Outline of the Book of Ezekiel “Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah” Ezekiel 11:10 Time of Writing (592 BC): Ezekiel 1:1-2 gives us a time frame for our study. Jehoiakim’s son (Jehoichin) reined in his father’s place in Judah at the year 597 BC. Jehoichin’s reign lasts for three months and 10 days (II Chron. 36:9). He did that which was evil and Nebuchadnezzar came up against him besieging Jerusalem (II Kings 24:10ff). Jehoichin is conquered and deported as a prisoner to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar took most of the treasures of the Kings palace and the house of Jehovah. He too took the most affluent people of Jerusalem captive (10,000 people) among whom was Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:1-2 and II Kings 24:13-14). Ezekiel was twenty five years old when he was deported with the others to Babylon and thereby born in the year 622 BC. Five years after his deportation to Babylon (592 BC), God appears to Ezekiel at the river Chebar and calls him to the office of prophet being thirty years old (Ezek. 1:1). Ezekiel the Man The name “Ezekiel” means “God will strengthen” and seems to be fitting for his work of encouraging the captives of Babylon. Ezekiel was a priest (1:2). He was married yet we are not told whether he had children (Ezek. 24:15-18). Ezekiel lived on the banks of the Chebar River at a city called Telabib (Ezek. 3:15). Telabib is “an unidentified place in Mesopotamia by the Chebar canal between ancient Babylon and Erech, near ancient Nippur. Here Ezekiel made his first contact with the Jewish exiles in 597 BC... it was allocated by the Babylonian government, it became a Jewish settlement.”1 God had assigned a special task to Ezekiel, he was to act as a watchman unto the house of Israel (Ezek. 3:17; 33:7). The prophet was told to speak to the sinful house of Judah even though they would give him scary looks and speak harshly to him (Ezek. 2:6-7). Ezekiel was unlike Jeremiah in that he worked with those who were exiled to Babylon while Jeremiah prophesied directly to the remaining rebellious people of Judah. Ezekiel, at times, expressed concern for the people of Judah as he saw God’s awful judgments against them (Ezek. 9:7-11; 11:13). The captives went from hating Ezekiel to loving him; however, God warns the prophet against a renewed surface interest (Ezek. 33:30-31). Overall, Ezekiel was faithful to all God’s commandments (Ezek. 23). A brief look at the ruling kings and political events during the days of Ezekiel: Date King of Judah Events 640 BC Josiah Reforms Judah of its sinful practices. At the end of Josiah’s life, Pharaoh Necho was heading to Haran to war against the Assyrians at Carchemish. Josiah decided to get involved in the battle hoping to establish Judah’s independence. When Necho sees Josiah, he calls for his archers and they kill him. At the death of Josiah, all Judah mourned for him including Jeremiah the prophet (II Chron. 35:25). 609 BC Jehoahaz Pharaoh Necho dethrones Jehoahaz and places Eliakim on the throne of Judah as a vassal 1 Oliver, J. P. J. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; vol. 4, pp. 746 1 king. Necho took Jehoahaz to Egypt where he remained as a prisoner and eventually died there. Jehoahaz reigned in Judah for only 3 months. 609 BC Jehoiakim In the year 609 BC, Jehoahaz is replaced by his older brother Eliakim by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt. Necho then changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim to show his subordination to the Egyptian king. Necho put a tribute over Judah of 100 talents of silver and 1 talent of gold. Jehoikim did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah and reigned for 11 years in Judah. During the days of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, warred with Egypt and defeated them (Jer. 46:2). Evidently, on his way home, Nebuchadnezzar came up against Judah. Jehoiakim surrenders and becomes a vassal king for three years. At the end of three years Jehoiakim rebels against Nebuchadnezzar. Jehovah God is not pleased with this revolt since He is the one who is punishing Judah by the Babylonians (II Kings 24:3). God sends bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites and Ammonites to weaken Judah. Apparently during one of these battles, Jehoiakim is killed and drug out of the city of Jerusalem (Cf. Jer. 22:19 and 36:30). 597 BC Jehoiachin Jehoiakim’s son (Jehoichin) reigned in his father’s place in Judah. Jehoichin’s reign lasts for three months and 10 days (II Chron. 36:9). He did that which was evil and Nebuchadnezzar came up against him besieging Jerusalem (II Kings 24:10ff). Jehoichin is conquered and deported as a prisoner to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar took most of the treasures of the King’s palace and the house of Jehovah. He too took the most affluent people of Jerusalem captive among whom was Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:1 and II Kings 24:13-14). 597 – 586 BC Zedekiah Nebuchadnezzar replaced Jehoichin, King of Judah, with his uncle Mattaniah. Mattaniah was the youngest son of Josiah (Jer. 1:3, 37:1). His name was changed to Zedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar to make him a vassal king (II Kings 24:18). Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in the ninth year of his reign (588 BC) (II Chron. 36:13). II Chronicles 36:12 states of Zedekiah, “and he did that 2 which was evil in the sight of Jehovah his God; he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of Jehovah.” This rebellion on the part of Zedekiah led to the Chaldean army besieging the city of Jerusalem in Zedekiah’s ninth year as King of Judah until the 11th and final year of the kings reign (II Kings 25:1-2). 586 BC Gedaliah Vassal governor placed over Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon’s Rise to Power: The Lord rose up Babylon as a world power to punish His people who had degenerated into sin (cf. Jer. 25:9ff; Ezek. 7:10-11; 21:1, 13, 19; Hab. 1:6; Zeph. 1:12-18). At 612 BC, the Babylonians (led by Nebuchadnezzar) marched on Nineveh and gained supremacy over the then world power Assyria. At 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar defeats Pharaoh Necho at Carchemish (Jer. 46:2). Nebuchadnezzar then travels southward to Palestine and subjects all of Judah thus making Babylon the new world power (II Kg. 24:1). Jehoikim, King of Judah, became a vassal king to Babylon yet later rebels. Ezekiel was seventeen years old when Nebuchadnezzar made his first invasion of Judah. Jeremiah had prophesied that the people of Judah would be captured and spend seventy years in Babylonian captivity (cf. Jer. 25:11). Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Judah was the first of three and so began the seventy years. At this time, Daniel was deported to Babylon (cf. Dan. 1:1-7). Six years later (599 BC), Nebuchadnezzar would invade Judah again carrying away 10,000 captives including Ezekiel, King Jehoiachin, nobles, priests, and the better class of the population (II Kg. 24:14ff; Jer. 29:1). Ezekiel was now 25 years old (cf. Ezek. 1:1-2). The final invasion of Babylon into Palestine occurred during the reign of Zedekiah during the year 590 BC. Nebuchadnezzar’s army besieged Jerusalem and the inhabitants die gruesome deaths for their sin (cf. Jer. 16:3-4). Jeremiah spoke much regarding the people of the “North” (Babylon). Babylon would be God’s battle axe (Jer. 51:20) as He fought against Judah (Jer. 21:5). Babylon was to be a golden cup in the hands of God whose contents were described as “the wine of his wrath” (Jer. 51:7). Babylon would be Jehovah’s servant to punish His rebellious people (Jer. 25:8-9; 51:20). Ezekiel refers to Babylon as God’s “rod” (Ezek. 7:10-11) and “sword” for correcting the erring in Judah (Ezek. 21:1, 19). Let us consider Judah’s sin: Judah’s Spiritual State: • Allied themselves with Egypt rather than calling upon the help of God during the days of Hezekiah (II Kg. 18:19-35; Isa. 30:1-3; 31:1; Jer. 2:36-37; Lam. 4:17). • Judah was voluntarily led by false teachers (shepherds) (Jer. 5:31; 10:21; 13:25; etc.). • Rejected God’s laws (Ezek. 5:5-6) and followed the laws of the foreign nations around them (Ezek. 11:12). • Did not know God’s word (Jer. 8:7). • Completely forgot God (Ezek. 22:12; 23:35). • Were lovers of money rather than lovers of God (Ezek. 7:19). Judah’s prophets were greedy for riches (Ezek. 22:23-25) (see study # 11). • Priests perverted God’s laws (Ezek. 22:26) and practiced idolatry (Ezek. 44:10). • The elders (Ezek. 8:11), priests (Ezek. 8:16), and princes (Ezek. 11:1-2) were in sin. • The people of Judah vexed the poor and those in need (Ezek. 22:29). • Did not exercise justice (Jer. 21:12). 3 • Practiced idolatry and sacrificed their sons to Moloch (Jer. 16:10-11; 19:5; Ezek. 6:1ff; 8:10; 16:20-21; 22:4; 23:37). • They were liars (Jer. 9:1-3), deceitful (Jer. 9:4-6), and rebellious (Jer. 6:16). • Judah had altogether forgotten God (Jer.