Ezekiel

Where are we heading?

Today we will just give a lay of the land and plan for the study. Who is Ezekiel? What is the book about, and that sort of thing. How does it flow? Some of the major things we will run into in it. Some of the topics that scholars zero in on with respect to Ezekiel. So we will introduce the book today and then next week start in Chapter One. How much we cover each week will depend on the time

Introduction

Most people are familiar with the basics of who he was. He gets taken captive in what is known as the second phase of Judah’s exile. Judah is the southern kingdom, the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin. The captivity was actually in three stages

Three Stages -605; 598-597; 596 BC

The captivity was actually in three stages. If you had a Bible intro class or someone that got into the Book of Ezekiel a little bit you are going to know this. Judah was taken captive in three stages roughly 605, 598-597 or so, and then 586 BC is the third and last stage. That is when the temple was destroyed. There is no disagreement that Ezekiel was taken captive in the second phase.

Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem

So he winds up in Babylon around 598-597 BC. This is when Nebuchadnezzar actually captured Jerusalem. When he conquers this time he does not destroy the city but he does take the elite intelligentsia back with him to Babylon, priests, scholars, scribes, elite, royal family, leading administrators, and so on. He tells us where he is at – they are settled on the River Kebar as we will learn in the first chapter. Archeologically speaking it is a place call Tel Abib, which means mound of the flood. It is on a tributary canal of the Euphrates River, near the city of Nippur, for those who like locations. And they are important – Bethany and Jerusalem ….

Some biography of Ezekiel

He is a priest and he knows the Torah …there will be times when he has to violate the purity laws. He was married … we see that later in chapter 24 … we only find out that he had a wife when God tells him she is going to die and it will be by God’s hand and he’s commanded not to mourn … which becomes a sign act, a symbol of sudden destruction of God’s sanctuary in Jerusalem and God’s own lack of remorse at the event. So God point blank tells Ezekiel what is going to happen.

Ezekiel 24:14–18 ESV

I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.” The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.

Sign Acts

Ezekiel is noteworthy for being asked of commanded to do unusual things and this is one of them. It informs us that he was married.. but he is portrayed as a recluse.. people might come to see what he was up to and this would be something to see in an era without mass communication is he going to be rolling around in the dirt, naked,,,, shaving his head… they all have a purpose

Ezekiel received his call shortly after he was taken captive and it ends in 571…. He dates the beginning of his call …

Ezekiel 1:2 ESV

On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin),

So he has a ministry that is about 20 years… and he will inform the captives what is happening in Jerusalem … that is an issue in commentaries … how does he know — commentaries say something along

God tells him

God translates him there

Para-psychological abilities

Remote viewing (with or without God’s involvement)

He is a Classical Prophet

a writing prophet

Chapters 1-24…judgement against Judah and Jerusalem for their sins, apostasy, and spiritual crimes

Chapters 24-32 against foreign nations, and foreign powers … Egypt Tyre, Sidon, and Babylon

33-48 oracles of restoration and salvation for Judah, and Israel in some places

The exile not over until all gathered ..lots of modern Christians think 1948….

But in context of the text is that what they were thinking … or is it a return of members of all tribes into a right relationship with God? Does this point to Acts 2? Since Ezekiel would tie this return to the purposes of God with the gentiles? … restoration of God’s people?

There is a lot in this book that points to a world we seldom discuss but we will have to when we get there … commentaries on Ezekiel 28 some say Adam, some change to Satan in the capture, but the prince of Tyre can also be a supernatural reference … so what is it, when we get there will be cover all three and you can decide for yourself

Ezekiel 1:1–3 ESV

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

Did you catch it? What happened here?

It is clear that some of this is directly written by the prophet and then there is someone writing in third person…. Is it first person Ezekiel writing here or eyewitness testimony? Yes. Can editors for clarity be God inspired?

Chronological Information

There is a lot of chronological information in this book… 15 different dates …. the ones in 25-32 are almost certainly reliable … the rest are pointing to the prophets step by step march with God’s plan

Chapter 40:1 is restoration new temple and new Jerusalem … regardless of your end time system it is encouraging to note that God is in the restoration and construction business

This study will have a planned timeline that is really adjustable… there will be places where questions pop up and need to be discussed …

One thing we should be wary of is supposition that is taken as fact and having integrity as we handle legitimate disagreements from well meaning Christian’s and to be aware that it is not a repudiation of the text when we challenge a supposition

here is an example

Genesis 2:17 ESV

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 3:3 ESV

but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Stood by

Headship

Lied?

Ways to Discuss this in the future

Next week we will have a handout for you will a basic outline, any dates, spellings etc.

We will also have a system (that is easy that you might use to study this or any Biblical text with a small group)

Only the material under discussion

What did you like

What didn’t you like

What does it teach you about people

What does it teach you about God

What is God asking you to change

Who are you going tell about this

Specifically