Onto the next prophet in my chronological read of the New Testament. I know the least about Ezekiel, except that I think there is a lot of end time prophesy in here. Excited to dive in. But first, the background and introduction...
Talk thru the Bible
According to the overview:
- Ezekiel comes on the scene in the final years before Judah's exile.
- He prophesies in Babylon to the exiles.
- He serves as a contemporary to Jeremiah, but with a different message. He sees past the destruction from Babylon to reconstruction.
- He is a man of visions.
Ezekiel:
- priest and prophet
- ministered in Judah's darkest days
- born in 622 BC
- his ministry was from 592-560 BC
- carried off to Babylon at 25 years old before Jerusalem's final destruction (in the second wave of exiles, 597 BC)
- he was 30 years old when he received his commission as a prophet
- died about 560 BC
- his Hebrew name is yehezke'l, "strengthened by God"
- son of Buzi
- had a wife who died
- about the same age as the prophet Daniel (both were about 20 years younger than Jeremiah)
Ezekiel is strongly considered to be the single author of the book.
The MacArthur Bible Commentary
- The book has always been named for its author, Ezekiel
- This book is the only place Ezekiel (strengthened by God) is found in Scripture
- His writing is known and commended for using visions, prophesies, parables, signs, and symbols
- MacArthur includes the same age info as above. He does add that 30 years old is the age when priests begin their office
- As above, a contemporary of Jeremiah and Daniel
- his background as a priest focuses a lot of his message around the Temple
- his wife died in exile
- rabbinical tradition suggests that he died at the hands of an Israelite prince who Ezekiel had rebuked for idolatry around 560 BC
MacArthur includes a great overview of the kingdom of Israel:
- united kingdom (Saul, David, and Solomon) 110+ years: ~1043-931 BC
- divided kingdom (Israel=north; Judah=south): ~931-721 BC
- Israel fell to Assyria by 721 BC
- Judah survived for another 135 years, falling to Babylon in three phases, 605-586 BC
Additional introductory comments:
- his life in Babylonia was more like colonists than captives
- they were allowed to farm tracts of land
- he owned his home
- he was opposed by false prophets who deceived the people into thinking there would be a speedy return to Judah
- once Jerusalem fell for the last time, Ezekiel's message became focused on the future restoration
Both Talk thru the Bible and MacArthur mention Ezekiel's emphasis on the glory of God, shekina.
Both books also point out the difficulty in a common understanding of all of Ezekiel's messages because of his heavy use of symbolism.
Ryrie Study Bible NASB95
Book introduction and overview:
- Author: Ezekiel
- Dates: 592-570 BC
- From a priestly family
- Started in Jerusalem; taken captive to Babylonia; ended up owning a home in a village near Nippur, along the royal canal along the river Chebar
- He prophesied for approximately 22 years
- his wife died in 587 BC
- his message was both a reminder of how they ended up there and hope for the future based on God's covenant
Warren Wiersbe, Be Reverent: Bowing before our Awesome God, Ezekiel Commentary
- Ken Baugh always writes inspiring forwards to these "Be" Wiersbe studies.
- He opens his forward of a time he briefly met a sitting President of the US and how much reference he had for the man in the important office. Then he laments that he's allowed his familiarity with God lead to less reverence to the Creator of the whole show...very convicted. So glad God wants a personal relationship with me, but sometimes it costs the awe that is so deserved.
- Reverence is the big idea of Ezekiel. Israel has taken God for granted.
- He describes God's glory as a summation of all of His attributes. When we fully see Who He is, in all of His attributes, our natural responses are worship and repentance.
- In the author's forward (Warren Wiersbe), he supports the theme of reverence.
- The Lord's name, Lord God, is used over 400 times in this book.
- The term "I am the lord" is used 59 times. His desire and plan is for us to know Him.
- Ezekiel, himself as a sign to the people—as he was in captivity with them.
I am very much looking forward to this book.