Ezekiel
I. Introduction
A. Ezekiel
B. An interesting prophet
1. Many visions, exhortations
2. Sees history unfold before him
C. Let us consider the book
II. Ezekiel: The Details
A. Authorship
1. Ezekiel seems not just responsible for prophecies, but also
for most of their written form
2. Authorship, inspiration relatively unchallenged
B. Dating
1. Dates provided within book show Ezekiel prophesying
ca. 593-573
2. Ezekiel one of the first exiles: the Jehoiachin exile
3. Prophesies from Babylon just before, during, after fall of
Jerusalem
4. Final form compiled not much later
C. Audience
1. Exilic, post-exilic Israel
2. Much to be gained
D. Purpose
1. To indicate God's judgment on Jerusalem, message to
the exiles, expectation of restoration
2. To set forth Israel's future hope in God's Kingdom
III. Ezekiel: The Story
A. Main Sections
1. Inauguration of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-3)
2. Judgment on Jerusalem, Judah (Ezekiel 4-24)
3. Nation Oracles (Ezekiel 25-32)
4. Jerusalem's Fall (Ezekiel 33-40)
5. Restoration (Ezekiel 41-48)
B. The Vision (Ezekiel 1-3)
1. 593 BCE: Ezekiel sees initial vision (Ezekiel 1:1-3)
2. Great cloud seen; four creatures described; wheels described;
expanse above them; movement of creatures described; throne
above them, a figure upon it; likeness of glory of LORD,
Ezekiel falls on face before it (Ezekiel 1:4-28)
3. God tells Ezekiel to stand; Spirit enters Ezekiel; Ezekiel
sent to the people of Israel, rebellious, tell to them the
word of the LORD; will speak whether they hear or not;
Ezekiel not to be rebellious; scroll given to Ezekiel,
message of lamentation and woe (Ezekiel 2)
4. Ezekiel to eat the scroll; tastes like honey; sent to Israel,
who will speak the same language yet refuse to hear; stubborn
hearts; Ezekiel's face made as hard as their faces; not to
fear (Ezekiel 3:1-11)
5. Spirit lifts Ezekiel up; great voice; bitter in spirit, hand
of LORD upon him; Ezekiel sits overwhelmed for a week
(Ezekiel 3:12-15)
6. Ezekiel as watchman: responsible if does not speak God's word,
not held responsible if he speaks God's word (Ezekiel 3:16-21)
7. Glory of the LORD appears again: told to shut self into house;
bound there; not able to speak, since people rebellious; God
will open mouth, Ezekiel will speak to people
(Ezekiel 3:22-27)
C. Jerusalem's Fate (Ezekiel 4-7)
1. God tells Ezekiel to take brick, engrave Jerusalem, put siege
works against it; besiege it: sign for Israel of what will
take place (Ezekiel 4:1-3)
2. Ezekiel to lie on his left side for 390 days, equal to years
of punishment of Israel; then to lie on right side 40 days,
equal to years of punishment of Judah (Ezekiel 4:4-8)
3. Ezekiel to make specific type of bread during this time, eat
and drink certain amounts, and bake it before dung,
symbolizing Israel's uncleanness; Ezekiel protests, he has
never been unclean; God says to use cow dung, not human dung;
God will break supply of bread, water to Jerusalem
(Ezekiel 4:9-17)
4. Ezekiel to take sword, shave head and beard; weigh it, divide
in thirds; one third to burn, a third to strike with sword,
a third to scatter in wind; God will use sword against last
third, Ezekiel to take some back, burn more (Ezekiel 5:1-4)
5. This event as Jerusalem: in center of nations, yet sinned
more than the nations; God against them, will execute
judgment; will do what He has not yet done, will not do again;
those who survive scattered to the winds; third will die of
pestilence, third by sword, third will be scattered by wind,
sword still against them; God's fury unleashed
(Ezekiel 5:5-17)
6. Ezekiel to set face toward Israel, prophesy: sword to the
high places, desolation, slain cast before idols; some left
alive, will repent, will know that God is the LORD
(Ezekiel 6:1-10)
7. Ezekiel to clap hands, stamp foot, condemn abominations of
Israel; sword, famine, pestilence coming; fury of God upon
them; they will know that He is LORD when they all lie dead
in front of idols, land desolate (Ezekiel 6:11-14)
8. End upon the land; God's judgment, eye not sparing; disaster
and doom upon the land; judgment according to their ways;
day of doom is coming; wrath upon multitude; sword without,
pestilence and famine within; mourning and lamentation, money
worthless; not able to satisfy desires; given into hands of
foreigners; chain to be made, land full of crime and violence;
pride ended, no peace, disaster coming; vision sought, yet
law perishes; all will know that God is the LORD (Ezekiel 7)
D. Jerusalem's Condition (Ezekiel 8-11)
1. 592 BCE: Ezekiel lifted up from presence of elders to glory
of God; is to look toward Temple; sees image of jealousy;
then to dig into wall and saw all kinds of images of unclean
animals, certain elders and others offering incense secretly;
sees women weeping for Tammuz; sees inner court of Temple,
people worshiping the sun; people also committing violence,
provoking God to anger; He will not spare, nor have pity
(Ezekiel 8)
2. Then cry comes out for executioners of city; six men come
with weapons; man called to pass through, mark those who
groan over abominations; the six to go out and kill, have no
pity; touch not those with the mark; city to be defiled;
Ezekiel on his face, wonders if God will exterminate Israel;
God says guilt of Israel and Judah great; God will not spare;
man has done what was commanded (Ezekiel 9)
3. Ezekiel sees expanse over cherubim; burning coals scattered
over city; wheels by cherubim, described; cherubim mounted up;
glory of God upon them, departs from Temple (Ezekiel 10)
4. Spirit lifts Ezekiel to east gate of Temple, before officers
of land; to prophesy against them; God will bring sword upon
the city; they will know that He is the LORD; one of the
officers dies in presence of Ezekiel, Ezekiel again wonders
if remnant of Israel will be destroyed (Ezekiel 11:1-13)
5. Israel says to go far from God, land as possession; God will
eventually gather all His people from various land back into
Israel; no more idolatry; new heart and spirit, heart of
flesh, not stone; will follow His ways; glory of God departs
from Jerusalem, Ezekiel returns to exiles (Ezekiel 11:14-25)
E. God's Judgments (Ezekiel 12-17)
1. Ezekiel as dwelling in midst of rebellious house; to prepare
baggage of exile, to go into exile; Ezekiel to do various
things to demonstrate exile so that Israel may see and learn
what will take place; Ezekiel does so, to tell people when
asked that what he does is what will happen in Jerusalem;
Chaldeans will take them over; Israel dispersed, scattered
(Ezekiel 12:1-16)
2. Ezekiel to eat bread with quaking, drink water with anxiety,
for so will those in Jerusalem; proverb in Israel regarding
visions coming to nothing, will be changed to recognize that
visions do come true; proverb regarding prophecy as far off,
but God's word will be performed soon (Ezekiel 12:17-28)
3. Prophecy against prophets: woe to foolish prophets following
own desires; see false visions; God has not spoken through
them; God's hand against them; they say peace when there is
no peace; great wrath and anger will come upon them, they
will perish; women as prophesying from own minds; woe to them;
God will take people from their hands, will no more see
visions or practice divination, will know God is LORD
(Ezekiel 13)
4. Elders before Ezekiel: God tells Ezekiel how they have idols
in hearts, will not be consulted by them; estranged because
of idols; Israel to repent and turn away from idols, or they
will be cut off; punishment will come so that they will act
that way no longer (Ezekiel 14:1-11)
5. When land sins, even if great righteous people in it, only
the righteous spared; same true if beasts in land, or sword
in land, or pestilence in land; how much more for Jerusalem,
and yet God will spare some survivors, so they can repent,
console prophet (Ezekiel 14:12-23)
6. Jerusalem as worthless vine; land will be desolate, God
against land (Ezekiel 15)
7. Israel's father as Amorite, mother as Hittite; cast off as
worthless on day of birth; God came and made her to live,
came back when mature, clothed her, made covenant with her;
gave her finery; yet she played the whore; served other gods;
took things God gave her, used them in her adultery; beauty
made an abomination; Israel as brazen prostitute; word of the
LORD against her, lovers will be gathered, nakedness will be
uncovered; wrath upon her; great guilt, even more than in
Samaria; God will eventually restore all their fortunes so
that they can bear their shame and disgrace (Ezekiel 16:1-59)
8. God will remember covenant, will restore it; God will atone,
but shame will never be forgotten (Ezekiel 16:60-62)
9. Parable of two eagles and vine: involves Babylon and Egypt,
why does king of Judah look to Egypt for deliverance? How
can he break covenant with Babylon and escape?; God will
return it upon his head, judgment will be executed because
of treachery; God will make Jerusalem perish (Ezekiel 17)
F. Sin, Lament, Rebellion, Destruction (Ezekiel 18-24)
1. Proverb in Israel regarding sons bearing consequences of
father's sins; no more to be used in Israel; soul that sins
will die; righteous will live, sinners die; son who does not
follow father's sins will live; wicked who repents will live;
righteous who sin will die; some say way of God not just, but
really their ways unjust; God will judge Israel based on what
each person does; God takes no pleasure in death-- repent and
live (Ezekiel 18)
2. Lament for princes of Israel: mother as lion, caught, caged,
taken to Babylon; mother as vine, great, yet broken down,
withered (Ezekiel 19)
3. 591 BCE: Elders again before Ezekiel to inquire of God; God
will not be inquired of by them; Ezekiel to judge them:
abominations of their fathers, God swore good things to them
if they would cast off detestable things, yet they rebelled;
would have acted in anger against them in Egypt save for His
name; led them through wilderness, gave them the Law,
Sabbaths; they rebelled; would have poured out wrath in
wilderness save for His name; that generation did not make it
to land; children told to obey; they rebelled; God swore to
scatter them because of rebellion (Ezekiel 20:1-26)
4. Will they defile themselves as their fathers did?; God not
to be inquired of by this sinful generation; want to be as
the nations; God's wrath poured out, will ingather Dispersion;
will judge them face to face; rebels to be purged; if Israel
will not listen, let them serve idols; on holy mountain,
people will serve God; offerings will be accepted; will know
that He is LORD; will repent, be ashamed of misdeeds; will be
dealt with on account of His name; Ezekiel to preach against
Negeb: it will be as burned with fire; Ezekiel complains that
people think he just makes up parables (Ezekiel 20:27-49)
5. Ezekiel to preach against sanctuaries in Jerusalem: God will
take sword, cut off both righteous and wicked from the place;
all flesh will know He is LORD; Ezekiel to groan before them;
when asked, will say it is because of the day that is coming,
terrible things; sword sharpened and polished, ready for
destruction-- against princes of Israel; Ezekiel to clap
hands, have sword come down three times on account of those
slain; God's fury to be satisfied (Ezekiel 21:1-17)
6. Ezekiel to make two ways for sword of Babylon to come; to
Rabbah and Jerusalem; king of Babylon consults idols,
prepares to besiege; makes oaths; final punishment to princes
of Israel, humiliation; Jerusalem to be a ruin; slaughter and
reproach decreed for the Ammonites also; will be judged, not
remembered for their wickedness (Ezekiel 21:18-32)
7. Ezekiel to judge the bloody city; guilt on account of blood,
idols; made a reproach to nations; name defiled; princes bent
on bloodshed; oppression; profanation of holy things,
Sabbaths; sexual immorality; extortion in land; God will
strike people for it, courage will fail; scattered among
nations; Israel as dross, God will melt it in His anger;
land as not cleansed or rained upon; conspiracy of prophets
as making widows; priests do violence to law, profane holy
things; princes as wolves; prophets speak falsely; people
extort, steal; search for the righteous, none found; wrath
poured out (Ezekiel 22)
8. Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem): sisters; Oholah as
playing whore; Assyrians came upon her; delivered into hands
of lovers; became byword; Oholibah sees this, becomes more
corrupt in whoredom; lusted after Chaldeans; defiled by them;
nakedness exposed, God turns away; increased whoring; lovers
will be disgusted, will turn on her; will judge and destroy
her; will not remember Egypt anymore; delivered into hands of
those whom you hate; nakedness to be exposed; will drink
sister's cup; Ezekiel to judge the sisters and their iniquity;
profanation of sanctuary and Sabbaths; worn out by adultery;
blood on her hands; will be made an object of terror; penalty
for idolatry borne (Ezekiel 23)
9. 588 BCE: Beginning of siege of Jerusalem; parable to
rebellious house: prepare pot, boil in it: woe to the city,
the pile will be great; everything will be burned up, cleansed
as through fire; fury of God to be satisfied; He will not
spare in judgment (Ezekiel 24:1-14)
10. Ezekiel's wife to die; he is not to mourn; sign to Israel
regarding destruction of Jerusalem, man Ezekiel as sign of
it; on that day, he will not be mute (Ezekiel 24:15-27)
G. Nation Oracles (Ezekiel 25-32)
1. Ammon: Because of joy over fate of Jerusalem, God will make
Ammon a possession of the east; others will dwell in it;
Ammon as plunder for the nations, cut off, destroyed
(Ezekiel 25:1-7)
2. Moab and Seir: Believe that Judah as other nations; thus, its
glory will be exposed, given to the East as possession;
judgment executed (Ezekiel 25:8-11)
3. Edom: Acted with revenge against Judah; God will cut off man
and beast from Edom; vengeance upon them (Ezekiel 25:12-14)
4. Philistia: Took vengeance in enmity; God's hand stretched out
against it, cut off with rebuke, will know that God is LORD
(Ezekiel 25:15-17)
5. Tyre: 586 BCE: Tyre happy about fate of Jerusalem; God against
Tyre; nations against her; plunder for the nations;
Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre; devastation, death, destruction;
merchandise, riches looted; Tyre as a bare rock; coastlands
will shake at fall; trembling, mourning of princes of sea;
lament over destruction of Tyre, dismay over its passing;
God will make Tyre go down to the pit, as in the underworld;
never to be found again (Ezekiel 26)
6. Tyre: lamentation over Tyre: boasted in beauty, great finery
from other countries; army from other countries; nations
around known world did business with Tyre, different
locations and products described; at destruction, great
lamentation and mourning because of the loss of merchants,
profit (Ezekiel 27)
7. Tyre: to prince of Tyre: belief in his great wisdom, exalted
seat; despite greatness, deified self, God will bring
foreigners upon him, he will die the death of uncircumcised;
lament over kind of Tyre: great perfection, described in
terms of precious jewels; excellence and blamelessness; heart
made proud, sin increased; fire brought upon city, consumed;
dreadful end; nations appalled (Ezekiel 28:1-19)
8. Sidon: God against Sidon; judgment executed, God's holiness
manifest; pestilence, blood, sword; house of Israel then no
longer a source of pain to neighbors; God will ingather
Dispersion, will dwell securely in land, rebuild; all will
know God is LORD (Ezekiel 28:20-26)
9. Egypt: 589 BCE: God against Pharaoh; Pharaoh believes that he
made Nile for himself; God will hook him as a fish, cast him
into wilderness; given to animals as food; God will bring
sword on Egypt because they have been unreliable ally of
Israel; God will make Egypt a desolation because they believe
Nile is their creation; 40 years later, Egyptians gathered
again, made a lowly kingdom, never again rule over nations;
Israel will not rely upon it (Ezekiel 29:1-16)
10. 571: Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre, but did not gain much
from it; God will give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, will despoil
it; will obtain because he worked for God; horn to spring up
in Israel, will speak, they will know God is LORD
(Ezekiel 29:17-21)
11. Egypt: Day of the LORD upon Egypt; slain will fall, wealth
carried away; neighbors in league with her shall also fall
by sword; they will be humiliated and made desolate; Egypt's
wealth to be finished, Nile dried up; idols of Egypt to be
destroyed; judgment executed on major cities; will know God
is LORD; 587 BCE: arm of Pharaoh broken, will not be healed;
Egypt to be broken, people dispersed; Babylon strengthened,
Egypt fallen; will know God is LORD (Ezekiel 30)
12. Egypt: 587 BCE: Greatness of Egypt, its value and beauty
described; will be handed over to a mighty nation, who will
deal with it according to its wickedness; Egypt to be broken;
God made nations quake at fall of Lebanon, so it will be
with Egypt (Ezekiel 31)
13. Egypt: 585 BCE: Lamentation over Pharaoh: you attempt to
conquer, but will be conquered; God will catch him in net,
will be hauled up; land will be filled with the slain, Egypt
as blotted out; darkness over land; when destruction is
known, hearts of many people troubled; people will be
appalled, horrified; Babylon to come upon Egypt, will
destroy its pride, cause people and animals to perish; land
made desolate; daughters of nations will chant the lament;
Ezekiel to wail over multitude of Egypt, their destruction;
slain by sword; down in Sheol with Assyria, Elam,
Meshech-Tubal, Edom, and princes of north, all there because
they spread terror in life, but were brought down low;
Pharaoh will be comforted by all these when down there
(Ezekiel 32)
H. Various Prophecies (Ezekiel 33-39)
1. The watchman: responsible for informing people when enemy
approaches, responsible only if does not inform; so it is
with Ezekiel: if he warns the people, and they sin, not
responsible, but if he does not warn them, then responsible
(Ezekiel 33:1-9)
2. Israel as saying that they rot because of their sins; God
would have them turn, no need to die; righteous cannot be
delivered and turn to wickedness; if the wicked repent, they
will live; people say God's way not just, will be judged for
it (Ezekiel 33:10-20)
3. 585 BCE: fugitive from Jerusalem informs Ezekiel that the
city is struck down; Ezekiel no longer mute; Israel's
reasoning that they possess the land because of their
multitude in error; cannot possess land while sinful; those
in the land to be made a desolation and the waste; people
come to hear Ezekiel, but do not do what he tells them; when
disaster befalls them, they will know he is a prophet
(Ezekiel 33:21-33)
4. Prophecy against shepherds of Israel: they feed selves, not
sheep; they oppress, people as scattered; sheep have become a
prey, God will be against shepherds; God will rescue sheep;
He will seek sheep, will rescue all of them; will feed them
in Israel; He will be shepherd of sheep, will strengthen the
weak, humble the strong; God as judging His sheep, both the
fat and the lean, and will do justice; He will make a covenant
of peace, remove beasts from land; they will dwell securely;
they will know that God is LORD, no more hunger, no more
reproach; Israel as God's sheep (Ezekiel 34)
5. Prophecy against Mount Seir: God will make it a desolation
and waste; cherished enmity against Israel, will pay the
penalty; blood will pursue them; cities uninhabited; God will
deal with them according to their anger and hatred; Edom
vaunted self against Israel, God will make it desolate,
nations will rejoice (Ezekiel 35)
6. Prophecy to the mountains of Israel: became possession of
nations, nations will suffer reproach; mountains will again
be filled with Israelites; will multiply and be fruitful;
will no longer bereave of children; reproach of nations not
heard, no longer disgraced (Ezekiel 36:1-15)
7. Israel defiled land like menstruating woman; wrath poured out
on it; God will act not because of them but because of His
name; holiness of His name will be vindicated; nations to
know that He is LORD; ingathering of Dispersion, cleansing
from uncleanness; Spirit in them, will make sure they obey
His rules; dwell in the land, God their God, they His people;
blessings and abundance, repentance, mourning over previous
sinful ways; cities to be inhabited, rebuilt; land ruined as
Garden of Eden; people to increase (Ezekiel 36:16-38)
8. Ezekiel in middle of valley; full of dry bones; Ezekiel to
prophesy over them, make them live; God provides them with
flesh and skin; God makes them live; bones as Israel, God will
make them live in the land (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
9. Ezekiel to write on sticks for Judah and Joseph; to be joined
as one; indicating that Israel to be restored, reunited,
Dispersion ingathered; no more defilements, saved from
backsliding, will be God's people; ruled over by David; will
dwell in land, perpetual covenant of peace; nations will know
that LORD is God who sanctifies Israel (Ezekiel 37:15-28)
10. Prophecy against Gog and Magog: God against them, will draw
them out; they will be mustered, go against Israel; evil
schemes in their minds to raid the land, carry off plunder;
will see that Israel dwells securely; on that day when they
come to Israel, God will cause all creation to quake before
Him, judgment against God, His holiness known; God will
drive Gog and Magog to the extremities of the north, will be
struck down; God's holy name to be known in Israel;
Israelites will make fires of all the weapons for seven
years, no need for wood; they will plunder those who
despoiled them; place for burial of Gog in Israel; seven
months of burial to cleanse land; birds to come in and eat
the flesh of the mighty; God's glory among the nations;
Israel will know that LORD their God; nations will
understand that Israel went into captivity because of
iniquity (Ezekiel 38:1-39:24)
11. God will restore fortunes of Jacob; will forget treachery,
will dwell securely in land; will know LORD is their God;
will not hide face from them; Spirit poured out on them
(Ezekiel 39:25-29)
I. A Vision of Israel Restored (Ezekiel 40-48)
1. 573 BCE: Ezekiel brought to Jerusalem in vision; man tells
him to declare all he sees to Israel; Ezekiel sees wall,
siderooms, gateways; such described, measured; outer court
described, measured; gates and inner courts described;
measured; chambers and vestibules for priests described,
measured (Ezekiel 40)
2. Most Holy Place, wall of Temple, buildings facing yard on west
side, back described, measured (Ezekiel 41)
3. Outer court, chambers in northern section described,
measured; eastern and western sides measured (Ezekiel 42)
4. Glory of LORD then enters this Temple, as Ezekiel saw at the
beginning; demonstration that such was where God was to live,
people will dwell securely, no more defilement; Ezekiel to
describe the temple to Israel so they will be ashamed of
their sins so that they can repent and later return and do
God's will (Ezekiel 43:1-12)
5. Altar measured, ordinances established for offerings
(Ezekiel 43:13-27)
6. Eastern outer gate left shut; Ezekiel sees front of Temple
through north gate, sees glory of LORD, falls before it; told
to tell Israel regarding the specifications of this temple,
how they profaned the first Temple; foreigners not to be in
sanctuary, but Levites who allowed it will bear punishment;
will be ashamed, but will minister; rules for Levites from
Leviticus repeated (Ezekiel 44)
7. Holy district of land to be apportioned; its dimensions,
purposes specified; prince shall obtain land on sides of holy
district and city; sin and oppression to be put away; just
balances, weights established; offerings, Passover specified
(Ezekiel 45)
8. Inner eastern gate open only on Sabbath, new moon; prince will
enter it; offerings specified; processions on festival days
specified; more offerings specified; property inheritance
rights made known; places specified for boiling offerings
(Ezekiel 46)
9. Water flowing from below threshold of Temple; Ezekiel taken
to where water trickled out, measurements made; water gets
increasingly deeper; river that will be in the land that
brings abundance and prosperity, will never fade; fruit will
always be there for food, leaves for healing; land will be
divided by inheritance; boundaries of the land specified
(Ezekiel 47)
10. Individual tribes enumerated, their land portions indicated;
measurements of the various land divisions, including the
"holy portion" and who will live there; gates of the city
specified, measurements; gates named for tribes of Israel;
name of city, LORD is There (Ezekiel 48)
IV. Ezekiel: Important Passages
A. Ezekiel 1 / Revelation 4
B. Ezekiel 2:9-3:3 / Revelation 10:9-10
C. Ezekiel 26-28 / Revelation 18
D. Ezekiel 34 / John 10:1-21
E. Ezekiel 39:17-20 / Revelation 19:17-18
F. Ezekiel 40:1-4 / Revelation 11:1
G. Ezekiel 40-48 / Revelation 20-22:6
V. Conclusion
A. Ezekiel: prophet concerned with God's name, holiness
1. Demonstration that God's name to be known to nations
2. His holiness will be exalted
B. Message of condemnation, hope
1. Condemnation of Israel for its sin
2. Confidence in God's name, holiness leading Him to cleanse
Israel
3. The future hope of Israel set forth
C. Let us not fall by the same example of disobedience, but seek to
live forever with God in the new Jerusalem!
D. Invitation/songbook