Overview of the Book of Ezekiel

Overview of Ezekiel as Prophet, Priest, and Exile Writer

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel, whose name means strengthened by God. Ezekiel was both a prophet and a priest, and he was one of two prophets who wrote while in exile in Babylon, the other one being Daniel.

Ezekiel wrote in the 6th century BC, and the theme of this book has been described as judgment and glory, judgment and glory. And I think it has to be said about this book, it is very challenging and difficult to understand.

If anyone has ever read through Ezekiel, you know that that's true. The book begins this way. Now it came to pass in the 13th year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was among the captives by the river Chebar and the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

He then goes on to describe these bizarre looking creatures who appear to be cherub angels, and they run back and forth like a flash of lightning. There's eyes all all around and he goes on to say this.

Now I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces, wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went because there the spirit went and the wheels were lifted together with them for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

When those went, these went, when those stood, these stood, and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheel.

So he's talking about a wheel and a wheel within a wheel. And if you know what that means and you can clearly explain it, come and talk to me afterwards,.

Please.

Ezekiel’s Visions and the Strange Imagery of Chapter 1

So there's a lot of strange things in this book, and there are also some similarities with the book of revelation. For example, like John, Ezekiel is told to eat a scroll and it was sweet like honey in.

His mouth.

And this represents the word of God going in and he is going to speak the word of God to the children of Israel. Also in chapter 38, he tells of the battle of Gog and Magog and John writes about that in revelation chapter 20.

So some connections between the book of revelation and Ezekiel. Ezekiel basically can be broken down into three parts, oracles of woe against the prophets own people, that's chapters one through 24, followed by oracles against Israel's neighbors.

That's in chapters 25 through 32. And then it ends with prophecies of hope and salvation in chapters 33 through 48. And we'll close with what he said in chapter 37, probably one of the most well-known chapters, the valley of the dry bones.

Most have heard of that. God spoke through Ezekiel about the Messiah and the restoration of the whole house of Israel. The Lord said, I will make them one nation in the land on the mountain of Israel and one king shall be king over them all.

They shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. We believe this will happen during the time period known as the millennial kingdom. And of course that king will be the Lord Jesus Christ.