Ezek 17:22,23 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar.

      

Ezekiel has just prophesied about Nebuchadnezzar coming and taking a topmost twig from the family of David – the last king of the dynasty. The cedar is David. So now comes this promise, in the face of an impossible situation: God will take the last arrival in this dynasty, the topmost twig, and plant it in Israel to become a new cedar. Planting is a reference to making him king. The high mountain (figuratively rather than physically) is Jerusalem.

 

The emphasis of this prophecy is that the one who is to come, is going to come in the general flow of the history of Israel, and will grow out of what is there already, but will come to bring forth a completely new ‘tree'. Thus Jesus came into the flow of history of Israel but came to create a new kingdom.

 

As we have noted before, this was a mystery to all the scholars who looked on these Scriptures and wondered, but now with hindsight we can see the wonder of the exactness of the fulfillment of this prophecy. Isn't that how it is so often with personal prophecy? We hear it and wonder and just don't seem to be able to see just how God can fulfil it – but He does perfectly! He will do what He's said to you !