Ezekiel 16:53
When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them: When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
God will turn back the captivity of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and will turn back the captivity of Jerusalem with them. That bringing again is a second captivity at the second resurrection at the end of the thousand years, when they are raised with all the wicked not for probation and salvation but to be burned up. Their cities remain utterly destroyed and will never be restored, while the people themselves are brought back as they were when they died to face judgment in the last day for what they did before death. The chapter sets Jerusalem as God's covenant wife who became a harlot by unlawful union with the kings of the earth and worship of their gods, in the same manner as the Babylon of Revelation, proving the harlot is a corrupt professedly religious body and not earthly government or abstract evil. The promise therefore gives no ground for expecting a future restoration of the Jewish nation to Palestine before a millennium of peace.
Harlot Symbol and Setting
Ezekiel 16 uses a woman as the symbol of a church, and a harlot, lewd and licentious woman as the symbol of a corrupt, apostate church. That symbolism proves that Babylon pictured as a harlot is not the earthly power of human government nor an abstract evil, but a corrupt professedly religious body, distinct from the kings of the earth though unlawfully united with them. The Jewish church was espoused to the Lord and became a harlot in the same manner as the Babylon of Revelation, by seeking the friendship of the world through unlawful union with the kings of the earth.
The verse stands where Jerusalem represents God's people in covenant marriage with Him as husband: He made a covenant with them and they became His, but they broke that covenant and turned to others, and the chapter also speaks of their return to Him. This marriage imagery describes His relationship with His people, not the marriage of the Lamb at the end. God is married to His church as husband, so a union of His church with the world is fornication and adultery against Him.
When the Jews turned from God, joined the surrounding nations, and worshiped their gods, Jerusalem was portrayed as an unfaithful woman. The Lord describes Israel's departure from Him and idolatrous mixing with evil as adultery, using the image of unfaithfulness to a husband, presenting the attempt to mix heaven with earth and righteousness with sin as spiritual adultery. Sodom and Samaria stand alongside Jerusalem as cities whose unfaithfulness to God is described as harlotry, supporting the comparison between the apostate Jewish church and Sodom. The verse identifies Jerusalem's judgment and rejection with the captivity of Sodom and Samaria, while promising that their fortunes — and those of Jerusalem's captives — will eventually be restored.
The fall of the Jewish church pictured as the harlot of Ezekiel 16 is God's rejection of her, and like Babylon's fall this rejection precedes her later destruction. That rejection is presented as her fall, while her destruction is delayed.
Restoration Promise and Judgment
God will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and will restore the captives of Jerusalem in the midst of them. Jerusalem's judgment and rejection is thus identified with the captivity of Sodom and Samaria, while their fortunes and those of Jerusalem's captives will eventually be restored together, placing Jerusalem's restoration alongside theirs. That return from captivity of Sodom, Samaria, and Israel is the resurrection of the wicked for judgment, when they are brought back to face judgment for what they did before death and stand as they were when they died.
The bringing again of captivity is a second captivity, not probation and salvation. It takes place at the second resurrection at the end of the thousand years, when Sodom, Samaria, and Jerusalem are raised from the dead with all the wicked to meet the doom of being burned up. The people of Sodom and its surrounding towns will in this way come into judgment in the last day, yet their cities remain utterly destroyed and will never be restored. The promised restoration of Sodom and Samaria therefore does not mean a future restoration of the Jewish nation to Palestine. It stands against the belief that the Jews must return to their ancient homeland before a millennium of peace.
Warning and Application
The verse stands in a strong parable rebuking the apostasy of Judah and Israel, in which God earnestly pleads with His people to return to Him. It belongs to His charge brought against the Jews as His recognized people, that their conduct comforted Sodom. Their failure to live distinctly from the wicked could reassure sinners that their wrongdoing was not condemned.
Ezekiel 16 records Israel's example of apostasy, in that instead of seeking the Lord the people turned to Egypt or Assyria for help. That example applies to an apostate church that seeks the power of earthly rulers.