DOCSLIB.ORG

Ezekiel (I-Zee´Kee-Uhl), Book Of, the Third Book of What Is Sometimes

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ezekiel (I-Zee´Kee-Uhl), Book Of, the Third Book of What Is Sometimes Ezekiel (i-zee´kee-uhl), book of, the third book of what is sometimes called the Latter Prophets, a subcollection in the Nevi’im (Prophets) section of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible). It is the third book of the Major Prophets of the Christian OT. The name Ezekiel means “God is strong” or “God will strengthen.” Ezekiel the son of Buzi was a Jerusalem priest who was taken to Babylonia in the first deportation of Judeans to Babylonia in 598 BCE. He was married (24:15– 18), but there is no mention of children. Along with other Judeans, he was resettled in Tel-abib on the Chebar canal, an offshoot of the Euphrates River. There he had visions of the divine presence in 593. These visions compelled him to communicate to his fellow exiles that the destruction of Jerusalem was a foregone conclusion. He prophesied in exile until 571 (29:17); the forced exile of the Judeans lasted until 538, so he never returned to Judea. Ezekiel’s priestly pedigree accounts for the worldview reflected in his visions, his interest in the “glory of the Lord,” and his detailed reimagining of the Jerusalem temple. Contents: Compared to the prophetic books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel is much more linear and logical in composition and structure. The book of Ezekiel hinges on the fact of Jerusalem’s destruction in 587. The first half of the book (1–24) consists of Ezekiel’s attempts to convince the exilic community that relief from Babylonian domination would not come soon; in fact, Judah’s condition would worsen. Thus, any hopes for a swift return to the homeland would not be realized. The second half of the book (25–48) consists of Ezekiel’s attempts to bolster the faith of the exiles after Jerusalem’s destruction. The oracles against Judah’s neighbors and detractors anticipate their demise, which is the necessary precursor to Judah’s restoration. The individual components of the book are ordered chronologically with only three segments out of order (cf. 26:1; 29:17; 33:21). Major sections are introduced with a year, month, and day notice; the years are specified in relation to the year of King Jehoiachin’s exile and imprisonment in Babylon, 598/7 BCE. Overall, the book displays a deliberate movement from judgment to hope and disaster to salvation. Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones; a detail from a panel at the third-century CE synagogue at Dura-Europos. Ezekiel, touched by the hand of the Lord, stands among disjointed human remains; he is told to prophesy that the bones might live again (Ezek. 37:1–14). Themes: Ezekiel is often regarded as the only prophetic book of the Bible that is set in Babylonian exile. (Although much of Daniel is set in Babylon, it is only grouped with the prophetic books in the Christian OT; in the Jewish Bible, it is placed among the Writings, or Ketuvim.) Ezekiel is addressed as “son of man” (Heb. ben ’adam; NRSV: “O mortal”) consistently throughout the book. Ezekiel introduces divine messages by the clause “The word of the LORD came to me.” Ezekiel uses the phrase “glory of the LORD” ten times, more than any other book in the Bible. This phrase is typically used in the Bible in priestly books to designate God’s aura, which made the divine presence evident, usually at the tent of meeting/tabernacle or temple. OUTLINE OF CONTENTS Ezekiel I. Warnings of disaster (before 587 BCE; chaps. 1–24) A. Throne-chariot vision (chaps. 1–3) B. Symbolic acts (chaps. 4–7) C. Vision of a corrupt temple (chaps. 8–11) D. Symbolic acts and allegories of disaster (chaps. 12–24) II. Hopes for restoration (after 587 BCE; chaps. 25–48) A. Oracles against foreign nations (chaps. 25–32) B. Words of hope after the fall of Jerusalem (chaps. 33–39) C. Vision of a restored temple (chaps. 40–48) In each of his visionary experiences Ezekiel describes how the “hand of the LORD” was upon him, sometimes transporting him to a different place. In Ezekiel’s first vision (chaps. 1–3) a flying chariot emerges out of a lightning storm. Ezekiel elaborately describes the cherubim, strange creatures that provide it mobility with wings and wheels. A throne rests upon a dome supported by the creatures, and on it a gleaming and fiery humanlike form resides, which appears to be the “glory of the LORD.” A voice commissions Ezekiel to bring advance warning to Israel of the divine plan to destroy Jerusalem as punishment for the sins of the nation. A hand gives him a scroll and tells him to eat it, then speak its words of judgment to God’s people in exile. In Ezekiel’s second vision (chaps. 8–11) he is transported back to the Jerusalem temple, where he is shown evidence of false worship taking place. This prompts the “glory of the LORD” to leave the temple borne on the wings of cherubim; it hovers, then leaves Jerusalem completely. In Ezekiel’s third vision (37:1–14) he is transported to a valley piled high with human bones. God urges him to prophesy to the bones, and by stages the bones become skeletons, then corpses, then by the divine spirit living breathing people, a revived house of Israel. In Ezekiel’s fourth vision (chaps. 40–48) the hand of God transports him to a high mountain, and he is shown a new temple and all its implements, along with the precise dimensions of every room and structure. This new temple becomes the centerpiece of a new land. In this last vision the throne-chariot bearing the “glory of the LORD” returns to the temple and fills it (43:1–5). Ezekiel symbolically depicted the coming destruction of Jerusalem by building a model of the city, then using miniature weapons of war to bring it down. Then he bound himself to the ground one day for each year to depict how long Israel and Judah would be in confinement, all the while subsisting on wretched rations (chap. 4). He shaved his head and beard and then destroyed the cuttings with fire, sword, and wind to symbolize how Jerusalem would meet its end (chap. 5). He packed his bags, dug a hole through a wall of his house, and then took flight in order to symbolize how the people will attempt to get away before the fall of the city (chap. 12). The death of his wife, for which God forbade him to show signs of mourning, served as a sign of the coming desolation of the temple (24:15–27). After the destruction was an accomplished fact, he took two sticks, one standing for Judah and one for Israel, and miraculously joined them into one long stick to symbolize the reconnection of the two into one nation ruled by one king from the house of David (37:15–28). In what might be called parables or allegories, Ezekiel used a variety of objects as the basis for lessons regarding Jerusalem. Like the people of Jerusalem, the dead wood of a vine is no good for anything except fires (chap. 15). Jerusalem was a helpless infant until God found it and cared for it; then it became beautiful, turned to whoring, and abandoned its God (chap. 16). An eagle and a cedar tree symbolize the power of leaders in Babylon and Egypt (chaps. 17, 31). The proverb “parents have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge” is cited to refute the people’s avoidance of direct responsibility for bringing on the disaster of destruction (chap. 18). Two sisters who become prostitutes stand for Israel and Judah gone astray (chap. 23). A pot set to boiling symbolizes the siege and destruction of Jerusalem (chap. 24). Influences: The vision of the throne-chariot in Ezek. 1 inspired certain esoteric tendencies in Judaism, including merkavah (“chariot”) mysticism and hekalot (“temples”) mysticism. In some traditions, because chap. 1 of Ezekiel is mysterious and transcendental, only spiritually mature and learned Jewish teachers were allowed to expound it. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (chap. 37) has been used to support expectations of the rebirth of Israel among Jews and Christians, especially dispensationalists, and many have seen its fulfillment in the modern state of Israel. This chapter was also the inspiration for the African American spiritual entitled “Dem Bones.” Bibliography Bandstra, Barry L. Reading the Old Testament: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 4th ed. Wadsworth, 2009. Greenberg, Moshe. Ezekiel. 2 vols. Doubleday, 1983–1997. Levenson, Jon D. Theology of the Program of Restoration of Ezekiel 40–48. Harvard University Press, 1976. Zimmerli, Walter. Ezekiel. 2 vols. Fortress, 1979–83. ———. The Fiery Throne: The Prophets and Old Testament Theology. Fortress, 2003.1 1 Bandstra, B. L. (2011). Ezekiel, book of. In M. A. Powell (Ed.), The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) (M. A. Powell, Ed.) (Third Edition) (272–274). New York: HarperCollins. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Why Sacrifices in the Millennium
    Scholars Crossing Article Archives Pre-Trib Research Center May 2009 Why Sacrifices in The Millennium Thomas D. Ice Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/pretrib_arch Recommended Citation Ice, Thomas D., "Why Sacrifices in The Millennium" (2009). Article Archives. 60. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/pretrib_arch/60 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Pre-Trib Research Center at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in Article Archives by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WHY LITERAL SACRIFICES IN THE MILLENNIUM Tom's Perspectives by Thomas Ice A common objection to the consistent literal interpretation of Bible prophecy is found in Ezekiel’s Temple vision (Ezek. 40—48). Opponents argue that if this is a literal, future Temple, then it will require a return to the sacrificial system that Christ made obsolete since the prophet speaks of “atonement” (kiper) in Ezekiel 43:13, 27; 45:15, 17, 20. This is true! Critics believe this to be a blasphemous contradiction to the finished work of Christ as presented in Hebrews 10. Hank Hanegraaff says that I have “exacerbated the problem by stating that without animal sacrifices in the Millennium, Yahweh’s holiness would be defiled. That, for obvious reasons, is blasphemous.” He further says that such a view constitutes a return “to Old Covenant sacrifices.”1 “Is it heretical to believe that a Temple and sacrifices will once again exist,” ask John Schmitt and Carl Laney? “Ezekiel himself believed it was a reality and the future home of Messiah.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring Zechariah, Volume 2
    EXPLORING ZECHARIAH, VOLUME 2 VOLUME ZECHARIAH, EXPLORING is second volume of Mark J. Boda’s two-volume set on Zechariah showcases a series of studies tracing the impact of earlier Hebrew Bible traditions on various passages and sections of the book of Zechariah, including 1:7–6:15; 1:1–6 and 7:1–8:23; and 9:1–14:21. e collection of these slightly revised previously published essays leads readers along the argument that Boda has been developing over the past decade. EXPLORING MARK J. BODA is Professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College. He is the author of ten books, including e Book of Zechariah ZECHARIAH, (Eerdmans) and Haggai and Zechariah Research: A Bibliographic Survey (Deo), and editor of seventeen volumes. VOLUME 2 The Development and Role of Biblical Traditions in Zechariah Ancient Near East Monographs Monografías sobre el Antiguo Cercano Oriente Society of Biblical Literature Boda Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente (UCA) Electronic open access edition (ISBN 978-0-88414-201-0) available at http://www.sbl-site.org/publications/Books_ANEmonographs.aspx Cover photo: Zev Radovan/BibleLandPictures.com Mark J. Boda Ancient Near East Monographs Monografías sobre el Antiguo Cercano Oriente Society of Biblical Literature Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente (UCA) EXPLORING ZECHARIAH, VOLUME 2 ANCIENT NEAR EAST MONOGRAPHS Editors Alan Lenzi Juan Manuel Tebes Editorial Board Reinhard Achenbach C. L. Crouch Esther J. Hamori Chistopher B. Hays René Krüger Graciela Gestoso Singer Bruce Wells Number 17 EXPLORING ZECHARIAH, VOLUME 2 The Development and Role of Biblical Traditions in Zechariah by Mark J.
    [Show full text]
  • Of Malachi Studies of the Old Testament's Ethical Dimensions
    ABSTRACT The Moral World(s) of Malachi Studies of the Old Testament’s ethical dimensions have taken one of three approaches: descriptive, systematic, or formative. Descriptive approaches are concerned with the historical world, social context, and streams of tradition out of which OT texts developed and their diverse moral perspectives. Systematic approaches investigate principles and paradigms that encapsulate the unity of the OT and facilitate contemporary appropriation. Formative approaches embrace the diversity of the OT ethical witnesses and view texts as a means of shaping the moral imagination, fostering virtues, and forming character The major phase of this investigation pursues a descriptive analysis of the moral world of Malachi—an interesting case study because of its location near the end of the biblical history of Israel. A moral world analysis examines the moral materials within texts, symbols used to represent moral ideals, traditions that helped shape them, and the social world (political, economic, and physical) in which they are applied. This study contributes a development to this reading methodology through a categorical analysis of moral foundations, expectations, motives, and consequences. This moral world reading provides insight into questions such as what norms and traditions shaped the morals of Malachi’s community? What specific priorities, imperatives, and injunctions were deemed important? How did particular material, economic, and political interests shape moral decision-making? How did religious symbols bring together their view of the world and their social values? The moral world reading is facilitated by an exploration of Malachi’s social and symbolic worlds. Social science data and perspectives are brought together from an array of sources to present six important features of Malachi’s social world.
    [Show full text]
  • A Commentary on the Book of Ezekiel by Pastor Galen L
    A Commentary on the Book of Ezekiel By Pastor Galen L. Doughty Southside Christian Church December 2014 INTRODUCTION: This commentary is based upon my personal devotional notes and reflections on the Book of Ezekiel. It is intended to help you better understand some of the background and issues in Ezekiel’s prophecy. It is not a technical commentary designed for academic projects. This material is intended for use by members and friends of Southside Christian Church, especially our Life Group leaders to help you lead your group in a verse by verse study of Ezekiel. However, I do not include discussion questions in the commentary. That I leave up to you as a group leader. In the commentary there are occasional references to the original Hebrew words Ezekiel used in a particular passage. Those Hebrew words are always quoted in italics and are transliterated into English from the Hebrew. I go chapter by chapter in the commentary and sometimes individual verses are commented upon, sometimes it is several sentences and sometimes a whole paragraph. This commentary is based on the New International Version and all Scripture quotations are taken from that version of the Bible. Books of the Bible, Scripture references and quotes are also italicized. KEY HISTORICAL DATES IN THE TIMELINE OF EZEKIEL: King Jehoiachim of Judah becomes a Babylonian vassal, 605. Jehoiachim rebels against Nebuchadnezzar; he sends troops to raid and punish Jehoiachim, 602. Nebuchadnezzar deports some Jews to Babylon from Jerusalem including a young man named Daniel, 602. Jehoiachim dies and is replaced by his son Jehoiachin; he reigns three months, 598.
    [Show full text]
  • OT225 Jeremiah-Ezekiel: Human Failure & Divine Success
    Course Study Guide OT225 Jeremiah-Ezekiel: Human Failure & Divine Success By Dr. Douglas Stuart Updated 2014 © 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Lesson 1 Study Guide OT225 Jeremiah-Ezekiel: Human Failure & Divine Success Jeremiah: The Faithful God Rebukes & Preserves His Faithless People Updated 2014 © 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All Rights Reserved. www.christianuniversity.org Objectives This lesson explores God’s messages to a dying nation. When Judah’s sin led her to the depths of disobedience, God maintained His faithfulness to His covenant while judging Judah for her rejection of it. When you complete this lesson, “Jeremiah: The Faithful God Rebukes and Preserves His Faithless People,” you should be able to: • Explain how God demonstrates His loyal love in the process of destroying His disobedient nation. • Discover and use the themes and structure of Jeremiah to more clearly understand his writings. • Form essential principles for living in obedience to God’s Word. Scripture Reading Read the Book of Jeremiah. OT225 Course Study Guide | © 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All Rights Reserved. | Lesson 1 | 2 www.christianuniversity.org Transcript Course Title: Jeremiah-Ezekiel: Human Failure & Divine Success Lesson One: Jeremiah: The Faithful God Rebukes and Preserves His Faithless People I. Call of Jeremiah (1:1-19) A. Prophet to the Nations Jeremiah is often called the prophet to the nations based on the first words of his call from God. We read this in Jeremiah 1: “The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’” What’s going on? Why this emphasis on the nations? Jeremiah lived in a time, the last few decades of the 600s or the seventh century B.C., when there were many things happening that were truly cataclysmic.
    [Show full text]
  • Prophetic Conflicts in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah
    Forschungen zum Alten Testament 2. Reihe Edited by Konrad Schmid (Zürich) ∙ Mark S. Smith (Princeton) Hermann Spieckermann (Göttingen) ∙ Andrew Teeter (Harvard) 121 Francesco Arena Prophetic Conflicts in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah How Post-Exilic Ideologies Created the False (and the True) Prophets Mohr Siebeck Francesco Arena, born 1987; BA in Ancient and Medieval Literature (University of Turin); MA in Religious Studies (University of Padua and University Ca’ Foscari – Venice); 2019 PhD in Hebrew and Old Testament Studies (University of Edinburgh). ISBN 978 3-16-159507-3 / eISBN 978-3-16-159508-0 DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-159508-0 ISSN 1611-4914 / eISSN 2568-8367 (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, 2. Reihe) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data are available at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2020 Mohr Siebeck Tübingen, Germany. www.mohrsiebeck.com This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher’s written permission. This applies particularly to repro- ductions, translations and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed on non-aging paper by Laupp & Göbel in Gomaringen, and bound by Buchbinderei Nädele in Nehren. Printed in Germany. To Elisa, For always being there. Superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est Preface This book is a revision of my doctoral dissertation, which was presented to the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh (UK) in 2019. When I was accepted as a candidate in Hebrew and Old Testament Studies at New College, my research ideas were quite nebulous (this, I am sure, will not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with doctoral research).
    [Show full text]
  • 5-The-Major-Prophets.Pdf
    Isaiah Isaiah is often considered the greatest of the Old Testament prophets because of the sheer range and vision of his prophecy. An inspiring quote “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary. .” (Isaiah 40:31). The Book of Isaiah This book falls into three distinctive parts (or books), coming from different periods of history, First Isaiah 1-39 (pre-exilic), Second Isaiah 40-55 (exilic) and Third Isaiah 56-66 (post exilic). The first section, First Isaiah (chapters 1-39) contains a large number of messages describing the judgement that will fall on the people of Judah unless they change their ways. These prophesies were so important that they were used and re-used, expanded and edited by subsequent generations. This judgement is shot through with some beautiful passages of hope and promised salvation. This first section also contains some narrative sections, especially chapters 36-39 which are an exact copy of 1 Kings 18:13-20:19. The second section, Second Isaiah (40-55) is based almost entirely on the comfort that will come to God’s people. It is the most coherent and consistent assembly of material. It feels as though it is set after the judgement, promised in the first section, has happened and pledges a new future for God’s people. Human effort is seen here both in its limits and its possibilities. To be sure, even strong young people eventually grow tired but God gives power to the powerless enabling them to renew their strength and take off like eagles.
    [Show full text]
  • Welcome, and Thank You for Coming to the Ezekiel Bible Study. and Thank You to Joye Schmiedt for Asking Me to Do the Study and for Graciously Hosting Us in Her Home
    Welcome, and thank you for coming to the Ezekiel Bible Study. And thank you to Joye Schmiedt for asking me to do the study and for graciously hosting us in her home. I don’t know yet how many lessons we will have overall. Ezekiel is a long book, 48 chapters, but for some lessons I will be combining chapters. If I just took one chapter per week, the study would take almost a year. My plan is to try and keep each lesson to an hour or less. This is an interactive study. Please ask questions or comment at any time. I will do my best to answer, although I may have to defer an answer to a later lesson to give me time for research. Because I was asked, I am audio recording the study for those who are unable to attend. (next slide) [slide quotation from Ezek 36:26] 1 For our first lesson, I am going to introduce the Book of Ezekiel. When I start a book of the Bible I like to understand the background for the book. This helps to give context for the events that occur. It gives me an idea of God’s purpose in including the book in the Bible. I like to try and place myself in the story to understand what I would see and how I would react. With the book of Ezekiel, this is especially important because some truly amazing things happen right at the start. So, today we are going to look at the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of Ezekiel.
    [Show full text]
  • Ezekiel 2:8-3:11 Prayer
    Ezekiel 2:8-3:11 No: 20 Week:288 Saturday 19/02/11 Prayer Thank You, Lord Jesus for the gift of this day. Lead me through its joys and its trials, and guide me through everything that happens. Make Yourself known to me within everything that happens, so that I come to appreciate Your presence and all that You do for me. Lord Jesus, I praise you for this day; may I be found worthy of Your call and obedient to Your will. All glory be to You Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN Prayer Suggestions Prayer ideas If possible, say your prayers out loud today. Chose a time and place where you will not be interrupted, and tell God what is on your mind as succinctly as possible. Give time to think and listen in response. On-going prayers Pray for the ministry of God’s people on TV: Pray for the many technicians and staff required for the production of quality TV. Pray that those with skills will be of great service to their Lord Continue to pray about the on-going unrest in North Africa and Arabia, for disenfranchised people and for the whole world. Give thanks for the blessing of communication, and the ability we have to get in touch with people across the world. Meditation Jesus, we glory in the love You show us; You give us courage to stand in the struggles of life, When we are overwhelmed by problems ahead: You give us hearts to watch for the needs of others, Despite the temptation to live for self: You give us strength to stand and be firm in Faith, To apply what we know, and be loyal to You: You give us love when all compassion runs dry, The power to forgive, when hurt by offence: You give us the power to rise above the ordinary, To do what is greater, and aspire to the best: You give us hope that is real and a vision of eternity, The security of knowing our ultimate destiny: We glory in the love You show us, Lord Jesus.
    [Show full text]
  • Ezekiel 2-3 9/14/14 Ezekiel’S Commissioning to Service 1:28B-3:11
    1 Ted Kirnbauer (rev 10/20/14) Ezekiel 2-3 9/14/14 Ezekiel’s Commissioning to Service 1:28b-3:11 The vision of God in chapter one had led Ezekiel to worship; falling down on his face, he hears a voice commanding him to rise. As God speaks to him, the Holy Spirit stands him to his feet just as He energized the living beings and the wheels in Ezekiel 1 to move at His will (1:12, 20-21). As we will see, the Spirit will control Ezekiel’s actions throughout his ministry. Ezekiel 2 1:28(b) . And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. 2:1 Then He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!" 2:2 As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. His First Commissioning Speech – 2:3-7 God has two purposes in verses 3-5. First, He informs Ezekiel of the difficulties of his ministry. Second, He encourages him in the execution of it: 2:3 Then He said to me, "Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 2:4 "I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' 2:5 "As for them, whether they listen or not-- for they are a rebellious house-- they will know that a prophet has been among them.
    [Show full text]
  • EZEKIEL 40:L AS a CORRECTIVE for SEVEN WRONG IDEAS I N
    Andrews Uniwrsio Seminary Stndic~,Vol. 44, No. 2,265-283. Copyright 8 2006 Andrews University Press. EZEKIEL 40:l AS A CORRECTIVE FOR SEVEN WRONG IDEAS IN BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION RODGER C. YOUNG St. Louis, Missouri Ezekiel 40:l is often viewed by commentators as a mere chronological note that can be passed over quickly before tahng up the formidable task of interpreting the last nine chapters of Ezekiel's book. Yet a careful analysis of this verse, when combined with some knowledge of the various events and institutions to whch the verse makes explicit or implicit reference, shows that it is rich in information that sheds light on the events and institutions to whch it refers. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the five pieces of chronological data given in the verse provide useful correctives to several ideas that have gained widespread currency in biblical and hstorical interpretation, while at the same time allowing us to replace those ideas with counterparts that are more in keeping not only with the information in this verse, but also with the teachng of other Scriptures that deal with these matters. It dlbe shown that this one verse, used in conjunction with a small amount of external hstorical data, contradicts the following seven wrong ideas: The idea that Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.c. The idea that Ezekiel reckoned the calendar year to start in Nisan. The idea that Judah used Nisan years for the reign length of kings. The idea that Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, was always on the First of Tishn.
    [Show full text]
  • Ezekiel “God Strengthens”
    Ezekiel “God Strengthens” By Timothy Sparks TimothySparks.com Historical Background ● Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jerusalem (Jehoiakim) in 605 BC—taking Daniel and other hostages to Babylon ● In 597 BC, because of Judah’s rebellion (Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin) Nebechadnezzar took 10,000 more hostages, including Jehoiachin and Ezekiel to Babylon Historical Background ● Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and burned the temple in the summer of 586 BC ● Ezekiel experienced a series of visions during the 22 years from 593 to 571 BC, a period which spans the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 Key Words & Phrases ● Glory (~21 times) – “the glory of the Lord” ● 1:28; 3:12, 23; 10:4, 18; 11:23; 43:4-5; 44:4 – “the glory of the God of Israel” ● 8:4; 9:3; 10:19; 11:22; 43:2 ● Son of man (93 times) – 2:1, 3, 6, 8; 3:1, 3, 4, 10, 17, 25 Key Phrases ● “shall/will know” (73 times) – “you shall/will know” (32 times) ● 6:7, 13; 7:4, 9; 37:14 – “they shall/will know” (32-33 times) ● 5:13; 6:10, 14; 7:27; 39:28 ● “. that a prophet has been among them” – 2:5; 33:33 ● “the word of the Lord” (60 times) – 1:3; 3:16; 6:1, 3 Verses to Remember ● 11:19-20 ● 18:4, 19-24, 30-32 ● 20:12 ● 33:7-9, 11 ● 36:22-28 ● 37:11, 23, 27 Overview Outline Chs. 1-24: Judgment on Israel Chs. 25-32: Judgment on the nations Chs. 33-48: Future blessings for Israel Ezekiel 40:5 ● Ezekiel experienced a series of seven visions during the 22 years from 593 to 571 BC, a period which spans the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586 Ezekiel 40:6 Ezekiel 40:7 Ezekiel 40:8-9 Ezekiel 40:10a Ezekiel 40:10b
    [Show full text]