Purpose of the book ezekiel

Ezekiel intro to ezekiel biblica the international bible society. The primary purpose of ezekiels message was to restore gods glory before. Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and. The book of ezekiel takes its title from the priest of the same name, son to a man named buzi. The book s theological center is the unfolding of gods saving purposes in the history of the world from the time in which he must withdraw from the defilement of his covenant people to the culmination of his grand design of redemption.

At the beginning of the book, ezekiel is shown the purpose of what he will explain to us. Ezekiel in the picture study bible the book of ezekiel. The major divisions within the book of ezekiel reveal the purpose of this ministry. The chariot is drawn by four living creatures, each having. Ezekiels priestly lineage shines through in his prophetic ministry. The bible book of ezekiel contains many prophecies that focus on the restoration of pure worship, a prominent bible theme.

It contains three sections, each of which addresses a different subject matter. The first invasion was in 607 bc and daniel was taken as a captive to babylon. Ezekiel s in babylon, having been exiled there after the first siege of judah by the babylonians. The book of ezekiel, one of the major prophetical books of the old testament. Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both. The bible handbook by joseph angus makes this comment in its introduction to the book of ezekiel. At this point in the text, ezekiel introduces a distinction between priests and levites in order that only qualified persons should enter the temple, even for the purpose of keeping it clean.

The autobiographical style of the book supports ezekiel as the author of the book i, me, my are in almost every chapter of the book. Ezekiels in babylon, having been exiled there after the first siege of judah by the babylonians. While he punishes israel for their idolatry and disobedience, his love for his creation mankind prevails in the end. The highest official no longer will be the king but rather the high priest, thus indicating that political affairs shall always be made subordinate to. 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 is the third in a row of the socalled four major prophets. Ezekiel prophesied to the the jewish captives in babylon. This indicates that gods goal and purpose is the building. The book of ezekiel, chapters 124 new international commentary on the old testament.

Ezekiel 1 commentary commentary critical and explanatory on. Daniel was taken captive to babylon by nebuchadnezzar in 605 b. A goal of ezekiels ministry was to reconcile the nation in exile with the god of their covenant. 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. Book of ezekiel known to be written by prophet ezekiel and is placed immediately after lamentation in ot. 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. In the first half of the book of ezekiel ezekiel 3 judah is accused of breaking all of gods commandments, and they are warned by god that they will be destroyed if they persist in their sins. The book of ezekiel is narrative history, prophetic and apocalyptic in genre and even contains parables. A series of studies in the old testament book of ezekiel. In response to the rebellion of jehoiakim of judah in 601 b. Ezekiel with book summary versebyverse bible commentary.

Nov 24, 2016 thousands of years ago, ezekiel recorded warnings and promises of god that are intended for our time, now. The babylonians had invaded judah three times and each time they took prisoners back to babylon. This article contains an overview of the key events and bible people found in ezekiel in the bible. Ezekiel is also one of the prophets who lived in exile. The priest ezekiel was the first prophet to be called by the lord outside of israel during the babylonian captivity. It covers a period of approximately 22 years, from 6 to about 591 b. Making sense of ezekiels temple vision christian research. We neither find any references to the book in the nt but remarkable parallels see paragraph on peculiarities. Although ezekiel is a pretty wrathintensive book, it also has compassion and forgiveness in evidence. It is important to elaborate on a few points raised in this article. The prophets are not exactly feelgood books, nor do they seem to contain the. 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.

The christological purpose of ezekiel the book of ezekiel anticipates and points to jesus christ throughout. His message was directed to jerusalem mentioned 23 times in the first 24 chapters and judah then, as well as to israel. The book is both esoteric and fascinating in many ways, such as the description of his prophetic call. It is composed of 48 chapters divided almost half before and after the fall of jerusalem. According to dates given in the text, ezekiel received his prophetic call in the fifth year of the first deportation to babylonia 592 bc and was active until about 570 bc. 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. Jesus is the fulfiller of the promises laid out in the book.

The book opens with a unique vision of the glory of the lord. To encourage the exiles to remain faithful to the lord so that he would fulfill his offer to restore them to the promised land and rebuild the temple and jerusalem to new heights of glory. Ezekiel is not mentioned anywhere else in the scriptures. Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. If ezekiel was 30 years old when his ministry began, the final vision of the book came when he was about 50. Hill and walton write, the lack of strict chronological ordering of the. After ezekiels announcement of jerusalems destruction the book. The main purpose of a summary is as a simplification highlighting the major points from the original and much longer version of the subject. And the book ends with a final glance at the restored city, which is never called jerusalem, but rather, the lord is there 48. The book of ezekiel he will be strengthened of god. Interestingly, the phrase house of israel occurs in 78 verses in the book, while house of judah is found in only. Ezekiel was given prophethood at an age thirty after he saw a majestic vision of gods glory during his captivation in babylon. However, ezekiel s version of god isnt really merciful in the commonly accepted, modern day sense of the word mercy.

In no other book is this pattern clearer than in ezekiel see outline. Now we come to the first three verses in the book of ezekiel. Apr 22, 2018 his purpose is to put his spirit within his people 36. This book portrays much symbolism which john refers to often in revelation. These verses are an introduction which open the content of the book to us. In contrast to various other prophets ezekiel has not been criticised as much. The three major prophets isaiah, jeremiah, ezekiel and zephaniah all have the same basic sequence of messages. The prophet ezekiel is the author of the book ezekiel 1. The book of ezekiel, chapters 124 new international commentary on the old testament block, daniel i. The book of ezekiel was likely written between 593 and 565 b. But from almost the very beginning of the book, god makes clear that in the midst of suffering and judgment they have misunderstood gods heart. 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 spoke to a people forced from their home because they had broken faith with their god. Thousands of years ago, ezekiel recorded warnings and promises of god that are intended for our time, now. Ezekiel and work bible commentary theology of work. Ezekiel 1 commentary commentary critical and explanatory. From history we know that all of the prophecies in ezekiel 5 have been literally fulfilled. The books theological center is the unfolding of gods saving purposes in the history of the worldfrom the time in which he must withdraw from the defilement of his covenant people to the culmination. Book of ezekiel overview insight for living ministries. Thus, ezekiel begins with the appearance of the glory of the lord and ends with the holy building of god. The book of ezekiel begins with his famous prophecy of the divine chariot.

Ezekiel is addressed by god as son of man 93 times a man who faithfully shared gods truth despite lukewarm response ezek 33. The backgrounds of the books of daniel and ezekiel are quite similar. The book of ezekiel has the most logical arrangement of any of the prophetic books. Let us begin, as the book of ezekiel does, with gods call to ezekiel to become a prophet. Besides clarity of structure, the book of ezekiel reveals symmetry.

In order to understand ezekiel 4048, we need to know what the book of ezekiel is all about. Summary the book of ezekiel has the most logical arrangement of any of the. Ezekiels major commission was to act as a watchman on gods behalf. Ezekiel, whose name means strengthened by god, grew up in jerusalem, served as a priest in the temple and was among the second group of captives taken to babylon along with king jehoiachin. The book of ezekiel, also called the prophecy of ezechiel, one of the major prophetical books of the old testament. The book of ezekiel, chapters 124 new international. Introduction from the niv study bible go to ezekiel. Ezekiel, like jeremiah, is said by talmud and midrash to have been a descendant of joshua by his marriage with the proselyte and former prostitute rahab. Daniel was taken captive to babylon by nebuchadnezzar in 605. The first part of the book, up to chapter 32 inclusive, announces gods judgments against both the people of israel and the idolatrous nations. By means of his prophetic ministry he attempted to bring them to immediate repentance and to confidence in the distant future. From the first chapter ezekiel described a series of prophecies against the nation of israel and other foreign countries. The book has a uniformity of language, style, theme, and message which support the theory of a single author.

Ezekiel in the picture study bible the book of ezekiel with. Some statements found in rabbinic literature posit that ezekiel was the son of jeremiah, who was also called buzi because he was despised by the jews. This publication considers how these prophecies will be fulfilled and how they involve us. We are limited to the book itself in seeking biographical information about ezekiel, but there is more provided here than is usual among the prophetic writings. In the first two ezekiel announced judgment on jerusalem ezek. The book of ezekiel is the third of the latter prophets in the tanakh and one of the major. This is the direction from which the invading armies of babylon would come. In judaism and christianity, he is also viewed as the 6thcentury bce author of the book of ezekiel, which reveals prophecies regarding the. Ezekiel keeps insisting on a point which may seem rather unusual, namely, that, by a special disposition of providence, babylon is to be the instrument god will use to punish judah. However, ezekiels version of god isnt really merciful in the commonly accepted, modern day sense of the word mercy.

His purpose is to put his spirit within his people 36. The phrase you shall know that i am the lord recurs 33 times throughout the text. God eventually promises that hell be a kind shepherd who will lead his people out of darkness. As such, his daytoday work had previously lain in slaughtering, butchering and roasting the sacrificial animals brought by worshipers to the temple in. His reference to the prophet as watchman for israel 3 and 33.

When we meet ezekiel, as a descendant of jacobs son levi, he is by profession a priest ezek. This book is basically about the destruction and exile of judah and the promise of its eventual restoration by god. Ezekiel the son of buzi, a priest, may have completed writing the book in babylonia in about the year 591 b. Ezekiel god will strengthen, or prevail was, like jeremiah, a priest as well as a prophet. He was of the great company of captives carried to babylon, with the young king jehoiachin, by nebuchadnezzar, b. Key personalities include ezekiel, israels leaders, ezekiels wife. For most, ezekiels message is a mystery, but you can understand gods message for. 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.

Ezekiels concern with sin also accounts for the many places where the book. This remarkable book bears the name of the prophet who wrote it. This study walks readers through the prophecies of ezekiel, pointing them to the promises of god to restore his people so theydisplay his glory to the nations. Ezekiel powerfully depicts the grandeur and glory of gods sovereign rule see themes and his holiness, which he jealously safeguards. The book of ezekiel, written by the prophetpriest ezekiel, who lived both in jerusalem prior to the babylonian exile 586 the literary history of the book is much debated, but its final form exhibits a threefold theme. As the spokesman for the lord, ezekiel spoke oracles that defended his reputation as a holy god see especially 36. The testimony of jesus is the spirit of prophecy revelations 19. Intro to ezekiel biblica the international bible society. Ezekiel cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Every life positioned for purpose is an indepth bible study that teaches readers how god can use the circumstances and experiences in our lives, the things packed in the suitcases of our souls, for great purpose.