Ezekiel 12:12

It was a symbolic picture: the land would be swept clean once more by destruction. Most of the Jews expected a quick return and deliverance instead, despite every assurance from God to the contrary.

They had eyes to see, and did not see; ears to hear, and did not hear; yet God acts for Himself, unhindered by this incapacity on their part. God instructs Ezekiel to prepare the baggage of an exile and to move out by day where they can see him. "Perhaps they will see," says the LORD; for we know there were still those who were able to. As for the rest, God would still make things plain. On His side there could be no possible misunderstanding — nothing was lacking to complete conviction.

He is to gather his baggage by day, but go out himself in the evening, under cover of darkness, digging through the wall to carry off just what he can bear on his shoulder, and no more. He is to cover his face too, so as not to see the ground — a powerful sign to the house of Israel of what was going to happen. He is to tell them that the burden concerns the prince still in Jerusalem, with all the marks of his royalty about him. But that prince is to go out into exile, into captivity, with no sign of his forfeited rank — as an ordinary fugitive. And even then he is not allowed to get away safely. He whose hand was acting through the Chaldeans will take him in the net.

In verse 17, I take the word alatah to mean "thick darkness" — fully dark. The same holds in the other places in Ezekiel 12 where it is translated "twilight." It must mean obscurity — thick darkness, which he was to use to stay hidden.

Both prophets implied that, though he might try to escape, he would be taken; both said he must go to Babylon. But Ezekiel predicted "yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there." Jeremiah predicted, "your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with you face to face." To a shallow reader this might seem hard to reconcile, if not a contradiction. … But each prophet gave out from God beforehand what came true in the case. The fleeing king was chased and caught before he crossed the Jordan. At Riblah the king of Babylon judged the case. He had Zedekiah's sons killed before their guilty father's eyes, then put out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with chains and carried him to Babylon. So he did not see Babylon, though he went there; yet he did see the eyes of the angry conqueror who spoke with him face to face. No word of the Lord falls to the ground.

These two prophecies were fulfilled to the letter.

So Zedekiah is called a profane prince of Israel whose day has come when iniquity shall have an end. "Thus says the Lord GOD: Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. … I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it to him." Messiah shall come and reign: overturning and only overturning until then. The right is His.