This week, we
shall begin the study of the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
Ezekiel
The name Ezekiel means “God strengthens”, and this itself was a much needed message for the exiles in Babylon, his main audience at the time. Ezekiel was part of the crowd of the second deportation during the reign of Jehoiachin, king of Judah in 597 B.C. He came from a priestly family, was married, and was allowed to live in his own house in Babylon, enjoying relative freedom of movement.
Many of the visions and events in Ezekiel were dated with pinpoint accuracy (see the chart which follows, showing that his ministry spanned over a period of some 25 years).
It appears that his primary audience was the Jewish people who were in exile with him in Babylon, and God used him to dissuade them from the false hope of their soon return to Jerusalem and the saving of the temple in Jerusalem. In so doing, through 4 major visions, 12 dramatic symbolic acts and 5 parables, the Lord pronounces His judgment on His people (chs. 4-24) and on the nations (chs. 25-32, mainly on Tyre and Egypt), conveys hope of restoration (chs. 33-39) and prophesies renewed worship in a new (spiritual) temple (chs. 40-48).
In the reading of Ezekiel, it is important remember two dates:
- The year 597B.C. when Ezekiel was carried into exile. From this date, many of the dates mentioned were counted.
- The fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (August 14)
Key Dates in the Book of Ezekiel (world calendar data quoted from Archaeological Study Bible)
|
Chapter Ref. |
Post-exile Yr. |
Month |
Day |
World Calendar |
Remarks |
|
1:2 |
5th year |
4th month |
5th day |
593 B.C. Jul 31 |
His call (chs. 1-3) |
|
8:1 |
6th |
6th |
5th |
592 B.C. Sept 17 |
Judgment of Judah and Jerusalem (chs. 4-24) |
|
20:1 |
7th |
5th |
10th |
591 B.C. Aug 14 |
|
|
24:1 |
9th |
10th |
10th |
588 B.C. Jan 15 |
|
|
26:1 |
11th |
? |
1st |
586/7 |
Judgment on Tyre & Egypt mainly (chs. 25-32) |
|
29:1 |
10th |
10th |
12th |
587 B.C. Jan 7 |
|
|
29:17 |
27th |
1st |
1st |
571 B.C. Apr 26 |
|
|
30:20 |
11th |
1st |
7th |
587 B.C. Apr 29 |
|
|
31:1 |
11th |
3rd |
1st |
587 B.C. Jul 21 |
|
|
32:1 |
12th |
12th |
1st |
585 B.C. Mar 3 |
5 months after the fall of Jerusalem |
|
32:17 |
12th |
(1st/LXX) |
15th |
586 B.C. Apr 27 |
|
|
33:21 |
12th |
10th |
5th |
585 B.C. Jan 8 |
Promise of Renewal (chs. 33-39) |
|
40:1 |
25th |
10th |
- |
573 B.C. Apr 28 |
New Temple, New Worship (chs. 40-48) |
1:1-3—The Setting of the Calling of Ezekiel
(1) 1:1 marks the beginning of Ezekiel’s call as prophet and the 30th year, which likely refers to his age. If so
a. What might be the significance of his age as a priest? (See Num. 4:23, 30, 39, 43)
b. What is the setting in which he received his 1st vision?
c. How meaningful is this setting with respect to his calling?
(2) 1:2 gives the precise date of his calling (as is the case in most of the visions and events in this book)
a. What does the giving of the precise date indicate or signify?
b. As a (godly) priest, given what he has experienced and witnessed, what might he be thinking or even praying about in those days?
(3) 1:3 reinforces that the vision is given in the land of Babylon:
a. Jehoiachin has been taken captive, but Jerusalem had yet to fall. How significant is it that God would reveal His glory in Babylon, the land of their captors?
b. What is meant by “the hand of the Lord was upon him”?
1:4-14—The 1st vision
(4) The setting of the vision (v. 4)—It begins with a very awesome windstorm from the north.
a. What was the windstorm accompanied by?
b. See if you can form a mental picture (or better still, draw a picture) of the scene Ezekiel sees in v. 4?
(5) The four living creatures (vv. 5-14)
a. What is your general impression of the four creatures?
b. Who are these four living creatures? (see Ezekiel’s own explanation in 10:2; also Ps. 18:10; 1 Chr. 28:18)
c. What might the four faces represent? (see note below)
d. The statement that “Wherever the Spirit would go, they would go” is mentioned twice (vv. 12, 20): What might be the significance of this statement?
e. While we really know very little about these cherubim, what does this awesome appearance mean to the following persons?
i. Ezekiel, given the time he is in and the task he is about to receive
ii. You
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
The meaning of the four faces of the cherubim has been a subject of wild speculation throughout history. “Normally cherubim accompanied the manifestation of glory of God. To say any more than that seems to be risky and speculative, since the divine interpreter does not do so.” (Ralph Alexander, 14)
“In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” (Ezek. 1:1)
While the first vision revealed to Ezekiel
contains much hard-to-understand content, especially that of the four living
creatures, it does reveal the majestic glory and power of the Lord. If even His servants, the cherubim, have such
awesome appearance and power, who can thwart the plan of the Lord? However, the special setting of the vision
gives further meaning to such an awesome vision for the following reasons:
- It is given at the time that Judah, for all intents and purposes, is under the control of Babylon and that Jeremiah has already predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. Therefore, this vision serves to dispel the notion that the Lord has lost its control and is inferior to the gods of Babylon.
- On the contrary, the appearance of the Lord’s glory in Babylon powerfully demonstrates that the Lord is not just the God of Israel, but the Lord of all the nations.
- For Ezekiel to be His prophet to speak judgment to His people and the nations and to prophesy the drastic renewal of the heart of the people in the future to worship Him in the heavenly temple, the prophet himself cannot just speak as His mouth-piece, he himself needs to experience His glory and power first-hand.
Indeed, the Book of Ezekiel is
important not only to the people of Ezekiel’s time, but to us today in these aspects:
- Irrespective of how weak the church may be, God is still in absolute control of human history; no one and no power on earth or in heaven can thwart His plan.
- To all servants of the Lord who are used as His mouthpiece in these last hours, we need to focus on His power and His glory in order to be used effectively by Him.
(1) The four living creatures (continued…vv. 15-21)
a. How does Ezekiel describe the wheels that each of the living creatures has? (vv. 15-18)
b. What is the impression of the wheels? (v. 18)
c. What is the emphasis on the movements of the wheels? (vv. 19-21)
d. What might be the meaning of such an emphasis? (see Note below)
(2) The glory of the Lord (vv. 22-28)
a. Where does the Lord appear from? (v. 22)
b. How do the four living creatures respond to God’s appearance? (v. 24)
c. Cross reference Rev. 4:6-8 and see what additional information is given concerning how the four living creatures respond to God’s appearance?
d. Try to form a mental picture (or better still draw a physical picture) of God’s appearance in vv. 25-28.
e. Cross reference Rev. 4:2-6 and note the similarities.
f. How does Ezekiel respond to God’s glorious appearance? (v. 28)
g. How do the 24 elders in Revelation respond to God’s appearance? (Rev. 4:9-11)
(3) Reflection:
a. How might you respond to God’s appearance when you see Him in heaven?
b. Which of the following might best describe your response? Why?
i. Fear
ii. Humble adoration
iii. Thankfulness
iv. Joy
(4) What is the reason God chooses to appear to Ezekiel at this time of calling?
(5) What does it mean to you today?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“(T)he
harmony between the wheels and creatures…is attributed to the spirit (ruah) of life…The
precise connection among this ruah, the stormy ruah that had borne
the apparition to the prophet (v. 4), the ruah the would later enter and
energize him (2:2; 3:24), and the ruah that would later lift him up and carry him away
(3:12, 14) is not clear….but in this paragraph ruah is best interpreted as the
life-giving, energizing power of God.”
(NICOT, Ezekiel, 101)
“This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown and I heard the voice of one speaking.” (Ezek. 1:28b)
The awesome appearances of both the four living creatures and God Himself in particular have caused the prophet to fall facedown and worship the Lord. This is exactly what the Apostle John did at the appearance of our Lord Jesus on the island of Patmos (Rev. 1:17). However, our finite human minds fail to fully grasp the meaning of such heavenly visions and our limited human vocabulary is at a loss to describe adequately the reality of the glory of heavenly beings, let alone the Lord Himself. It is very unfortunate that many well-meaning Bible teachers have resorted to all kinds of fanciful interpretations of such heavenly appearances, and in the case of this first vision, of the four living creatures. Allow me to quote from John Calvin’s commentary in this respect as a caution to us today:
“Now if anyone asks whether the vision is lucid, I confess its obscurity, and that I can scarcely understand it…
- Some understand by the four animals the four seasons of the year, and think that the power of God in the government of the whole world is here celebrated. But that sense is far-fetched.
- Some think the four virtues are represented because, as they say, the image of justice is conspicuous in man, that of prudence in the eagle, fortitude in the lion, of endurance in the ox. Yet although this is shrewd conjecture it has no solidity.
- Some take the contrary view, and think that four passions are here intended, viz. fear and hope, sorrow and joy.
- Some think that three faculties of mind are denoted…But these guesses are also puerile.
- It was formerly the received opinion, that under this figure were depicted the four Evangelists…But in this fiction here is no stability, for it would all vanish, if it were to be properly examined.”
(Calvin’s Commentaries, XI, 62-63)
Although Calvin did venture to give his own interpretation, he ended with this fitting prayer at the end of his commentary on the entire vision:
“Great, O Almighty God, since of Thine unbounded goodness, Thou hast counted us worthy of such honor as to descend to earth in the person of Thine only begotten Son, and to appear familiarly to us daily in Thy gospel, in which we contemplate Thy living image:- grant, I pray Thee, that we may not abuse so great a benefit to vain curiosity, but may truly transformed into Thy glory, and so proceed more and more, in the renewal of our mind and conduct, that we may at length be gathered to that eternal glory which has been obtained for us by Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord. Amen.” (Ditto, 107)
The call:
(1) Why does the prophet who has fallen facedown have to be raised to his feet by the Spirit? (2:2)
(2) To whom is the prophet sent? (2:3)
(3) How does the Lord describe the people to whom the prophet is sent? (2:3-4)
(4) Ezekiel certainly knows his people well, but what does such assertion by the Lord serve to do?
(5) What is the purpose of sending Ezekiel to these people who might not even listen? (2:5)
(6) What does the Lord predict about what Ezekiel will run into in his mission? (2:6)
(7) The Lord repeatedly tells Ezekiel not to be afraid:
a. How could he not be afraid?
b. What should Ezekiel do instead? (2:7-8)
c. Why would the Lord ask Ezekiel not to rebel like the people? Does it mean that the prophet might?
(8) How does the prophet receive the message from the Lord? (3:1-2)
(9) What does such a reception of God’s message signify?
(10) What kind of message is it? (2:10)
(11) How does the scroll taste in the mouth of the prophet? (3:3)
(12) What does it mean?
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe…So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” (Ezek. 2:10; 3:3)
Both Ezekiel and the Apostle John were asked to eat a scroll in their mission to preach the word of the Lord, and both ate it and said it tasted as sweet as honey (Ezek. 3:3; Rev. 10:10), although John mentioned that it turned sour in his stomach. However, in both instances, important truths about the word of God are being conveyed in that:
- Irrespective of the message from God (though in both cases the messages are certainly full of prophecies of judgment) when one tastes the word of God, it is invariably sweet, as the Psalmist also testifies, “They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb” (Ps. 19:10). Job also testifies to this very fact in spite of his immense sufferings and prolonged struggle over the apparent silence of God. Even though God addressed harsh words to Job (Job 38-41), once God opened His mouth that was enough for him. He did not only feel vindicated, but he also must have felt like he was eating honey in his mouth. Indeed, while we certainly have not had the same experience as Ezekiel and John, every time we hear God speak to our souls, it is the most wonderful experience.
- It reminds all servants of the Lord that we are not free to speak what we want as His servant, but only what He puts in our mouth—in our case, what God has revealed to us in His Holy Scriptures. This also reminds me of what Rev. Stephen Chan says of the importance of having a clear sense of “calling” (for all of God’s servants): “If God has not called and sent you, what message can you bring to the people?”.
(1) What does the Lord point out about the kind of people Ezekiel is not being sent to? (vv. 4-5)
a. What kind of challenge might such kind of people present to Ezekiel?
b. How does this speak to the difficult task of a missionary?
c. In comparison with the house of Israel,
i. Are they necessarily hard to reach?
ii. Why or why not? (vv. 6-7)
d. What might we learn about the key to “successful” evangelism?
(2) “Do not be afraid” (vv. 8-9)
a. What reason does the Lord give for Ezekiel not to be afraid?
b. What does it mean?
(3) What should Ezekiel’s attitude be toward the word of God? (v. 10)
(4) Who is the primary audience of his message? (v. 11)
a. Since they are in exile, what should they have learned about the fate of their nation?
b. Should they not be receptive to the word of God through Ezekiel? Why or why not?
(5) When the Spirit lifts Ezekiel (when departing from the vision)
a. What does Ezekiel hear? (v. 12)
b. Who might be the speakers of the words?
c. What do these words signify?
(6) How does Ezekiel react after being taken away by the Spirit (likely after internalizing the scroll which he had so eaten)? (v. 14)
(7) Why does he do so?
(8) After his return to the exiles, does he immediately begin his ministry?
(9) Why? Or why not?
(10) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“I went into bitterness and in the anger of my spirit with the strong hand of the Lord upon me.” (Ezek. 3:14)
We have just considered how sweet it is to eat God’s word; it is the experience of both Ezekiel and the Apostle John, and yet they both also experienced the “after-taste” of the word of God. In John’s case, it quickly turned sour in his stomach (Rev. 10:10); in Ezekiel’s case, it seemed to take a bit longer, but just the same, he eventually feels “bitterness” and “anger” in his spirit (Ezek. 3:14).
Both give us a vivid picture of how the messengers of God have learned to identify with the passion of the Sender. The mission of John is to “prophesy again about many peoples, nations and languages and kings” (Rev. 10:11) and the messages are primarily one of judgment, severe judgment of a world that has rebelled against the Lord. The sourness is not only what John feels in his stomach, but the feeling of God Himself—as He judges, His heart aches and He feels no delight. That is the passion of God that His messenger, John, must identify with.
The same is true of Ezekiel. The message is one of “lament and mourning and woe” (Ezek. 2:10), because the judgment is primarily pronounced on the house of Israel who is “hardened and obstinate” (Ezek. 3:7). Therefore, the eating of the word of God is certainly sweet—what a blessed experience, the servant needs to identify with the feelings of the Master, and thus at the feeling of the “strong hand of the Lord” (3:14), Ezekiel feels the bitterness and anger of the Lord as well.
It is an important reminder for us all, servants of the Lord Jesus, that as we are sent to bear witness for Him, we need to identify with our Lord’s feeling as well. As much as we are also pronouncing words of judgment on the unbelieving world (as prophesied even by Ezekiel and John), we need to share God’s passion of love in that “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
The Lord allowed Ezekiel seven days to recuperate after being overwhelmed by the vision of the Lord, and now He speaks to Ezekiel about the importance of his ministry as a prophet:
(1) The Lord says that He has made Ezekiel a watchman for the house of Israel (v. 17):
a. What was a watchman in the OT times? (see 2 Sam. 18:24-27; 2 Ki. 9:17-20)
b. What does it mean for Ezekiel to be a watchman for the house of Israel?
(2) The warning to a wicked man (vv. 18-19)
a. What kind of a warning is given to the wicked?
b. What is the purpose of the prophet in giving out such a warning?
c. What if the prophet does not speak out to warn the wicked man?
d. What might be the possible reason(s) that the prophet does not speak out as told by the Lord?
e. What if the prophet obeys the Lord’s command and yet the wicked man does not listen?
(3) The warning to a righteous man (vv. 20-21)
a. Why would a righteous man turn from righteousness and do evil? (see today’s Meditative Article)
b. What does it mean that the Lord would “put a stumbling block before him” should the prophet fail to warn him?
c. What will happen to the righteous things that the person did in his life?
d. What will happen to the prophet for his failure to warn the person?
e. What if the prophet warns the person and he listens?
(4) In
both cases, what is meant by the following phrases?
a. “will die for his sin” (vv. 18, 20) Does it mean physical death only?
b. “will hold you accountable for his blood” (vv. 18, 20)
c. “you will have saved yourself” (vv. 19, 21) (see the punishment of those false prophets who failed to warn the people in 13:9)
(5) Why do you think the Lord chooses to give a message to the prophet first, before he is to deliver God’s message?
(6) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Again, when a righteous man turns from this righteousness and does evil...” (Ezek. 3:20)
“Some have looked at this passage for support against the eternal security of the believer. The ‘righteous’ man, they say, can turn from his righteousness and die an eternal death. It is necessary, however, that the reader understand the context of Ezekiel’s writing and the usage of the term ‘righteous’ in the Old Testament. Israel was supposed to do the righteousness contained in the principles of the Mosaic covenant (cf. Deut. 16:20; 1 Sam. 24:17; 1 Ki. 8:32; Hos. 14:9; Ps. 119:7, 106, 121, 144, 160, 172; Isa. 58:2). To do all the stipulations of the Law was to be righteous and thereby to live in the land of promise (cf. Deut. 6:25; 16:20). The Mosaic covenant pointed one to the Messiah and set forth a way of life for the believer in the Messiah through its commandments, but just the following of these commandments alone never gave anyone eternal life. Eternal righteousness and salvation are only by faith — a message proclaimed throughout the entire Scriptures. The ‘righteous’ in this section was the believer in the Messiah who had been righteous in his following of the stipulations of the Mosaic covenant, but then turned from them. Ezekiel announced the judgment of God upon the nation of Israel because she had failed to keep the Mosaic covenant thereby act [sic*] righteously.”
(Ralph Alexander, Ezekiel, 17)
[*unrighteously]
3:22-27—The 2nd Vision of Ezekiel—The 1st Symbolic Act
(1) What is the vision that he sees this time? (3:22-23)
(2) Why does the Lord repeat the same vision of His glory to Ezekiel?
(3) Ezekiel prepares to be God’s watchman.
a. What is the first thing the Lord commands him to do? (3:25-26)
b. Why?
(4) When will Ezekiel's mouth be opened? (3:27)
(5) How does the Lord feel toward Ezekiel’s audience? (3:27)
4:1-8—The 2nd Symbolic Act
(6) The first part of the act (4:1-3)
a. What is he going to draw on the clay tablet?
b. How should he lay siege to it symbolically?
c. Where should he put the iron pan and what does it signify?
d. What does this symbolic act signify?
(7) The second part of the act (4:4-8)
a. What does lying on the left side signify?
b. For how long is he going to lie like this?
c. Why?
d. What does the lying on the right side signify?
e. For how long is he going to lie like this?
f. Why?
(8) What is he going to do at the end? (v. 7)
(9) What does it signify?
(10) What then is the sum of the message to the exiles?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
The bearing of the sin for the house of Israel for 390 days should point to the time between the setting up of the altars in Dan and Bethel by Rehoboam (1 Ki. 12; roughly in 975 B.C.) to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem (586 B.C.) which totals approximately 390 years. However, for the sin of the house of Judah, the 40 years counting backward from 586 B.C. will fall into Josiah’s reign. Since Josiah was a godly king who carried out a major spiritual reform, it is likely that the sin of the house of Judah does not include the time of Josiah but is traced further back to the time of his father, Manasseh.
“Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the house of Israel upon yourself to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side.” (Ezek. 4:4)
One of the most remarkable things of the Book of Ezekiel is the 12 dramatic symbolic acts that the Lord requires Ezekiel to perform as part of His message to the people. While these symbolic acts powerfully convey in a visual manner the message to the people and have definitely left an almost indelible memory in the mind of the people, there is another important aspect to it that we should not overlook.
Take the second symbolic act that the Lord requires Ezekiel to perform as an example—the lying on one side for 390 days and the lying on the other side for 40 days “to bear the sin of the house of” Israel and Judah respectively (4:4-8). We can imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for Ezekiel to be tied with a rope and to lie in bed (likely only during the night time) on one side for 390 days. Those who have been confined to bed-rest in the hospital can tell you about the immense discomfort and pain, and we are talking about a period of over a year and a month—with no turning to the other side and no massages of your back!
It is through this painful experience that Ezekiel tastes of the pain and burden of bearing the sins of the people whom he is calling to repentance. We know that subsequently, it is our Lord Jesus Christ who has come to become one of us, tasting our sufferings and bearing our sins all the way to the cross. Ezekiel is simply “following the footsteps” of our Lord, and it reminds all of us that we never minister to God’s people as a detached third party, simply bombarding them with harsh criticism. We need to feel their pain and understand their plight as we seek to minister to them.
The Third Part of the 2nd Symbolic Act
(1) How much can Ezekiel eat during those 390 days?
(2) How much water is he allowed to drink at a time?
(3) What is the picture being depicted by only eating about 8 ounces of food daily and drinking only 2/3 quart (or 0.6 liter) at a time?
(4) What kind of fuel is the prophet commanded to use to bake his bread?
(5) What does this picture serve to depict?
(6) How did the prophet respond to the Lord’s command? (v. 14)
(7) While the Law of Moses contains many rules concerning clean and unclean food and practices, it appears that there is no rule concerning baking bread with human excrement (contrary to many quotes from the Pentateuch by commentators).
a. Why is Ezekiel objecting to what is explicitly commanded by the Lord?
b. Would you have done the same? Why or why not?
c. What was God’s response to his request? Why?
(8) What is God’s message to the people through Ezekiel’s symbolic act? (vv. 16-17)
(9) Which of the following do you think the people cared more about?
Why?a. Eating defiled food while in captivity
b. Wasting away eating only rationed food and drink?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin.” (Ezek. 4:17)
The judgment pronounced by the Lord through Ezekiel in 4:16-17 is nothing new; it was foretold by Moses some 1,000 years earlier.
“But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws, and fail to carry out all my commands, then I will do this to you…I will send a plague among you and you will be given into enemy hands. When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake our bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but will not be satisfied” (Lev. 26:14-16, 25-26).
Now with the impending siege of Jerusalem, and their second deportation, they have literally been “given into enemy hands”. However a great plague is being prophesied by the Lord through Ezekiel, and that is a great famine in which they will “eat rationed food in anxiety”. Indeed, as Moses already prophesied, the women will still be able to bake bread, except that because of the limited portion rationed to each of them, they have to watch whether their limited portion would be stolen by other women while it is being baked in the same oven. That is the “anxiety” Ezekiel refers to, but it does not stop there, because eventually the ration would stop and they will “waste away”—a most horrible depiction of a slow and painful death.
It is a tragedy that these days, as we honestly warn the world of the impending judgment of God at the return of our Lord Jesus and the horrible “hurt” of the second death (Rev. 2:11), the world brands us as preachers of “fire and brimstone” and even some Christians see us as teachers of “gloom and doom”. This, unfortunately, is the reception that Ezekiel received, and yet his message has come to pass exactly as God has foretold. While the house of Israel has little excuse for their fate, our world will have absolutely no excuse because, as the Apostle Paul says, what happened to the house of Israel served as “examples and were written down as warnings for us on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:11).