To engage in such is to tap into the forethought, foreknowledge, foreshadows, and foresight of the eternal god whom we serve. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then ezekiel must be regarded as artfully verbose. Introduction and overview of ezekiel andy brewer introduction a study of the sacred old testament scriptures is an invaluable asset to any and all students of the bible, new testament christians or not. Pdf the book of ezekiel 2018 edition gary everett, mdiv dmin. The book of jeremiah introduction to the book of jeremiah in the bible. Ezekiel lived with other exiles at the river called chebar. We have seen ezekiel describe in great detail a temple that was not historical, it differed from solomons and nehemiahs. Ezekiel with book summary versebyverse bible commentary.
Study the book of ezekiel, and your life will be transformed. Ezekiel simply explained welwyn commentary series, 1993. The prophets wrote over a period of 250300 years, spanning the decline, the exile, and the return of the children of israel. The testimony of jesus is the spirit of prophecy revelations 19. As moses wrote in his psalm, you have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence psalm 90.
Ezekiel 3 niv bible and he said to me, son of man, eat. It is probably the most ignored book in the old testament. It ranks second in actual word count among the prophetic books 39,407 words. Told to eat the scroll, when he does so he finds that it tastes as sweet as honey. A series of studies in the old testament book of ezekiel st albans. Daniel was taken captive in the first captivity during jehoiakims reign, about eight years before ezekiel was taken captive.
Ezekiel experienced this vision in his 30th year, the very year that he became eligible to take up full priestly duties in the temple. This section of the book of ezekiel, chapters 40 thru 48, is a unit. The prophet ezekiel is the author of the book ezekiel 1. Ezekiel is then handed a scroll, on which is written words of lament and mourning and woe. He was called to preach a message of coming judgment to the rebellious children of israel, on the occasion of the lords delivery of the nation into enslavement under the babylonians. Ezekiel lived at the same time as jeremiah the prophet. The book of ezekiel floral heights church of christ. Pdf numerous texts refer to the activities of the spirit of god in relation to the life and work of the old testament prophets. A certain king of this world had a beautiful fig garden. The glory is represented as a cloud that is resting in the sanctuary of the temple compare with exodus 40. It is intended to help you better understand some of the background and issues in ezekiels prophecy.
When jehoiakims successor, jehoiachin, surrendered in 597, nebuchadnezzar appointed zedekiah king and deported to babylon jehoiachin and the royal family, along with members of the upper class, including ezekiel the priest. Ezekiel invites investigation not only because of what he said, but also because of how he said it. He was married but his wife died at the time of the fall of. For, behold, i have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of judah.
The first dated message in ezekiel is from the summer of 593 b. At the conclusion of the course, the student will write a 510 page exegesis of a passage from the book of ezekiel of his or her choosing. Study notes on the holy scriptures using a themebased approach to identify literary structures by gary h. In this garden he had growing some beautiful and ripe figs. Bible gateway this site is a great resourcecontaining pretty much every translation of the bible you might desire and in numerous languages, in case you want to read ezekiel in tagalog. Ezekiel mentions the cloud in the following references. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway. Ezekiel mua teaching resources teachers pay teachers. The christological purpose of ezekiel the book of ezekiel anticipates and points to jesus christ throughout. Chapters 2532 of ezekiel are prophecies against the nations but ezekiels call is to israel.
In v428 ezekiel gives a description of his vision of gods glory. Jeremiah was to speak to judah but also to the nations and god. A commentary on the book of ezekiel southside christian. A commentary on the book of ezekiel by pastor galen l. The name ezekiel means god will strengthen and seems to be fitting for his work of encouraging the captives of babylon. Jesus is the fulfiller of the promises laid out in the book. On the fifth day of the month it was the fifth year of king jehoiachins exile 1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as i was among the captives by the river of chebar, that the heavens were opened, and i saw visions of god. In his kingdom were living two men which he had neglected. The glory of jehovah, which is the visible sign of gods presence with his people israel, plays an important role in ezekiel. The book of ezekiel is the third of the latter prophets in the tanakh and one of the major prophetic books in the old testament, following isaiah and jeremiah. Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. How to understand the book of ezekiel horizon publishers.
The most recent contribution i have read regarding these chapters is that of astour 1976, who asserts ezekiels authorship of this prophecy. Babylon, 592 bc, god appeared to ezekiel at the river chebar and called him to the office of prophet at the age of 30 ezek. Ezekiel prophesied to the exiles in babylon at the same time that of jeremiah was prophesying to the jews who remained in jerusalem. For, behold, i have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls. The book of ezekiel, chapters 2548 new international commentary on the old testament by daniel i. Second deportation, ezekiel to babylonia, 598 ezekiels call thronechariot vision 593 destruction of jerusalem, third deportation 587 new temple vision chs. Ezekiel is one of the few books of the ethiopic old testament of which no critical edition has hitherto existed, and the aim of this work is to fill that gap.
Book of ezekiel ezekiel chapter 1 ezekiel chapter 2 ezekiel chapter 3 ezekiel chapter 4 ezekiel chapter 5 ezekiel chapter 6 ezekiel chapter 7 ezekiel chapter 8 ezekiel chapter 9. Ezekiel was twenty five years old when he was deported with the others to babylon and thereby born in the year 622 bc. The book of ezekiel is unique in that, with occasional exceptions, it is entirely autobiographical, that is, written in the first person, from the viewpoint of ezekiel himself. The book of ezekiel offers a threefold thematic scheme that supports the central claim of the pentateuch, the claim found in deuteronomy 6. The book of ezekiel begins with a bang as the prophet reveals the heavens opening to unveil a vision of god. First of all, he brought judgement to them, but at the end of all the judgements that he pronounces upon the people of god, and then upon the gentile nations round about them. The book of ezekiel stands in the english bible fourth among the major prophets. The student will be required to read the commentary which serves as the course textbook.
It provides a critical edition of the oldest accessible text of the geez version and is based on a collation of fifteen manuscripts. The hebrew name yhezekiel ezekiel means may god strengthen. The ethiopic text of the book of ezekiel michael a. So i opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. In zekes case, the encounter is with the glory of god, which appears above that fourfaced chariot wheel thing. The book of ezekiel describes what its like to suddenly encounter someone or something completely strange and different from everything youve known and experienced up until that point.
Evidently, ezekiel knows that the message he is to proclaim portends impending disaster, yet he thoroughly enjoys the task given to him. The prophet wastes no time dropping his readers right into the thick of the life and times of judah immediately following the fall of jerusalem. The priest ezekiel was the first prophet to be called by the lord outside of israel during the babylonian captivity. The book is fascinating, replete with visions, allegories, and action parables. The basic nonflagged verb is the qal, perfect, masculine, singular form. This commentary is based upon my personal devotional notes and reflections on the book of ezekiel. Ezekiels in babylon, having been exiled there after the first siege of judah by the babylonians. It is how hebrew and aramaic lexicons are arranged. Besides clarity of structure, the book of ezekiel reveals symmetry. A commentary on the book of ezekiel southside christian church. Verbs the normal expected word order is verb, pronoun, subject with modifiers, object with modifiers. In the beginning of his book, isaiah described the awful situation of the people of god.
In babylon, ezekiel settled in his own house, in a village near nippur on the river chebar eze 3. Ezekiel went into exile at the same time as king jehoiachin in the year 597 bc. Browse over 20 educational resources created by ezekiel mua in the official teachers pay teachers store. It is intended to help you better understand some of the background and issues in ezekiel s prophecy. The prophet ezekiel the vision of the valley of dry bones ezekiel 37 ezekiel was carried away captive to babylon at the age of twentyfive one of 10,000 captives. We hope that our outline of ezekiel will help you broaden your understanding of this complex book. It simply means human one, and dis tinguishes the prophet from the nonhuman beings that are present in the world of his vision. Not without reason has ezekiel been dubbed the audiovisual aids prophet. Jeremiah was still in judah while ezekiel was with the exiles. The latest dated oracle is 22 years later, in april 571 b.
The prophet ezekiel is one of four major prophets along with isaiah, jeremiah, and daniel in hebrew scripture, our old testament of the bible. Ezekiel, like isaiah and jeremiah, was prepared for his ministry by receiving a vision of the glory and majesty of god before he was called to serve the lord. The book of ezekiel, chapters 124 new international. A series of studies in the old testament book of ezekiel. In the fifth year of his captivity god called the young priest to prophesy to a rebellious nation, impudent and stubborn. After presenting extensive background and historical data, how to understand the book of ezekiel analyzes each chapter of ezekiel in one of four main sections. The second principle is to identify the literary units. The ethiopic version is a daughter version of the septuagint, and the work sheds light on the character.
If ezekiel was 30 years old when his ministry began, the final vision of the book came when he was about 50. Rvic2000 american revised version, improved and corrected ezekiel 623 the book of ezekiel 1. Frank shallieu in 19871989 with notes inserted from a 19731976 study the first chapter of the book of ezekiel is a highly figurative vision of the glory of almighty god. First of all, he brought judgement to them, but at the end of all the judgements that he pronounces upon the people of. Ezekiel witnessed marvelous things in his prophetic visions even as he lived through terrible things on earth. Ezekiels first prophecy was in the year 593 bc and he continued to prophesy for about 20 years. Instead he is called to be a prophet to gods people in exile in babylon.
Thomas is a reformed scholar with a heart for god, for his word, and for his people that comes through on every page. The book of ezekiel has always been a problem book. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged. For those seeking an introductory level commentary on the book of ezekiel, the best place to turn is this commentary by derek thomas. Ezekiel was in training to be a priest at the temple in jerusalem when he was taken captive in 597 bc. After god drives into town on a chariot pulled by four manbeasts at the beginning of the. Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. On the fifth day of the month it was the fifth year of king jehoiachins exile. According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet ezekiel, exiled in babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571 bc, although it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve the very. In response to the rebellion of jehoiakim of judah in 601 b. Remember, the designation major or minor simply refers to the length of the book, not its importance. Ezekiel 3 and he said to me, son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll. Ezekiel shut himself in his home and bound himself.
But presently, chancing upon that feature with which. Ezekiel chapters 1 to 24 free bible commentary in easy. Five years after his deportation to babylon 592 bc, god appears to ezekiel at the river chebar and calls him to the office of prophet being thirty years old ezek. Ezekiel was a prophet of judgement but, you know, ezekiel was more than a prophet of judgement because he brought hope to gods people. At first the study concerned itself with vhat in the outcome proved to be minor critical matters, such as the poetic structure of chapter 7 or the interpretation of chap ter 19.
He was 30 years old when called to be a prophet of the lord to the exiles in babylon. Doughty southside christian church december 2014 introduction. This book portrays much symbolism which john refers to often in revelation. In no other book is this pattern clearer than in ezekiel see outline. The major part of the first half of the book of ezekiel is spent in presenting the sinfulness of the people known by his name and gods wrath against them because of that. The three major prophets isaiah, jeremiah, ezekiel and zephaniah all have the same basic sequence of messages. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but i will deliver my flock from their mouth, so that they will not. Ezekiel chapters 1 to 24 free bible commentary in easy english. This free text of the king james version of the holy bible is brought to you courtesy of the crosswire bible society and. Summary of the book of jeremiah the story of the bible. Even if these three mennoah, daniel and jobwere in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the sovereign lord. In the first two ezekiel announced judgment on jerusalem ezek. The prophet ezekiel had a most unenviable assignment.
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