Ezekiel

[Monique]

I was asked to write about my reading that I have been doing on Ezekiel.
I will do this over time.
Here is my first posting. I pray to the Lord that I have done so clearly and correctly to the best of my ability.

The Book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel means strengthened by God or God strengthens)
Ezekiel was among the captives of Judah (the southern kingdom) taken to Babylon in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar in about 617 BC. He was among the captives living by the River Chebar.
The Bible clearly tells us that the Israel of David became two distinct nations (1Kings 12) one Israel the northern kingdom was conquered and taken away in the years 721-718 BC and no longer was around in the time of Ezekiel and Judah. These are two separate entities and this needs to be understood before the pieces of Ezekiel can be put together. Any good historical text will show this to be true. So when the Bible talks about the Jews and Judah it is only referring to the southern kingdom. When it talks about Israel it is to the northern kingdom or the scattered nations abroad as James refers to.
The dominant theme of Ezekiel is getting the know the one true God. God reveals Himself in this book. The wonderful thing is that Ezekiel prophesises that the whole world will know the one true God. This is where everything today is leading to.

The first chapter is truly remarkable as Ezekiel tries to put into words the vision that he has seen of our Father in Heaven. We as humans have something concrete to visualise. What an awesome Lord He is. Even His transport system is described as a great luminous vehicle with wings and revolving wheels moving at lightning speed. You really need to read the first chapter and keep this vision in your mind as you tackle the rest of the book.
So God comes to Ezekiel in his chariot and gives him visions. Ezekiel has been a captive for about 5 years before God spoke to him. That in itself says that Ezekiel was not feeling too good about himself, he had been humbled by the experience of captivity. As the Bible repeatedly tells us that mostly the mighty do not listen to God. He doesn’t work with them but with ordinary people.
Ezekiel 2:3-5 “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. 2:4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. 2:5 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.This is to the house of Israel not Judah. Israel has been taken away more than a hundred years before. Ezekiel is a prophet for this end time. This is to the nations that once knew God but have turned away from His truth. Who follow a counterfeit religion. God is warning us through Ezekiel about what is going to happen to our nations and individuals if we don’t repent and mend our ways.
Ezekiel 3:4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. 3:5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; 3:6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee. 3:7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. 3:8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. 3:9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
We have to warn everyone about what is to happen. We wont be liked. People don’t want to know. They are too comfortable. The Churches don’t do it because they want to be popular.
Ezekiel 2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; 2:10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
3:1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. 3:2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. 3:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

This is the same little book that John speaks about in Revelation 10. These two passages use nearly exactly the same language.

I’ll leave it there for you to digest and I’ll get back to this in a little while.

[Galaen]

Thanks for that Monique

[smellycat]

good post.

[Lily]

Didn't go into Ezekiel in depth in college but just goes to show how much of the New is concealed in the Old.

This is my favorite from Ezekiel,,,


Ezekiel 37:24-28
24 “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. 25 Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”

[Galaen]

My favourite bit of Ezekiel is the valley of dry bones, which can be found in chapter 37 - faaaaaaantastic.

[Monique]

OK a bit more of my study of Ezekiel et al.

The next piece of Ezekiel is that of the warning that we must give to the world or face the wrath of the Lord. This is so important as Ezekiel tells us that a watchman has been appointed to warn the spiritual people of Israel about their impending doom if they do not repent.

I had to ask myself what are the leaders of the churches doing in today’s pulpits? Are they warning their flock to get ready for God’s wrath that will come down on all those that do not follow God’s commands? Or are they sidestepping this issue and only telling the story of the Messenger rather than the Message of the Kingdom of God and what needs to be done to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Are they telling them that when they die they will go to Heaven? .

18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Ez 18:20 tells the truth but too many ministers really say to people The soul that sinneth, it shall not die, but live eternally. Isn’t that what Satan said to Eve in the garden? “Ye shall surely not die” was the first sermon ever preached upon the immortality of the soul.

Hopefully they are telling them that on Christ’s return they will all wake up from the grave and see Our Lord?
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Acts 17:31

I think Ezekiel is warning us to test our leaders and get out from them if they are found wanting. It is about losing your eternal life, it is that important. You don’t automatically get saved that’s Ezekiel’s message.

So the emphasis of Ezekiel is to warn, not on preaching the gospel to the world. This is for us in the last days. God has personally set the watchman there to warn.
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. Ezekiel 33: 7 .

People are not listening, or are not being told, and they are putting their very relationship with God at risk
Someone today is calling out to us “Behold it is Coming” we really do need to take notice.

What is coming? Isaiah tells us pretty clearly what is coming in the end times. Do we recognise this as happening now?

Is 1: 4-5 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5.Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

The whole head is sick. God is telling us that the power structures that we live under are sick. And the whole heart faint. No one, leaders or followers, have the will or strength to get to the root of our problems and solve them once and for all. Their heart is so weak and unhealthy that the governmental system is about to “faint” or “collapse”.

Is 1: 6-7 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 1:7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
This is a very scary passage. Because of our sinful nations which are laden with sin and because of our weak leaders we will experience desolation and burning at the hands of strangers.

When Jesus was talking to his disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple He gave them some warning signs. I have just finished reading Josephus: The Jewish War and found that judgements upon Jerusalem were delayed. God wanted as many of the inhabitants as possible to be saved. He wanted to give the message that the apostles were bringing to the people to reach as many they could. But the Jews were stubborn and hated those that preached the message of Christ. So God finally had to withdraw his protection of the city.

Josephus describes events that happened before the destruction; in the middle of the night an unnatural light shone over the temple and the altar. In the clouds at sunset were pictured chariots and men of war gathering for battle. Priests ministering by night in the sanctuary were terrified by mysterious sounds, the earth trembled and many voices called out Let us depart Hence. The eastern gate which was so heavy it took many men to even move it and was secured by huge bars of iron opened at midnight by itself. For seven years a man had gone up and down the streets of Jerusalem ceaselessly chanting about the woes that were to befall Jerusalem. He was imprisoned and scourged but he never uttered and word. He didn’t stop until he too was slaughtered in the siege of Jerusalem.

After the Romans under Cestius had surrounded the city they unexpectedly left and the Jews pursued them. During this time many Christians who took heed of the Lord’s warning escaped from the city and were saved. However on the return of Titus the population was slaughtered and the temple destroyed. Christ is warning us today. We have to wake up and listen or we will be like the Jews in AD 70 who ridiculed and mocked those who warned them.
We really do need to watch and listen.