EZEKIEL
Theme: Israel unfaithfulness God’s Faithfulness
Author: Ezekiel
Time: 570-562 BC
Prophet who ministered in southern Israel aka Judah
He’s a priest that’s also a prophet
Priest, Prophet, Princes - rare that they overlap with each other
Key Scripture:
Ezekiel 36:24-28 ESV
24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Structure:
Chapter 1-3: Ezekiel’s Call
Chapter 3-24: Prophecies of Judgment Against Jerusalem
Chapter 25-32: Prophecies Against the Nations
Chapter 33-48: Prophecies of Hope and Restoration
Purpose of the Book:
1. To warn the people of Judah (southern Israel) of the impending destruction of Jerusalem and call the people to repentance to offer hope for the future restoration of Israel.
Even though destruction is coming there is restoration
Message of the Book:
1. All nations are accountable to God and judged by Him
Not just picking of Israel but standards are universal
2. When a nation departs from God’s glory, God’s glory departs from them
The glory of God comes into the temple and goes from the temple
The presence of God, in, on and through his people.