kingdoms rise because God permits them, and kingdoms fall when their appointed season is complete. The final kingdom belongs to the Son. No election establishes His authority, no army secures it, and no opposition can cancel it. The One who was rejected at Jerusalem will be recognized as “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).
Ezekiel’s prophecy also presents us with a personal question: Who presently occupies the throne of my life? It is possible to praise Christ as King while protecting areas in which we still insist upon ruling ourselves. Our finances, relationships, future, habits, and private thoughts must all come beneath His authority. Discipleship means surrendering the crown before it must be torn from our grasp.
When circumstances appear unstable, we need not surrender to fear. Ezekiel reminds us that God is capable of overturning everything that opposes His purpose while preserving everything established by His promise. What seems like the collapse of our world may become the place where we learn that Christ alone cannot be shaken.
The wise response is not merely to wait for the rightful King to come, but to give Him His rightful place today.
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