ezekiel a remmers

8/9/2019 Ezekiel a Remmers

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The Prophet Ezekiel

by Arend Remmers

48 chapters

http://www.biblecentre.org

• Author and Time of Writing

• Purpose of Writing

• Peculiarities

• Overview of ontents

Author and Time of Writing

The boo! of "#e!iel $% he will be strengthened of &od' some (ible editions Ezechiel

according to the )atin *ulgate+ bears the name of its author who is mentioned twice in

this boo! $"#. ,:-' 4:4+. n contrast to various other prophets "#e!iel has not beencriticised as much. 0hould the reason for it be that the boo! does not spea! in such

detailed manner of the glor1 of the )ord 2esus3 the essiah5

According to "#. ,:- the prophet3 together with 6ing 2ehoiachin3 and man1 noble of the

people of 2udah had been brought to (ab1lon in the second deportation in 79 (. Thisevent is described in 6ings 4:,4 and hron. -:,;.

"#e!iel originated from the priestl1 famil1 of Aaron $"#. ,:-+. There are various

e<planations for the not ver1 precise date in chap. ,:,3 which sa1s =in the -;th 1ear=. One

e<planation is that "#e!iel is tal!ing about his own age $compare with >um. 4:-' ,hron. -:-+. "#e!iel was married' his wife passed awa1 on the da1 2erusalem was

assaulted $chap. 4:,. ,8+. After he was ta!en captive he lived in his own house in Tell?

Abib b1 the river hebar and he was esteemed b1 the 2ews who had been ta!en intocaptivit13 for the1 went to see him more than once $"#. 8:,' ,4:,' ;:,+.

"#e!iel started his prophetic ministr1 in the 7th 1ear of the captivit1 $chap. ,:+3 which is

the 1ear 7- (. At that time @aniel3 the prophet3 whom "#e!iel probabl1 !new3 had

alread1 been a prisoner for around , 1ears in the palace of the !ing of (ab1lon $compare"#. ,4:,4.;' 8:-+.

The last dated message of "#e!iel was given in the 9th 1ear of the captivit13 that is the

1ear 79, ( $"#. :,9+. "#e!iel therefore prophesied in (ab1lon for at least 1ears.

n his boo! "#e!iel gives ,- e<act dates for his prophecies. Their chronological order is:

"#. ,:,' 8:,' ;:,' 4:,' :,' :,' -;:;' -,:,' --:,' -:,.,9' 4;:,' :,9. All but three



messages are therefore given in chronological order and have probabl1 been written

down accordingl1.

"#e!iel is not mentioned an1where else in the 0criptures. We neither find an1 referencesto the boo! in the >T but remar!able parallels $see paragraph on Peculiarities+.

Purpose of Writing

The boo! of "#e!iel is the third in a row of the so?called four aor Prophets. "#e!iel is

also one of the prophets who lived in e<ile. While 2eremiah lived 2udahBs downfall in2erusalem @aniel and "#e!iel had alread1 been deported to (ab1lon.

"#e!ielBs prophecies correspond in man1 aspects to 2eremiahBs prophecies as regards to

the contents. Cis prophecies are interspersed with man1 pictures and s1mbols as well.

(oth recall their sad condition to the apostate people' both prophes1 the downfall of the!ingdom of 2udah and 2erusalemBs destruction but also the final restoration in the

millennium. n contrast to 2eremiah3 "#e!iel arranges his prophecies in clear manner

under the guidance of the Col1 0pirit $who is mentioned e<tremel1 often in this boo!'e.g. chap. :' -:,.4+. The first part shows the condition of the people that leads to

"#e!ielBs reection $chap. , ? 4+. Then "#e!iel announces the udgments over the

neighbouring people $chap. 7 ? -+. Dinall13 we are given the prophec1 on the return ofthe united srael in da1s to come and the description of the millennium with the temple in

2erusalem $chap. -- ? 48+.

Caving said this3 there are certain parallels with 2eremiahBs prophecies in spite of all

differences.

n contrast to this "#e!iel and @aniel complete one another. @aniel mainl1 describes thehistor1 of the four great prophetic world empires3 that is the =time of the nations=

$compare with )u!e ,:4+ whereas "#e!iel describes the events before and after

2erusalemBs treading down. This is wh1 the essiahBs appearing $Cis first and Cis secondcoming to this earth+ is not described.

Peculiarities

a+ Ezekiel and the New Testament

@irect references from the boo! of "#e!iel cannot be shown in the >ew Testament.

We ma1 however see an allusion to "#e!iel in 2ohn - where the )ord 2esus is spea!ing to

>icodemus3 a ruler of the 2ews3 about the necessit1 of the new birth. The birth of water

and of 0pirit is the divine condition to enter into the !ingdom of &od on earth. "#e!ielhad alread1 written that &od would gather Cis people3 cleanse it with clean water from

http://www.biblecentre.org/commentaries/ar_30_ot_ezekiel.htm#Peculiarities

http://www.biblecentre.org/commentaries/ar_28_ot_jeremiah.htm


http://www.biblecentre.org/commentaries/ar_30_ot_ezekiel.htm#Peculiarities




their filthiness and from all their idols3 put a new spirit within them and put Cis spirit

within them $"#. -:7?9+. This >icodemus should have !nown and the )ord therefore

as!s him: =Art thou a master of srael3 and !nowest not these things5=

0everal stri!ing similarities e<ist between "#e!iel and the boo! of Eevelation:

"#.,:7.,;..8 ? Eev.4:?9 ? the Throne of &od

"#. -:- ? Eev. ,;:?,; ? the eating of the )ittle (oo!

"#. 8:- ? Eev. ,-:,4 ? the image

"#. :4? ? Eev. 9:- ? the seal

"#. ,;:,?8 ? Eev. 8:,?7 ? the censer filled with fire

"#. -8: ? Eev. ;:8 ? &og and agog

"#. 4; ? Eev. , ? the >ew 2erusalem

"#. 49:,?, ? Eev. :,? ? the Eiver and the Tree of )ife

n some respects3 we will find recurring similarities as3 for instance3 the description of the

throne of &od and the four living creatures. n some places the >T prophec1 goes further

than what had been revealed in the OT. 0o we find the earthl1 2erusalem in "#e!iel but inthe Eevelation 2erusalem is the heavenl1 cit1.

b) The lory of !eho"ah

The glor1 of 2ehovah3 which is the visible sign of &odBs presence with Cis people srael3

pla1s an important role in "#e!iel. The glor1 is represented as a cloud that is resting inthe sanctuar1 of the temple $compare with "<. 4;:-7' , 6ings 8:,;.,,+. "#e!iel mentions

the cloud in the following references: chap. ,:8' -:,.-' 8:4' :-' ,;:4.,8.,' ,,:.-'

4-:.4.7' 44:4.

When 2ehovah reected Cis people this cloud of glor1 left the temple and the cit1 of

2erusalem. (ut the cloud reappears at the end of the boo! and will dwell in the newtemple of the millennium. The cloud has been seen once onl1 during the long interval: it

was at the )ord 2esusB transfiguration on the mount $ath. ,9:7' Pet. ,:,9+.

#"er"iew of $ontents

I. Ezekiel 1 - 24: Prophecies concerning Jerusalem's Destruction



hapter , "#e!ielBs *ision of 2ehovahBs &lor1

hapter ? - "#e!ielBs ommission

hapter 4 ? 7 2udgment of 2erusalem

hapter 2udgment of dolatr1

hapter 9 2udgment of srael

hapter 8 sraelBs dolatr1

hapter The Angel 0la1s 2erusalem

hapter ,; The &lor1 of 2ehovah departs from the Temple

hapter ,, Threat of 2udgment

hapter , The 6ing is led into aptivit1

hapter ,- Prophecies against the Dalse Prophets

hapter ,4 2udgment over dolaters

hapter ,7 The Fseless *ine

hapter , Fnfaithfulness and ngratitude of srael

hapter ,9 Abasement and "<altation of the Couse of @avid

hapter ,8 The Eighteous 2udgment of &od

hapter , )amentation for the Princes of srael

hapter ; Past3 Present and Duture of srael

hapter , The 0word of 2ehovah

hapter 2erusalemBs 0ins

hapter - Aholah and Aholibah $or: Oholah and Oholibah+

hapter 4 2erusalemBs @estruction Announced



%%& Ezekiel '( *'+ Prophecies against ,e"en Neighbouring People

hapter 7 Ammon3 oab3 "dom and the Philistines

hapter ? 8 @ownfall of T1rus and Gidon

hapter ? - Prophecies against "g1pt

%%%& Ezekiel ** -.+ Prophecies on %srael/s Restoration

hapter -- The ProphetBs 0ervice as Watchman

hapter -4 sraelBs 0hepherds and the True 0hepherd

hapter -7 2udgment over "dom $0eir+

hapter - sraelBs Eeturn and (lessing

hapter -9 Eesurrection and Eeunion of srael

hapter -8 ? - Attac! and @estruction of &og

hapter 4; ? 4 The Temple in the illennium

hapter 4- ? 4 The @ivine 0ervice in the illennium

hapter 49 ? 48 The )and of srael in the illennium

Arend Eemmers

ezekiel a remmers

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