INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL

The book of Ezekiel was written by a priest-prophet named

Ezekiel (meaning “God will strengthen”) in around 593-571
B.C., when those messages were given. The book has 48
chapters and contains a number of visions and prophecies
regarding the then and future Israel.

About the Author

Ezekiel was born in 623 B.C. in a priestly family of
Jerusalem. His father’s name was Buzi (1:2). When he was
25 years old, he was taken away into the exile in Babylon
by the army of king Nebuchadnezzar who invaded
Jerusalem in 597 B.C. Five years later, in 593 B.C., Ezekiel
got his first vision of God when he was 30 years old, the
age when a priest was supposed to enter temple ministry
(1:1-3). Beginning from then, he prophesied for the next 30
years, his last message dates as on April 28, 573 B.C.
(Zondervan Archaelogical Bible). Ezekiel typifies the style of
prophetical life in which the prophesy is symbolized by a
lifestyle of the prophet which acts as object lessons to the
audience.

Date
The book was written between 593-573 B.C.

Place
The messages were given to the exiles in Babylon.

Message
The book contains series of messages that deal with God’s
judgment of and later, restoration of Israel.

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Plan
The messages can be divided into three periods:

1. Pre-siege Messages (593-586 B.C.) – Chapters 1-24

2. Messages during the Siege (586 B.C.) – Chapters 25-32
3. Post-siege Messages (586-573 B.C.) – Chapters 33-48

The first part deals with prophecies related to God’s

judgment of Israel and the transition into the “times of the
gentiles” when the three great world empires, according to
Daniel’s prophecy, would arise and rule over Israel.

The second part is a set of prophecies of condemnation on

those nations that oppressed Israel.

The third part speaks of the glorious plan of God regarding

the restoration of Israel.

Ezekiel and Revelation in Comparison

 The first vision of Ezekiel is similar to that of John in
Revelation 4. Both have a vision of the glory of the
Lord and of 4 living creatures. However, John’s vision
is of things in heaven, while Ezekiel’s is of things on
earth.
 John’s vision has mainly to do with events related to
the Church under Roman rule (the 4th kingdom
prophesied by Daniel – a kingdom which is revived in
the last days) while Ezekiel is speaking of Israel,
especially before and after the destruction of
Jerusalem.
 Both Ezekiel and John have a vision of God’s future
and glorious temple (Eze.40-46; Rev.21,22).

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Understanding Ezekiel

It is understood that Jewish Rabbis prohibited a person

from reading the book of Ezekiel until he was 30 years old.
Perhaps, it has to do something with the fact that Ezekiel
himself was 30 when the visions came to him; but, more
because the book is filled with so much of abstruse imagery
(Jerome). However, since “all Scripture is given by the
inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in all righteousness” we
understand that the prophetical message of Ezekiel is
meant for our edification to make us wise unto salvation.

God speaks in Ezekiel through four different ways:

1. Visions – They reveal God’s glory in relation to His

people (the 4 living creatures, the Temple). They usually
answer the question, “What is the truth of God?”
2. Symbols – Ezekiel is to signify certain happenings
through his very life (e.g. the mimic siege, the razor, the
death of his wife). They usually answer the question,
“How is it going to happen?”
3. Parables and Allegories – They illustrate the story of
God’s relation with His people and demonstrate the reason
why He chastises them (the boiling pot, the vine). They
usually answer the question, “Why is it going to happen?”
4. Plain speech – They are explanations, commands, and
promises that God gives to Ezekiel and to His people.
Promises – Ezekiel contains a number of divine promises
including the promise of a new covenant and the future
regathering of Israel.

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EZEKIEL’S TOMB IN IRAQ

The prophet Ezekiel
prophesied to the Jewish
exiles in Babylon (modern
day Iraq) from 593-586 BC.
Situated between the towns
of Hillah and Najaf, 130 kms
south of Baghdad, there is a
tomb called the tomb of
Dhu’l-Kifl which is
considered to be the tomb of
Ezekiel. Dhu’l-Kifl is
considered by many to be a
Quranic rendering of the
name of Ezekiel.

Earlier, a large group of Jews used to visit this tomb during

the Passover. According to ArchNet,
The site was originally a place of Jewish pilgrimage as
it housed the tomb of the prophet Ezekiel. The Iraqi
authorities assert that in 1316 the Ilkhanid Sultan
Uljaitu acquired the rights of guardianship over the
tomb from the Jewish community. Consequently, the
shrine was re-named according to the Islamic
nomenclature for the same prophet. Sultan Uljaitu
added to the structure by building a mosque and a
minaret. As well he restored the shrine implementing
some alterations made clear by comparing its present
state with pre-Ilkhanid travelers’ descriptions. The site
remained a Muslim pilgrimage place until the
beginning of the nineteenth century when Menahim
Ibn Danyal, a wealthy Jew, successfully converted it
back to a Jewish site and restored it. The minaret

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remained as the only witness to its tenure as an

Islamic site.

The Muslims regard Dhu’l-Kifl as a prophet. The Quran

mentions:
And (remember) Ismail and Idris and Dhul-Kifl, all
were from among those who observe
patience.[Qur'an 21:85–86]
And remember Ismail and Al-Yasa and Dhul-Kifl, and
they were all from the best.[Qur'an 38:48]

In 2009, there were reports that the Iraqi government had

launched a project to renovate the Shrine (See Jerusalem
Post of 1 May, 2009). However, it was later reported that
there were no intentions to convert the tomb into a mosque
(See Jerusalem Post of 14 May, 2009).

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CHAPTER 1
WHEEL WITHIN THE WHEEL

Chapter 1 demonstrates how God’s servants, the cherubim,

are connected to God’s will in perfect unison that they only
go where the Spirit wants to go. The wheels demonstrate
God’s sovereign ruling over creation and the winged
cherubim symbolize the perfection of His executed will.

Ezekiel is accosted by God by the river Chebar in Babylon

by direct visions of God. He sees the heavens open and
sees the Might of God’s Glory amidst the holy cherubim in
chapter 1. The scene displays the fact that God’s glory is
not limited to the Temple. The Tabernacle of old and the
Temple of Jerusalem were only shadows of the real, which
is Christ. The faces of the cherubim, viz. man, lion, ox, and
eagle were on the standards of each of the four companies
of Israel that encamped around the Tabernacle in the
wilderness (Num. 2:2). Each face prophetically symbolized
the 4-fold nature of Christ and the living creatures or

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cherubim as well as those ensigns, thus carried the mark of

God’s glory as revealed in Jesus Christ:

 Man (north) – Humanity of Jesus Christ

 Lion (right, east of Tabernacle) – Royalty of Jesus
Christ
 Ox (left, west of Tabernacle) – Servanthood of
Jesus Christ
 Eagle (south) – Divinity of Jesus Christ

The revelation of God in Ezekiel 1 is, therefore, the

revelation of Christ (Eze.1:26).

Key: The history of Israel and the history of the world

consummates in Jesus Christ (Rom.10:4; Eph.1:10;2:16;
Col.2:10).

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”

(Rev.19:10).

Important notes about chapter 1:

“out of the north” (v 4) – The north symbolically designates

the dwelling place of God (Job 37:22; Ps. 48:2; Isa.14:13;
41:25).

“a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself” (v 4) – This is

how the Lord appeared in His glory to the Israelites in the
wilderness. It demonstrates His presence, purity,
and power (Exo. 24:16,17).

“they went wherever the Spirit wanted to go” (v 12) – This

reflects the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness.
Whenever the Shekinah glory of God (Pillar of cloud or
Pillar of fire) lifted up from the Tabernacle and moved the
priests had to dismantle the Tabernacle, according to the
guidelines, and follow the Lord (Exo. 40:36-38). As the

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cherubim were bound to the ark of the covenant in the

Temple, so are they bound to God’s will and action in
reality.

“a wheel in the middle of a wheel” (v 16) – The contrast

between the ark of the covenant and this vision is clear. The
ark had to be born on the shoulders of the priests, but the
heavenly reality of which the earthly is only a copy moved
on intersecting wheels according to the direction of the
Spirit of God. There was no need of dismantling the
Tabernacle when the cloud lifted. This is the divine chariot
of God that surpasses the glory and might of all the kings of
the earth. God’s movement on the earth are marked
by omnipresence (He fills the earth, “so
high”), omniscience (He sees all things “full of eyes”),
and omnipotence (v 18).

Mark this: God’s call to His servants comes only after a

self-revelation of Himself (Exo.3; Isa.6; Lk.5:1-11). Have
you known God yet?

Chapter 1 ends with “the likeness of the appearance of a

man” in fire, rainbow, and great brightness, and Ezekiel
recounts “This was the appearance of the likeness of the
glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face…”
(1:28). This was the manifestation of the God of Israel in the
vision of Jesus Christ, 500 years before His birth in
Bethlehem.
The ministry of a certainty belongs to Christ who is the Son
over His own house (Heb.3:5). It was He whom Moses
obeyed when he forsook Pharaoh’s palace (Heb.11:26),
and He who was the Pillar of Cloud and Pillar of Fire, the
Angel of the LORD to lead the Israelites in the wilderness
(1Cor.10:1-4). The Messiah was before Abraham (Jn.8:58).
Christ now calls Ezekiel and commissions him to the
prophetical ministry that would reveal the transition from the

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old into the new, the fading of the Old Covenant into the
New Covenant. It doesn’t mean a cessation of Israel as a
people of God, but a revelation of God’s purposes for them
in a glorious Temple of which Christ Himself is the High
Priest. It marks the plan for the tearing of the veil and the
revelation of God’s Holy Presence through the covenant of
Jesus Christ. Ezekiel, perhaps, had been contemplating on
his 30th year that he should have been in the temple at
Jerusalem, but God now reveals that he is appointed to be
a prophet of renewal. God’s glory now comes from the north
(not from the east) directly to Babylon where Ezekiel, the
heavens open up on earth to a man called to be a priest. He
is now called to be a prophet of the Most High, to reveal
mysteries that are too hard for words, that would need
symbols, imageries, and parables. Ezekiel the priest is
called and commissioned by God in exile.

Thought: Do you think you are in an exile like situation

where ministry is an impossibility? You do not need to worry
about place, time, or situations. God is not limited by them.
His Glory fills the universe. Do you think that you have not
been qualified enough? God doesn’t call people after they
have qualified themselves. In fact, He only uses people
whom He first calls and qualifies. We only need to believe
and obey. Do you believe in Christ? Are you willing to do
whatever He says? The only way to be God’s servant is by
giving up all rights, absolutely all of them, in perfect
submission to His Lordship. It is then that His fire and His
light envelops your heart and passion to be a watchman of
Israel.

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CHAPTER 3
“EAT THIS SCROLL”
“Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find;
eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I
opened my mouth, and He cause me to eat that scroll.”
(Eze. 3:1,2).

By this the Lord qualified Ezekiel for the prophetic ministry.

1. Apprehension: The servant of God must fully apprehend

the meaning of the message he preaches. If he’s not clear
about the message, then neither can he communicate it to
others. The Lord tells Ezekiel to feed his belly and fill his
stomach with the scroll (v.3). It’s only after Ezekiel has
eaten it and known its taste to be as sweet as honey, that
he’s able to stand boldly and proclaim what he knows about
what God means to say.

2. Assimilation: The word became internal to the servant.

The word and the servant became one. Only when the word
is mixed with faith will the result be divine perspective and
divine fulfillment (Heb. 4:1,2). Therefore, God commands
Ezekiel his prophet saying,“Son of man, receive into your
heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your
ears” (Eze.3:10). Similarly, Jesus said to His disciples, “If
you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask
what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).
This assimilation of God’s word occurs when we take God
at His word without any circumvention.

3. Articulation: Ezekiel’s clear, straightforward, and

fearless proclamation of God’s word is possible only
because the word now defines the mission and expression

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of who he is. He is God’s servant and God’s prophet and

the totality of his existence is defined in the relentless and
front-line articulation of the divine message. The articulation
needs to be

(a) Verbal (v.4). It consists of words.

(b) Personal (v5). It concerns people as persons.
(c) Public (v5). It concerns a message that is religious, but
social and political as well.
(d) Relentless (v6). The proclamation will not be affected in
either intensity or verity despite the indifference or hostility
of the audience.
(e) Testimonial (v7). The proclamation is a call to
repentance, but is not oriented to it. It is merely a testimony
of divine Truth.
(f) Powerful (v8). The testimony is stronger than the
strength of worldly wisdom, vice, and violence. It looks in
the eyes because it is pure.
(g) Fearless (v9). The proclamation is bold, courageous,
and advancing. It doesn’t stop anywhere nor can be limited
byour any bonds or chains.

Prayer: Lord, grant your laborers the clarity of your vision,

the strength of your soul, the passion of your heart, and the
boldness of your Spirit to live out and preach the truth that
you’ve given us to assimilate, apprehend, and articulate.
The Lord’s Name be blessed forever. Amen!

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CHAPTER 3
WATCHMAN UNTO ISRAEL

Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word
of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have made
you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a
word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
When I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,’ and you
give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his
wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die
in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your
hand. (Ezekiel 3:16-18)

God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman for the house of Israel

(3:17).

The Nature of His Position is:

1. Sacred. He is appointed by God. “I have made you a

watchman” (v.17).
2. Specific. It relates to the people of Israel. “for the house
of Israel” (v.17).
3. Serious. It concerns life or death. His faithfulness in
watchfulness and warning will mean life or death to the
ones he’s called to minister. “I will hold you accountable for
his blood” (v.18).
4. Solitary. He can’t depend on anyone or anyone’s
compliance or support. He is called alone and must be a
witness alone. “but you will have saved yourself” (v.19).

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The Duties of Ezekiel as God’s Watchman

for Israel are:

1. Watchfulness – Hearing God and being aware of thing

around – “Hear the word I speak and give them warning
from me.” (v.17)
2. Warning the Sinner. (v.18-21).
The Warning Must be:
a. Clear and Loud – “speak out” (v.18).
b. Conversion-Oriented – “to dissuade him from
his evil ways in order to save his life.” (v.18).
c. Cogent – It should be persuasive – “to dissuade
him from his evil ways in order to save his life.”
(v.18).
d. Concerned – It is moved by passion for souls –
“to save his life” (v.18).

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