Ezekiel

(i) Introduction

– (a) Ezekiel, the man – his name means “God will strengthen”. Like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1) and Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1; Nehemiah 12:4,16) Ezekiel was both a priest and a prophet (1:3). These three are the only priest/prophets, all three serving during or after the nation’s exile. Ezekiel’s father’s name was Buzi (1:3). Ezekiel was a married man (24:16-18) who lived in his own house at Tel-abib (3:24;8:1) north of Babylon, the regular meeting place of Jewish elders (8:1;14:1;20:1), and Jewish

tradition says he was eventually slain by a fellow exile whose idolatries he had rebuked (?).

– (b) Ezekiel, the ministry – he was born during the reign of Josiah (623 B.C.), a period of bright reformation. When he was about 18 years old the Babylonians invaded the land for the first time (Daniel was taken). 8 years later (approx. 597 B.C.) a second invasion occurred when Ezekiel was taken captive. As a prisoner he had greater freedom than many, with his own home and meetings with leading Jews. 5 years into captivity he was called to the prophetic ministry, to declare God’s Word to his companions in exile. His work began in his 30th year (1:1), the age of the priesthood. All his prophecies (except Ch’s 29-32 topically arranged) are in chronological order, hence we can date his work accurately (beginning 593 B.C. Jehoiachin’s 5th year of exile and ending 571 B.C. approx. 22 years long).

– (c) Ezekiel, the message – the task of preaching might have been easier if the people had learned from their sufferings, but they did not. Ezekiel used every variety of means to communicate with them – proverbs (12:22-23; 16:44; 18:2-3), parables (17; 24:1-14), allegories (16-17), symbolic acts (4-5; 12; 24:15-27), and visions (1-3; 8-11; 37; 40-48) – “where there is no vision the people perish”. Try as he did, the people perished and many of them. They were hard-hearted, stiffnecked, vice-intoxicated. Many of them, as in Jeremiah’s day, just would not believe a message of doom upon God’s ancient covenant people. The prophet was largely ignored. The outline shows its progress: at first he declared impending judgment on Jerusalem and the nation and when this came to pass his focus shifted; he moved to proclaim God’s judgment on Gentile nations; then finally he turned to his own nation again and to their future hope of regathering, restored worship, and regenerated souls.

– Some outstanding themes are (a) the glory of Jehovah (1:28; 3:12,23; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4,18-19; 11:22-23; 39:11,21; 43:2-5; 44:4) and (b) “that they may know that I am Jehovah” (70 times this phrase appears); the word “Spirit” occurs 25 times – Isaiah was the prophet of the Son, Jeremiah was the prophet of the Father, and Ezekiel was the prophet of the Spirit.

(ii) Outline

Ch’s 1-3 Ezekiel’s initial call and commission

Ch’s 4-24 prophecies of judgment against Judah

Ch’s 25-32 prophecies of judgment against Gentile nations

Ch’s 33-39 Ezekiel the watchman sees hope

Ch’s 40-48 restoration of a nation