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Ezekiel An Introduction
2 Peter 1:19-21 19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Ezekiel Author: Ezekiel the prophet. Date and place: Written in Babylon about 622-600 B.C. Proof of authorship: The book itself testifies that Ezekiel wrote it (Ezekiel 1:3; Ezekiel 24:24). His authorship has been little questioned by modern critics, although many attacks have been made upon the book itself.
Ezekiel Ezekiel’s name means: “God strengthens” (or hardens) or “God will strengthen” (harden) Ezekiel is one of the three that were called the Captivity Prophets (the other two are Jeremiah and Daniel). The name "Hezekiah" is similar, meaning "May Yahweh strengthen."
Ezekiel Ezekiel is the son of Buzi Ezekiel is a prophet and a priest Ezekiel was exiled to Babylonia with King Jehoiachin in 597 BC by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar 2 Kings 24.
Ezekiel TIMELINE (BC) Jeremiah becomes a prophet to Judah 627 Daniel taken captive to Babylon 605 Ezekiel taken captive to Babylon 597 Ezekiel becomes a prophet to exiles 593 Judah falls; Jerusalem destroyed 586 Ezekiel’s ministry ends 571 Babylon overthrown by Cyrus 539 First exiles return to Judah 538
Statistics 26th book of the Bible; 48 chapters; 1,273 verses; 39,407 words; 310 verses of history; 530 verses of fulfilled prophecy; 433 verses of unfulfilled prophecy; 953 predictions; 659 predictions fulfilled; 294 predictions unfulfilled; 345 commands; 25 promises; 80 questions; and 179 messages from God
Three Divisions Ezekiel is divided into 3 major parts: Oracles of judgment against Jerusalem and Israel Chapters 1 thru 24 Oracles of judgment against the nations Chapters 25 thru 32 Oracles of restoration for Jerusalem and Israel as the center of the World Chapters 33 thru 48
Three Prophets early life ministry Jeremiah b. ca. 643 627 560 ? D.? Ezekiel b. 623 593 571 d. ? Daniel b. ca. 620 605 536 d. ?
2 Kings 24:8-11 8Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. 10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
2 Kings 24:12-13 12And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. 13And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.
2 Kings 24:14-15 14And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. 15And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 Kings 24:16-18 16And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 17And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 18Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2 Kings 24:19-20 19And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
Ezekiel • It is important to bear four principles of normal historical-grammatical hermeneutics in mind when interpreting visionary literature. • Seek to understand the major idea • Follow the divine interpretations • Be keenly aware of parallel passages • Use same approach with the symbols and imagery of visionary literature as used with figurative language.
Six Visions in Ezekiel • Vision of God (1:4-28) • Vision of the Scroll (2:9-3:3) • Visions of the Plain (3:22-23) • Visions of Jerusalem • a. Wickedness in the Temple (8:1-18) • b. Inhabitants of the city killed (9:1-11) • c. Burning of the city (10:1-22) • d. The wicked & departure of God (11:1-25) • Vision of Dry Bones (37:1-10) • Vision of New Temple, New Worship, and restored Land (40:1-48:35)
Ezekiel Ezekiel referred to Yahweh as 'adonay yhwh, "the Lord Yahweh"(217 times). Yahweh addressed the prophet (93 times) consistently as ben 'adam, "son of man;" "Much of Ezekiel's language is repetitive. This sometimes makes for tiresome reading, but it helps to highlight his recurrent themes.”
Ezekiel Ezekiel contains a combination of several types of literature. These include proverbs, visions, parables, symbolic acts, allegories, rhetorical questions, dreams, dramas, funeral dirges, histories, and apocalyptic revelations.
Ezekiel Ezekiel, perhaps more than any other prophet, forcefully exposed idolatry as the root problem of the heart. For God's people, faith had become largely externalized. But the 'unthinkable' Exile forced the issue when God confronted and conscripted Ezekiel to deliver His message of both bitter judgment and sweet hope.
Ezekiel End of Introduction
