This week,
we shall continue the study of the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
The 3rd Vision (continued): The sins of idol-worship even within the temple of the Lord are exposed in this vision, with the command to the angels to execute judgment, and now the glory of the Lord departs from the temple:
(1) Scattering of coals over Jerusalem (vv. 1-8)
a. To what is Ezekiel directed before the command is given concerning the judgment over the city of Jerusalem? (v. 1; see 1:26ff)
b. What have the angel with the writing kit and the other angels just accomplished in the last chapter, especially in 9:5-6?
c. What does the Lord now command the man in linen (with the writing kit) to do? (v. 2)
d. What is the meaning of the scattering of coal over the city? (see its fulfillment in 2 Ki. 25:9; 2 Chr. 36:19)
e. In Isaiah’s vision, what is the purpose of coal when applied to those who are obedient to the Lord? (Isa. 6:6-7)
f. What does the presence of the Lord do to the temple? (vv. 3-5)
(2) A closer look at the cherubim (vv. 9-22)
a. See if you can list the features highlighted about the wheels and see what the emphases are about? (vv. 9-12)
b. What are they called? (v. 13) Might there be any significance in the name?
c. Upon a closer look, what does Ezekiel see as the four faces of the cherubim? (v. 14; compared to 1:10)
d. How do we know that these cherubim are the living creatures of chapter one? (vv. 15, 20-22)
e. At the departure of the man (the angel) in linen, where does the glory of the Lord move to? (vv. 18-19)? What might it signify?
(3) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
The same vision continues with the Spirit lifting the prophet to the entrance to the temple of the Lord:
(1) Leaders preaching false hope (vv. 1-4)
a. Who are the people at the entrance? (v. 1)
b. What sin have they committed according to 8:16?
c. What other sins of theirs are mentioned here? (v. 2)
d. In spite of the sins of the city and the judgment pronounced by God through various prophets (most notably is Jeremiah in Jerusalem itself), what false hope do they give to the people? (v. 3)
- Do they think their city will fall to Babylon at all?
- What image do they use to depict the prosperity of their city?
- Since this is an optimistic image, it does not mean that they will be cooked and eaten by their enemies. What then does it possibly mean?
(2) Gods’ Rebuttal (vv. 5-15)
a. What additional charges are laid against them by the Lord? (vv. 5-6, 12)
b. What does the Lord turn their image of prosperity into? (v. 7)
c. What does the emphasis on the execution of judgment “at the borders of Israel” mean? (vv. 10, 11)
d. To Ezekiel, what does the death of the son of Benaiah (in the vision) signify? (v. 13)
e. Why should the prophet seem so surprised and distraught? Is it not part of the fulfillment of his prophecy? (v. 13)
f. What is God’s reply to him and what does it mean? (v. 15)
(3) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Words of hope and comfort to the exiles, like Ezekiel
(1) Recall the reply by the Lord to Ezekiel’s lament for the severe judgment that will befall the remnant in Jerusalem. How do those of the remnant look upon those, like Ezekiel, in exile? (11:14-15)
(2) Does the fact that they are in exile mean that the Lord has completely forsaken them? (v. 16: Note especially the use of the term sanctuary in light of God’s abandonment of the temple of Jerusalem in the same vision.)
(3) Since, together with the ten tribes of Israel, these exiles from Judah have been scattered “among the countries”, would they have a chance to be brought back to their homeland and possess the land again? Why? (v. 17)
(4) What kind of a miracle, in your opinion, will it take?
(5) When they return, what important changes will happen to them in terms of their behavior? (vv. 18, 20)
(6) What kind of a miracle will it take? (v. 19)
(7) What will be the fundamental change in their relationship with God?
(8) Do you think this prophecy has fully been fulfilled these days? Why or why not? (see Today’s Meditative Article)
(9) Where does the departing glory of the Lord stop? (v. 23)
(10) Might there be any particular meaning? (see Note below)
(11) What should this vision mean to Ezekiel?
(12) What should this vision mean to the exiles?
(13) What is the message to the church today?
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“the mountain on the east of the city is the Mount of Olives which affords a lofty outlook over the city, according to Zech. 14:4, will Jehovah also appear at the last judgment on the Mount of Olives above Jerusalem, to fight hence against His foe, and prepare away [sic] of escape for those who are to be saved. It was from the Mount of Olives also that the Son of God proclaimed to the degenerate city the second destruction (Lk. 19:21; Matt. 24:3); and from the same mountain He made His visible ascension to heaven after His resurrection (Lk. 24:50; cf. Acts 1:12)…‘thus did Christ ascend from this mountain into His kingdom, to execute judgment upon the Jews'.”
(K&D, Ezekiel, 89)
Third Symbolic Act — Digging through a Wall
(1) Whom does this oracle concern? (v. 10)
(2) How rebellious are the “whole house of Israel”? (v. 2)
(3) Why then should God show them His judgment in such a vivid, visual way?
(4) The symbolic act Ezekiel is to perform (vv. 3-7)
a. Can you use your imagination to think of what Ezekiel might have packed so that the people would know that he is acting out the going into exile of a person (they all have done the actual act when they were deported)?
b. What is Ezekiel to do in the evening while the people are watching?
c. Can you imagine how difficult this act might be?
(5) The message (vv. 8-14)
a. How do the people (in exile) respond to Ezekiel’s symbolic act? (v. 8)
b. What is the message to the prince and his people in Jerusalem? (v. 11)
c. How has this prophecy been fulfilled literally in its exact details? (vv. 13-14; Jer. 39:4-7)
(6) “They will know that I am the Lord”. This is a much repeated theme through the prophecies of Ezekiel. Historically, it is believed that in their captivity, the people of Israel in general had forsaken the worship of idols (as it is clear in the gospel accounts which contain no rebuke by Jesus about idol-worship). Does it mean that they have come to acknowledge the Lord? Why or why not?
(7) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
12:17-20—Message of Anxiety
(1) What does the Lord command Ezekiel to do? (v. 17)
(2) Have you ever experienced anxiety that affected your diet?
(3) What kind of calamity is portrayed by this action?
(4) What is the cause for such a judgment? (v. 19)
(5) Idolatry is bad enough for the people of God, but what kind of condition have they sunk into if the city is marked by “violence”?
(6) What about the city/nation you live in? Is it also marked by violence? What spiritual condition has it sunk into?
12:21-28—Contempt against the Vision
(7) What is the common proverb concerning prophetic visions in Israel? (v. 21)
(8) What kind of mindset toward the words of the prophets does this proverb reveal?
(9) Why is God so upset with this proverb?
(10) What will God change this proverb into and how? (vv. 23-25)
(11) What is the other mindset of the people toward prophecy that displeases the Lord? (v. 27)
(12) Is this the general attitude that today’s Christians have toward the prophecies in the Scriptures?
(13) Does it represent your mindset as well?
(14) What is God’s answer to this mindset? (v. 28)
(15) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
13:1-7—The Foolish Prophets
(1) Against whom does the Lord ask Ezekiel to prophesy? (vv. 1-2; see Jer. 29:31 for such a typical example)
(2) Why are they called “false prophets”? (vv. 3, 6-7)
(3) Why then would they expect their words to be fulfilled? (v. 6)
(4) If they are true prophets, what should their responsibility be? (v. 5)
(5) Why are they called, “jackals among ruins”? (v. 4)
(6) “Woe to the foolish prophets” (v. 3): “foolish” can also be translated as “wicked”— which do you think is the more appropriate description of these false prophets? Why?
13:8-16—The Judgment of the False Prophets
(7) Their
fate includes (v. 9) these losses for them:
a. Not belonging to the council of God’s people. What does it mean? (see Ps. 1:5)
b. Not being listed in the records of the house of Israel. What does it mean? (see Ezr. 2:62; Neh. 7:64)
c. Not entering the land of Israel: What does it mean? (see the judgment of the false prophet in Jer. 29:32 and today’s Meditative Article)
(8) Their judgment (vv. 10-16)
a. What specific lie do they tell? (v. 10)
b. What imagery does the Lord use to describe their lying message? (v. 10)
c. What will be the outcome of their prophecy and their judgment? (vv. 11, 13-15)
d. The people will ask, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?” (v. 12). What does it mean?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Prophecies against False Prophets (continued)
(1) Who are these false prophets being singled out in this message? (v. 17)
(2) What are the tools they use to ensnare the people? (v. 18)
(3) What do their tools remind you of?
(4) What do they want to get out of their lies? (v. 19)
(5) Their sins (vv. 19-22)
a. How have they profaned the Lord? (v. 19)
b. Apart from having profaned the Lord, what have their lies led to? (v. 19) Why?
c. Why does the Lord say that they have ensnared “people like birds”? (v. 20)
d. How have they disheartened the righteous? (v. 22)
e. How have they encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways?
(6) Their judgment (vv. 20-23):
a. The Lord promises that He will tear the ensnared from their arms and set them free (v. 20), will tear off their veils and save His people (v. 21) and they will no longer see false visions or practice divination (v. 23). What then will their punishment be?
b. What does v.18 imply as their punishment?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?