6 visions of ezekiel
Can these bones live? asks God. Four living creatures appear from the whirlwind. Essay, Adam Clarke, Clarkes Commentary: Job Malachi (Nashville: Abingdon Pr, 1977), 428, Buttrick, George Arthur. The rabbis see traveling into the supernatural realm on a spiritual chariot to communicate directly with God so risky that the Talmud restricts study of these texts to only the most worthy sages. Here, Daniel described the appearance of an angel as having "the likeness of a man" wearing "a robe of fine linen and a belt of pure gold around his waist." This description is quite similar to Ezekiel's vision, though details such as the specific garment and belt are . Not only does the book present a striking picture of the resurrection and restoration of God's people ( Ezekiel 37 ), it . "The vision of dry bones," explains how God's people would miraculously come together and be re-gathered to their homeland from among the nations of the world where . 1:22), and above the expanse, Ezekiel sees a lapis lazuli throne, occupied by a figure like a man made of fire and metal (Ezek. We are always called to this devotion regardless of circumstance or opposition. Our devotion to the word of God then marks our lives and becomes a testimony to the faithfulness of God and his word. The messages he received from God were intense and different than other prophets of Israel. When Babylons King Nebuchadnezzar carried off Israels King Jehoiachim and the leading families of Jerusalem into captivity in 597 BC, Ezekiel the priest was in that group. Can an utterly rebellious nation against God be redeemed? 1:6 ). The bones symbolize the whole house of Israel, which had given up any hope of being revived as a nation. Through supernatural signs and fulfilled prophecies, such as the regathering and restoration of the Jewish People back into their own land, supernatural protection, and victories against outnumbered armies, it seems the nations should realize that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is real. The chariot can rise from the earth (Ezek. your own essay or use it as a source, but you need Ezekiel, was a great man of God and very faithful to Him. [33] Apart from Revelation, however, where Ezekiel is a major source, there is very little allusion to the prophet in the New Testament; the reasons for this are unclear, but it cannot be assumed that every Christian or Hellenistic Jewish community in the 1st century would have had a complete set of (Hebrew) scripture scrolls, and in any case Ezekiel was under suspicion of encouraging dangerous mystical speculation, as well as being sometimes obscure, incoherent, and pornographic. database? He later prophesied they would spend 70 years in exile beginning in the year 597 BC (Jeremiah 25:11). This captivity would be followed by a prophesied second captivity in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar fully destroyed Solomons Temple and, shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. 1) Brother Lee's Fellowship with Walter Martin . Yahwehs original glory includes four four-faced cherubim, each face turned in a unique direction. Ezekiel appears only briefly in the Dead Sea Scrolls, but his influence there was profound, most notably in the Temple Scroll with its temple plans, and the defence of the Zadokite priesthood in the Damascus Document. Ezekiel's Vision of Living Creatures. 1:10 ). A long passage with much detail, Ezekiel describes his first word from the Lord. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul. (3:1821). . This last section has extreme detail of the temple and how it should be built. A long passage with much detail, Ezekiel describes his first word from the Lord. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan., The future; a daunting subject that people over generations have fretted about and try to plan against by constructing predictions on what may happen based on what they think they know. Throughout the text, therefore, there are nuggets of information dropped as to what to look for to determine when that will happen so people can prepare accordingly. This is the law of the temple: all the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy, such is the law of the temple. Ezekiels vision will be fulfilled some day; only time will tell if todays scenario in the Middle East is a direct precursor to it. The tabernacle was at the center of the camp, with furnishings at each point of the compass: the bronze altar in the courtyard to the east, the ark in the far west, the table of showbread on the north wall of the Holy Place, and the lampstand on the south wall. With Ezekiel, God did not force Israel to listen, He gave the option and they had to choose. From a distance, Ezekiel sees what Israel saw, a storm wind and a great cloud flashing with lightning and fire. 6), Ezekiels is part of his ordination as prophet. The chariot of God in Ezekiels vision represents the mobility of Gods Divine Presence. . Throughout the book of Ezekiel, one sees the closeness that he has with the Lord. 28:12; Ps. . Ezekiel was obedient to the visions and listened to. So, we can see that Isaiah is writing in a time of great conflict and insecurity, which increased throughout his prophetic life, ending in the unavoidable conquering of the small Judean kingdom by the Assyrian empire., The first 39 books of the larger work called the Bible, is called the Old Testament. Ezekiel sees the glory Moses and Solomon saw, but Ezekiel doesnt sees it on Sinai, at Shiloh, or in Jerusalem. It was nineteen years since Ezekiel had seen the vision of the glory of the Lord leaving His temple (10:18-22; 11: 22-24). Throughout the book of Ezekiel, he writes of the symbolic actions the Lord asks of him. When Israel camped in the wilderness, the 12 tribes were divided into four groups, with three turned toward each of the four cardinal directions (Num. He resided by the river of Chebar . In a couple passages above, the writer talks about the word ruach being used. This Temple is associated with the coming Messianic Age. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. The very place where Ezekiel saw the visions was the place where Satan instigated the greatest rebellion against God among the fallen people. [25] The process of purification begins, God prepares to leave, and a priest lights the sacrificial fire to the city. This is not for her sake alone, but to make sure the nations do finally see that He is the one, true, holy and sovereign God of the universe. (Downers Grove, Ill,; Intervarsity Pr, 1969), 264, Leon J. God called this priest to be a prophet at the age of 30, five years into this first Babylonian exile. Order custom essay The Visions of Ezekiel Ezekiel, was a great man of God and very faithful to Him. Ezekiel glimpses the interior of the throne room because Yahweh is about to invite him to take his place among the living creatures. The pendulum swung back in the post-war period, with an increasing acceptance of the book's essential unity and historical placement in the Exile. Instead of affecting change through Gods righteousness, they were swept away by the sins of the nations and worshiped idols and sacrificed their own children in the fire. The book moves on to anticipate the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, explains this as God's punishment, and closes with the promise of a new beginning and a new Temple. Furthermore, the Lord gives instructions to Ezekiel to tell the Israelites that it is time to rebuild Gods house. . Ezekiel wasnt the first man to see Yahwehs glory cloud. Amazingly, Ezekiel describes all of these future scenarios that we have seen unfold in our generation. Lesson 6 Ezekiel the Prophet of Visions in the Old Testament Unit 13 The Prophets. [3] Its themes include the concepts of the presence of God, purity, Israel as a divine community, and individual responsibility to God. [1] According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet Ezekiel, exiled in Babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571BCE, although it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve the very words of the prophet.[2]. By John A Carroll Week 46 in the WordNovember 12-18, 2021 This week, if you are following the Concealed and Revealed schedule, we will conclude Hebrews and begin our reading in Ezekiel. As a "sentinel for the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 3:17), Ezekiel had repeatedly warned of God's pending penalty for Judah's transgressions, including its fondness for idolatry (Ezekiel 5:7-10). As one writer wrote, taking such steps allows God to unearth the dry bones in our lives, to revive our hearts and to breathe new life into our souls. Such neglect did not characterize the earliest history of the book., Bibliography: Brown, M. L. (2010). Meanwhile, we await the construction of Ezekiels Temple, for which the Temple Institute and Temple Mount Faithful have already prepared blueprints, construction materials, utensils, adornment, furniture and priests who will reestablish ritual sacrifices. The throne vision Chapter 1 Chapter 4 2. His words are so power that one of the Judean idolaters, a man named Pelatiah, falls down dead (11:13)[3] Ezekiel must not have been too pleased with that event, but he knew he needed to listen to the voice of the Lord speaking unto him. Book Overviews. The parallels among these different structures are suggestive. He is clearly connected with the Holiness Code and its vision of a future dependent on keeping the Laws of God and maintaining ritual purity. He is believed to have prophesied from about 592 to 570 B.C., almost a quarter-century, between and overlapping . Peter J. Leithart is president of the Theopolis Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. As God gives this message to His people, through Ezekiel, I think that Ezekiel also senses this great love for a disobedient people. And so, throughout Christianity, individuals have stepped up to the, One day in about the year 95 A.D., a man named John had a vision from heaven. This is a reminder that God does pursue those whom He loves, but He also wants His people to come to Him out of freedom. He enters Babylonian territory riding on his war chariot, on the wings of the cherubim. 1:1). 2:1), the Spirit enters him, he eats a book, and then hes sent out to speak the words of Yahweh and stand as a watchman over the house of Israel (Ezek. b. What a contrast visions and weeping! 3348 promise that God will be known through the restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel. God choses whomever He wants to give His messages to His people. These visions can even be applied today in the modern day church and show how much God loves His people despite repetitive sin. He chose them for a reason, and He wanted them to know His love like no other. 124 teach that God will be revealed in the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple; chs. Just please come back, not because I need you, but because I want you. When Yahweh sends Israel into exile, he packs up and heads into exile with them. biblica. In chapter 1 of the book named after Ezekiel, God gave the prophet a glimpse of the spirit realm, which serves God in accomplishing His will. v. 1 "I saw visions of God" compare Ezekiel to the other captives who said, "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion" ( Psalm 137:1 ). Ezekiel - Outline Author: Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi (1:3). Ezek. cookie policy. And centuries later, the heavens split open again as another prophet, another Son of Man, is commissioned at the age of 30 to see visions of God (Luke 3:21-24; cf. Its a remarkable rare occurrence in Scripture. He was a humble servant, he stood before his Master ready to do whatever He had for him. a. How to Handle a Difficult Small-Group Member, 5 Surprising Books to Help Navigate the Gender Debates, Wednesday Addams and the Return of Black-and-White Morality. Ezekiel's vision of the cherubim shows them supporting the throne alongside four mystical wheels. The Bible itself is arguably the best selling and most read book of all time, yet its well known to be quite challenging to read through and understand. He promises: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. The visions, and the book, are structured around three themes: (1) Judgment on Israel (chapters 124); (2) Judgment on the nations (chapters 2532); and (3) Future blessings for Israel (chapters 3348). Something went wrong. Likewise, in the last days described in chapters 3839, Ezekiel foresees that all false walls of protection and rumors of peace (spoken or unspoken) will ultimately crash down as well, and the world will know that the Lord has done it. The book of Daniel recounts timeless stories of heroes exhibiting unshakable faith and . According to Jewish tradition, the Men of the Great Assembly wrote the Book of Ezekiel, based on the prophet's words. They had been buried, as it were, in the foreign lands to which they had been exiled. 78:23; Mal. . Our staff at Bibles For Israel are especially privileged to see firsthand how the truth of prophetic Scriptures witness to the spirits of the Jewish People that Yeshua is their Savior and Lord, as well as Messiah. Not as slaves, but having a real relationship with Him. The Babylonian context. The book of Ezekiel bursts with vivid descriptions of heavenly visions, strong judgments, and incomprehensible divine love. Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple-its arrangement, its exit and entrances--its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Something like this has happened before. Each cherub has four facesthe face of a bull, a lion, an eagle, and a man (Ezek. 78:23; Mal. Wood, Prophets of Israel, The (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 358. http://www. Because of this traditional connection between Ezekiels vision of the chariot in chapter 1 and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai (which is celebrated on Shavuot/ Pentecost) Ezekiel 1:128 is read as the Haftarah (Prophetic) portion on this holy holiday. [23] In Ezekiel the phrase describes God mounted on His throne-chariot as he departs from the Temple in chapters 111 and returns to what Marvin Sweeney describes as a portrayal of "the establishment of the new temple in Zion as YHWH returns to the temple, which then serves as the center for a new creation with the tribes of Israel arrayed around it" in chapters 4048. The Visions of Ezekiel e) The Refuse (32:5) 32:5 "I will lay your flesh on the mountains And fill the valleys with your refuse. can use them for free to gain inspiration and new creative ideas for their writing [5] Now, in the book of Ezekiel, there is not much, if any, information on how Israel responded or how Ezekiel shared these prophecies. Occasion: Ezekiel is writing from Babylon for the people exiled . : What does the word mean this time? 3:10). Ezekiel is different. Its with the exiles in Babylon, who gather by the river Chebar. Old Testament Overviews. This word is parallel to the Greek word in the New Testament, Pneuma, which is typically used for describing the Holy Spirit. He is now our gate to Divine Revelation and personal communication with our Father in heaven, Adonai Himself. That means the eagle face must be facing back to the north, toward the Lords throne at the pole of the sphere of heaven (cf. Notably, Ezekiel blames the Babylonian exile not on the people's failure to keep the Law, but on their worship of gods other than Yahweh and their injustice: these, says Ezekiel in chapters 811, are the reasons God's Shekhinah left his city and his people. Whatever happens, we must be devoted to the word of God. The book being opened Chapters 2-3 . [3] Its themes include the concepts of the presence of God, purity, Israel as a divine community, and individual responsibility to God. His most recent book is a commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles (Brazos Press, 2019). Ezekiel or Ezechiel (/ z i k i l /; Hebrew: Yezql [j.zqel]; in the Septuagint written in Koin Greek: Iezekil [i..z.kiel]) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible.. (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1951), 105, James D. Newsome and Jr, The Hebrew Prophets (Atlanta, GA: Westminster John Knox Press, 1986), 126, Robert B. Chisholm and Jr, Handbook On the Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Academic, 2002), 270, Andrew W. Blackwood Jr. and Ezekiel-Prophecy of Hope (Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Book House,1965), 224-225, John B. Taylor, Ezekiel (tyndale Old Testament Commentaries), 1ST ed. Ps. Instead of an ascent, he sees a descent, the original living throne of Yahweh moving from heaven to earth. The information contained in this report was obtained from various websites, such as http://www.biblegateway.com, www.revelationcommentary.org and www.keyway.ca, God used people to speak his words for him. Ezekiel was one of the prophet who were taken into exile along with King Jehoiachin. From the first chapter, which graphically describes the overwhelming invasion of the divine presence into Ezekiels world, to the last phrase of Ezekiels vision (the Lord is there) the book sounds and echoes Gods sovereignty. Little did I know when I began reading this text that it would so completely satisfy two of my greatest pleasures; studying the Word of God and studying peoples history., reason except that is who He wanted. To the right of the man face is the lion face, facing west, and to the left is the bull face, turned east. If you know anything about that latter book, you know that its author describes visions which are among the most confusing and bizarre in all the Bibleperhaps in all of literature. As a priest, Ezekiel praises the Zadokites over the Levites (lower level temple functionaries), whom he largely blames for the destruction and exile. They have a human form ( Ezek. The haftarah for the first day of Shavuot is of the most hallowed portions of the Bible. He is not limited to the temple in Jerusalem. In application to my life, I think that the biggest lesson one can learn is how to submit to the Lord and listen to His voice no matter what it is saying. 1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, thatthe heavens were opened and I saw visions[ a] of God. 46). He asked them to do his work. THE VISION: EZEKIEL: REVELATION: 1. 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