Generally speaking, the book of ezekiel may be divided as follows. The leaders are said to plot evil and give wicked advice ezek. He was one of the israelite exiles, who settled in telabib, on the banks of the chebar, in the land of the chaldeans. Ezekiel was a prophet holy man who lived at the same time as the last kings of judah. God also showed ezekiel a picture of a new temple in the future ezekiel chapters 4048. Ezekiel to eat the godgiven scroll 115 ezekiel to serve as a watchman 1627 negligence leads to bloodguilt 1821 4. Watch our overview video on the first part of the book of ezekiel, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Summary of the book of ezekiel essays in the chapters 1 4 of ezekiel it is the thirtieth year and the prophet ezekiel is in the midst of the exiles that are. Jan 02, 2020 ezekiel s first vision was of gods throne and included the four living creatures and whirling wheels.
It was written to announce judgment upon judah, to. The glorious capital of jerusalem, the only remaining israelite city, has fallen to the babylonian armies. Introduction to ezekiel bible commentary theology of work. The book of ezekiel was likely written between 593 and 565 b. In ezekiel, the metaphor is seen only in this chapter and in 37. God showed ezekiel events that would happen in the future. The book of ezekiel summary online bible nwt american. For the canonical order and place of the prophets, see ap. Ezekiel, through a series of amazing visions, communicates gods displeasure and coming judgment, but then also brings. Summary of the book of ezekiel the story of the bible. This agglomeration is carried about by some unusual beryl colored wheels which are also described in considerable detail. The book as a whole serves as a source of symbols and imagery for the book of revelation, such as the eating of the scroll ezekiel 2.
The chariot is drawn by four living creatures, each. Another charge against the strong of the flock, for their injuring the weak, ver. Ezekiels ministry helps lay the foundation for the jews faith for the centuries to come leading up to the birth of jesus. Discover practical insights into the book of ezekiel. Ezekiel shut himself in his home and bound himself.
As surely as i live, declares the sovereign lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in israel. Chapters 2539 contain a series of oracles addressed to foreign nations, concluding with a section in which the future of. It is composed of 48 chapters divided almost half before and after the fall of jerusalem. Ezekiel s mission to the judean exiles in babylon was to prepare them for the greatest crisis in the history of yahwehs covenant people. In contrast to various other prophets ezekiel has not been criticised as much. He receives visions, and his message is to confront gods sinful. Book of ezekiel overview insight for living ministries. The book of ezekiel has the most logical arrangement of any of the prophetic books. All 1,189 summaries now available in paperback and on kindle. The book s origin is given in the opening verses ezekiel 1.
The richest, most prominent, most intelligent, and most powerful in jerusalem are taken as slaves to serve in babylon, and the peasants are left to eke out an existence in the devastated ruins. Ezekiel received a word from the lord to give to jerusalem, and he carried out a number of symbolic acts to symbolize how. This is seen throughout the book as god gives ezekiel very vivid pictures of how israel has forsaken him. A commentary on the book of ezekiel by pastor galen l. Jun 17, 2020 read the following overviews of the book of ezekiel, taking notes on anything that might aid your understanding of the book, and answer the questions below. Ezekiel study guide for growing christians ministries. God would punish judah because its people did not obey gods law. Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of israel. Ezekiel is book number 26 in the old testament of the bible. Outline of contents the stream flowing from the temple 112. To encourage the exiles to remain faithful to the lord so that he would fulfill his offer to. He prepares the way for the diaspora of the jews and helps them redefine who they are as gods chosen people in the world. Ezekiel 4048 document the instructions for new temple construction and worship. Ezekiel had been taken captive in 597 bc and was being held captive in babylon when god gave him the vision.
The temple plays a dominant role in the book of ezekiel. Chapter 1 introduces us to god with the appearance of the likeness of the glory of god. Desolation and war over israelvision of wickedness ezekiel 910. That makes sense, for the restoration prophecies presuppose that worship at. The first part of the book, up to chapter 32 inclusive, announces gods judgments against both the people of israel and the idolatrous nations.
Chapters 2539 contain a series of oracles addressed to foreign nations, concluding with a section in which the future of israel is contrasted with that of the foreign nations. The book of ezekiel gives a compelling account of how the jewish people suffer a severely diminished life of deprivation and oppression and even death as captives in the conquering empire of babylon. It is intended to help you better understand some of the background and issues in ezekiel s prophecy. The book of ezekiel is narrative history, prophetic and apocalyptic in genre and even contains parables. Summary the book covers the prophecies, visions, and symbolic actions of ezekiel, a prophet among the jews during the exile in babylon. This book is basically about the destruction and exile of judah and the promise of its eventual restoration by god. Ezekiel understood very well that the key to the gathering of israel would be the coming forth of the book of mormon, as jesus explained to the nephites. God himself would return to this temple ezekiel 43. Ezekiel was one of the jewish captives who was brought to the land of babylon and settled on the banks of the river chebar. Ezekiel god will strengthen, or prevail was, like jeremiah, a priest as well as a prophet. The prophet ezekiel, exiled in babylon, experienced a series of seven visions during the period that spans the final destruction of jerusalem. He was a contemporary of other major prophets such as daniel and jeremiah, and minor prophets such as habakkuk and obadiah. It is interesting, that when the second temple was erected, as much as possible, the builders used the book of ezekiel as a blueprint.
The prophet ezekiel is the author of the book ezekiel 1. He was among the captives verse 1 in the land of the chaldeans verse 3. Prophets call and enduement with power for the office, c. Ezekiel, a priestturnedprophet, during the time of the babylonian takeover and captivity of the land of judah, wrote this 48chapter book during the sixth century bc. The book of ezekiel gives little detail about ezekiel s life. Summary of the book of ezekiel this summary of the book of ezekiel provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of ezekiel.
Summary edit the throne vision, in which ezekiel sees god enthroned in the temple among the heavenly host. God would send someone from davids family to be their leader ezekiel 37. Doughty southside christian church december 2014 introduction. We are also told the place and time where ezekiel saw and heard what he wrote in his book. It contains three sections, each of which addresses a different subject matter. Siege of jerusalem portrayed 117 guilt carried for 390 days and 40 days 47 5. Ezekiel s vision of the heavenly courta covenant lawsuit called. This commentary is based upon my personal devotional notes and reflections on the book of ezekiel. Book of ezekiel known to be written by prophet ezekiel and is placed immediately after lamentation in ot. Ezekiel, whose name signifies the strength of god, was of the priestly race.
The book of ezekiel takes its title from the priest of the same name, son to a man named buzi. Ezekiel went into exile at the same time as king jehoiachin in the year 597 bc. A promise, that god would take care of his flock, ver. Ezekiel is taken into captivity to babylon god calls ezekiel to encourage the people and inform them he was the lord god in israel and babylon god will judge the nearby nations ezekiel speaks to the people in parables and visions, bizarre behavior have faith in god and restoration. The book of ezekiel he will be strengthened of god. When they question why god has allowed them to suffer this way, ezekiel speaks gods answer. Prophecies about the destruction of jerusalem and its temple come before the bulk of the prophecies about the restoration of pure worship. Youll find david jeremiahs introduction to the book of ezekiel on page 10511053 of the jeremiah study bible. Ezekiel was given prophethood at an age thirty after he. Remember, the designation major or minor simply refers to the length of the book, not its importance.
The book serves as an important source for new testament thought. Ezekiel summary book of ezekiel known to be written by prophet ezekiel and is placed immediately after lamentation in ot. After god drives into town on a chariot pulled by four manbeasts at the beginning of the. The book of ezekiel begins with his famous prophecy of the divine chariot.
God approaches ezekiel as the divine warrior, riding in his battle chariot. The bible handbook by joseph angus makes this comment in its introduction to the book of ezekiel. A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers. This entry is part 8 of 21 in the series the book of ezekiel. This summary of the book of ezekiel will help with many different forms of bible study. Ezekiel develops the picture of the community and its leaders as flock and shepherds used throughout jeremiah. Ezekiel was one of the younger men taken to babylon in the first captivity, which occurred in 597 b. Ezekiel s major commission was to act as a watchman on gods behalf. Ezekiel lived with other exiles at the river called chebar. For the chronological order of the prophets, see ap. The righteous and the othersthe wheels and cheribums ezekiel 1112. The book of ezekiel is in the old testament section of the bible.
The testimony of jesus is the spirit of prophecy revelations 19. He was of the great company of captives carried to babylon, with the young king jehoiachin, by nebuchadnezzar, b. Interestingly, the phrase house of israel occurs in 78 verses in the book, while house of judah is found in only. Ezekiel also gives us our best picture of the architecture and construction of the third temple to be built in the time of the messiah, and of the future layout of the land of israel. The book of ezekiel is the third of the books of the major prophets, coming after the books of isaiah and jeremiah in the christian canon. Ezekiel s in babylon, having been exiled there after the first siege of judah by the babylonians. Both the bible and the book of mormon were in the process of being prepared by god during ezekiel s ministry as major instruments to gather his people back to himself.
In this vision,7 which he saw in the year 3332 429 bce while standing on the banks of the chebar river,8 ezekiel describes in vivid detail g. The book of ezekiel is a book in the christian old testament that derives its name from, and records the visions of, the priest and prophet ezekiel. The parents eat sour grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge. Ezekiel complete bible book chapters and summary new. And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as i sat in. These visions of god along with ezekiel s bizarre behavior have led some to label ezekiel as neurotic, paranoid, psychotic, or schizophrenic. What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of israel. This book is one of the major prophets, filled with deeply symbolic visions and extreme actions from a man of zealous faith and profound spiritual vision. Ezekiel represents the king of babylon intent on vengeance against both jews and ammonites, for allying themselves with egypt.
He served as a kind of religious counselor to the hebrew. From chapters 2532, ezekiel condemns judgment upon. Overview of the book of ezekiel at reformed answers. Ezekiel was given prophethood at an age thirty after he saw a majestic vision of gods glory during his captivation in babylon. The book of ezekiel introduction to the book of ezekiel in the bible. Vision of four creaturesthe sealed book ezekiel 34. This book portrays much symbolism which john refers to often in revelation. The book moves on to anticipate the destruction of jerusalem and the temple, explains this as gods punishment, and closes with the promise of a new beginning and a new temple inaugural vision ezekiel 1. The first three chapters in the book of ezekiel are filled with extraordinary verses about ezekiel s preparation, call, and commission. He was most likely taken captive with king jehoiachin ezk. After a short prologue in which ezekiel describes how god called him, he uses a series of symbols to predict the now inevitable destruction of jerusalem and identify its causes.
Ezekiel was a priest in jerusalem before being deported to babylon in 597 b. His message was directed to jerusalem mentioned 23 times in the first 24 chapters and judah then, as well as to israel. The purpose of the book of ezekiel is to demonstrate how seriously god takes sin and will eventually bring judgment if repentance does not occur. The book of ezekiel consists mainly of three groups of prophecies. After an account of his call to the prophetical office. Ezekiels priestly lineage shines through in his prophetic ministry. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the childboth alike. God told ezekiel that ezekiel must warn the people about these events ezekiel 33. For the interrelation of the prophetical books, see ap. Review we have come to the third and final section of the book of ezekiel. Ezekiel chapters 1 to 24 free bible commentary in easy english. The prophets wrote over a period of 250300 years, spanning the decline, the exile, and the return of the children of israel. In chapter 33, the lord told ezekiel that he was about to be given the job of watchman by the israelites.
Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. The book is full of imagery, with some of the best being reserved for god. Ezekiel commissioned as prophet 110 whether they listen or not 5 shown a scroll of dirges 9, 10 3. The book of ezekiel is thus basically arranged chronologically as well as topically. However, before we hear all the wonderful promises of gods blessings upon israels future, he has some housecleaning to do for a couple of chapters.
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