And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. (Ezekiel 2:3-6)
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4)
Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:12-14)
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)
It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there. (Ezekiel 48:35)
Overview
[1] Ezekiel, from Thru The Bible Radio with Dr. J. Vernon McGee ©, with free downloads Notes & Outlines (PDF), Complete 5-Year Study (MP3)
The message of Ezekiel is the most spiritual of all the prophets because he dealt particularly with the Person of God. Someone has said, “Ezekiel is the prophet of the Spirit, as Isaiah is the prophet of the Son, and Jeremiah the prophet of the Father.”[2] Book of Ezekiel, from gotquestions.org (this website is also available in Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese-Myanmar, Cebuano, Chinese - Simplified, Chinese – Traditional, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Malaysian, Persian-Farsi, Portuguese, Quechua, Sesotho, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zulu, and 70 other languages)
During the first years of the captivity the false prophets were still saying that the people were going to return to Jerusalem and that the city would not be destroyed. The city was not destroyed even at the time of the second deportation. It was not until about 586 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar came against the city the third time, that he burned and destroyed Jerusalem. Therefore for a period of about ten years, these false prophets were saying that the people would return and the city would not be destroyed. Jeremiah had sent a message to Babylon saying the city would be destroyed, and Ezekiel confirmed his message. He warned the people that they must turn to God before they could return to Jerusalem. When the time came, a very small remnant did turn to God, and they returned to Jerusalem very discouraged.
Ezekiel began his ministry five years after he was taken captive at about the age of thirty. In many ways, he spoke in the darkest days of the nation. He stood at the bottom of a valley in the darkest corner. He had to meet the false hope given by the false prophets and the indifference and despondency begotten in the days of sin and disaster. The people would not listen to his message. Therefore, he resorted to a new method. Instead of speaking in parables, as the Lord Jesus did, he acted out the parables. He actually did some very interesting stunts. We read in Ezekiel 24:24, “Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.” The people would not listen to his words, so he would act them out, and he attracted a great deal of attention that way. (Read the complete article)
Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. By means of his prophetic ministry he attempted to bring them to immediate repentance and to confidence in the distant future. He taught that: (1) God works through human messengers; (2) Even in defeat and despair God's people need to affirm God's sovereignty; (3) God's Word never fails; (4) God is present and can be worshiped anywhere; (5) People must obey God if they expect to receive blessings; and (6) God's Kingdom will come. (Read the complete article)[3] Ezekiel, from Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
Ezekiel was carried away to Babylon between the first and final deportation of Judah (2 Kings 24:11-16). Like Daniel and the Apostle John, he prophesied out of the land, and his prophecy, like theirs, follows the method of symbol and vision. Unlike the pre-exilic prophets, whose ministry was primarily to either Judah or the ten-tribe kingdom, Ezekiel is the voice of Jehovah to "the whole house of Israel."Discussion
Speaking broadly, the purpose of his ministry is to keep before the generation born in exile the national sins which had brought Israel so low (e.g. Ezekiel 14:23); to sustain the faith of the exiles by predictions of national restoration, of the execution of justice upon their oppressors, and of national glory under the Davidic monarchy.
Ezekiel is in seven great prophetic strains indicated by the expression, "The hand of the Lord was upon me." (Ezekiel 1:3; 3:14, 22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1; Ezekiel 40:1).
The minor divisions are indicated in the text.
The events recorded in Ezekiel cover a period of 21 years (Ussher).
[1] Key verses: Ezekiel 2:3-6; 18:4; 28:12-14; 33:11; 48:35
[2] Children are not punished for their parents’ sins according to Ezekiel 18:1-30 and Jeremiah 31:29- 30; compare with Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Leviticus 20:5; 26:39-42; Numbers 14:18, 33; 1 Kings 21:29; Job 21:19; Psalms 37:28; Isaiah 14:20-21; 65:6-7; Jeremiah 32:18; Daniel 6:24.
[3] Ezekiel 48:35 “Jehovah-Shammah” (Jehovah Is There, the symbolic title given by Ezekiel to Jerusalem)
[4] The Names of God in the Old Testament
- El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)
- El Elyon (The Most High God)
- Adonai (Lord, Master)
- Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)
- Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)
- Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)
- Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
- Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
- Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)
- Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)
- El Olam (The Everlasting God)
- Elohim (God)
- Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)
- Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)
- Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)
- Ezekiel 5:5 - Jerusalem as the center of the nations
- Ezekiel 11:19 - During the Millennium, the Lord will put a new Spirit within people.
- Ezekiel 13:10 - God’s people will be led astray by promises of peace, when there is no peace
- Ezekiel 34:23-24 – David’s reign over Israel during the Millennium
- Ezekiel 34:27-29 - During the Millennium, the earth will yield its increase, and there will be no famine.
- Ezekiel 36:1-38; 37:1-28 - Rebirth of Israel
- Ezekiel 36:35 - During the Millennium, Israel will be like “the Garden of Eden”.
- Ezekiel 37:1-28 - Valley of dry bones
- Ezekiel 37:1-13 – Israel’s return to the land foretold
- Ezekiel 37:8-10 - Israel given the breath of life
- Ezekiel 37:14 - Regathering of Israel
- Ezekiel 37:24-25 - Starting at the Millennium, David’s reign over Israel forever
- Ezekiel 38:1-23; 39:1-29 - Great war in the future against Israel
- Ezekiel 38:1-4 – Identity of Gog
- Ezekiel 38:5-6 – Allies of Gog (Russia)
- Ezekiel 38:8-12 - Israel attacked by Gog
- Ezekiel 38:11 - War against Israel will take place after she is at peace.
- Ezekiel 38:13 – Israel’s weak and few allies
- Ezekiel 38:22 - Destruction of the aggressor by a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
- Ezekiel 39:1-2 - Gog will come from the north against the mountains of Israel
- Ezekiel 39:3-6 - The aggressor will fall on the mountains of Israel.
- Ezekiel 39:9-10 - Leftover weapons will provide fuel for seven years.
- Ezekiel 39:28-29 - The Lord will pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel.
- Ezekiel 40:1-49 to 48:1-35 - Temple will be restored and sacrifices made during the Millennial period.
- Ezekiel 40:1-2 – Ezekiel’s vision of the Millennial temple
- Ezekiel 40:39-43 – Millennial temple will be used for sacrifices.
- Ezekiel 47:1-23 - Stream of water coming out from the temple
[1] Materials by David Malick
[2] Materials by by Imanuel Christian
[3] The Major Prophets, by J. Hampton Keathley, III, Th.M. (also available in Chinese)
[4] Studies in Ezekiel, The Watchman, from Carmichael Baptist Church, California, USA
Sermons on Ezekiel (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)
[1] God’s Plan for Planet Earth, by Ray Luff
Ezekiel 18:4
[1] Baptist Foundations - Soul Competency, by Michael Stark, New Beginnings Baptist Church
[2] Who are you going to blame? by Dennis Brooks
Ezekiel 33:1-9
[1] You are Called to be a Watchman, by James McCullen (Cross & Crown Sermons)
[2] Sermons from www.AbideInChrist.com, by Wil Pounds, South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee AR
- Shepherds: True & False Ezekiel 34:1 -25
- A New Heart & a New Spirit Ezekiel 36:22 -32
- Valley of Dry Bones Ezekiel 37:1 -28
[1] Can these bones live? by Ronald E. George Jr., Sand Fork Baptist Church
[2] Note: This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials. The video below is from www.chicagobible.org some of whose doctrines do not coincide with our Articles of Faith. We included this video simply because it uses historical footage on the rebirth of the nation of Israel together with a reading of Ezekiel 37.
3 Minutes, 2,000 Years: A Jewish Agency for Israel movie about the U.N. voting to establish a Jewish State in the land of Israel, November 29th, 1947.
For other available sermons, please surf to Sermon / Preaching resources. Sermons are also available from South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee, Arizona; Central Baptist Church, Lowesville; First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri; Swift Creek Baptist Church; Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, Philadelphia; Palm Springs Baptist Church, California; South Woods Baptist Church; Grove Baptist Church, Ulster; Dudley Baptist Church, United Kingdom; Independent Fundamental Baptist Sermons, Fundamental Christian Radio Broadcasts, Off-Site Audio Page and The Christian Radio Tuner
Note: This lesson is part of the projected 300 plus lessons. From time to time, the lessons will be updated, revised, combined, formatted, and edited to comply with the VOA Simplified English word list. Later on, these lessons will be categorized, numbered sequentially, and made available as PDF downloads.
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