AUTHOR

The last years of the kingdom of Judah were filled with all the tragedy and intrigue of a nation disintegrating. Josiah (640–609 BC) was Judah’s last godly ruler. After Hilkiah the priest discovered the book of the law in the temple, Josiah instituted religious reforms in an attempt to bring revival (2Kg 22:8,11-13). Upon his untimely death in 609 BC, he was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz, who immediately set out to reverse the spiritual progress made by his father. After only three months, Pharaoh Neco took him captive (2Kg 23:31-35; Jr 22:10-12) and replaced him with Eliakim, another son of Josiah, to whom he gave the throne name Jehoiakim. This son continued his brother’s policy of reversing the religious reforms their father had initiated.

With Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat of Pharaoh Neco in 605 BC, Babylon became the dominant power in the region. In the same year Nebuchadnezzar brought Judah under his control and took captives from Jerusalem, signaling the beginning of the end of the nation. Among the captives was a young man named Daniel, who (along with Ezekiel) became one of the two great prophets of the exile. For the next seven years Jehoiakim remained publicly loyal to Babylon while privately plotting to ally with Egypt in hope of gaining independence for Judah. In 598 BC, Nebuchadnezzar returned to Judah to overthrow Jehoiakim, replacing him with his 18-year-old son, Jehoiachin. After only three months, it was clear Jehoiachin wanted to follow his father’s dream of independence. So in 597 BC Nebuchadnezzar replaced him with his uncle, Mattaniah, whom Nebuchadnezzar gave the throne name of Zedekiah.

Early in this second siege of Jerusalem (598 BC), Nebuchadnezzar took a second group of captives to Babylon. Among them was a young man named Ezekiel, who was from the priestly family of Buzi, a Zadokite priest (1Kg 1:32; 2Kg 24:17; Ezk 1:3; 44:15). Expectations were high that Zedekiah’s reign would usher in a new era of peace, prosperity, and stability (Jr 28:1-9). It soon became evident, however, this would not be the case. In 598 BC, Ezekiel was twenty-five years old and was just five years from beginning his priestly service in the temple.

Even after these first two groups were taken captive, strong crosscurrents of rebellion continued to flow in Judah. Egypt formed a coalition with Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, and Judah. They planned to cast off the control of Babylon. Hopes were high both in Judah and among the captives in Babylon that the exile would be short-lived. They dreamed of an early return to Jerusalem and were convinced God would never allow the city to fall or the temple to be desecrated. But it was not to be so. Nebuchadnezzar returned for a third and final campaign that resulted in the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, and the carrying off of the temple treasures to Babylon in 587 or 586 BC (2Kg 25:1-21).

In 593 BC, six years before the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel received the first of a series of fourteen visions that comprise the 48 chapters of his book. His ministry continued for at least twenty-two years, until his last prophetic vision in 571 BC (29:17). Ezekiel was married, but no children are mentioned. In the midst of his ministry his wife died—a tragic loss that was the basis for one of his messages on the death throes of the nation (24:15-27). His name means “God strengthens.” Indeed, he sought to be a source of strength to both warn and encourage the people of their need for repentance and faith. His fourteen messages are arranged chronologically and each is dated, giving the year, month, and day. The messages commence with his call in 1:1, dated July 31, 593 BC, and continue until his vision in chapter 40 of the new temple, new Jerusalem, and reunified Israel, dated October 22, 573 BC.

The authorship of the book of Ezekiel has never been widely challenged. Even though Ezekiel’s name is mentioned only at 1:3 and 24:24, there has always been a general consensus that the prophet wrote the book. It is autobiographical throughout, with a uniformity of language and style. Its chronological arrangement also attests to its uniformity and structural balance.

THEMES IN EZEKIEL

Growing up in a priestly family impacted Ezekiel’s theological perspective. We can easily identify at least six themes in the book. Each theme builds on the previous ones as the message progresses.

1.Ezekiel’s message opens with a vision of God’s holiness and transcendence, which had been violated by Israel and Judah.

2.God's holy character demanded justice and judgment, which would bring about the imminent destruction of Jerusalem.

3.The transcendent God was concerned about and would judge the sinfulness of humanity. Earlier, Amos (ca 760 BC) had stressed the social injustices of the nation. Ezekiel took Amos’s view of sin a step further and identified the spiritual root of sin as violation of God’s holy character and commandments.

4.Growing out of Ezekiel’s view of sin was his call for individual responsibility. He presented one of the clearest statements of personal responsibility found in the Bible in his message of 18:1-32.

5.When he had fully developed the idea of accountability and judgment, he balanced it with wonderful messages of hope and restoration, especially in chapters 33–37 and 40–48.

6.The theme that pervades all the other theological perspectives of the book is the prophet’s consciousness of God’s redemptive purposes in light of his nature and man’s great need.

The eschatological (end times) perspective of Ezekiel has been a matter of much discussion. We must look at this perspective in its relationship to other biblical eschatological works, especially Daniel and Zechariah in the Old Testament and Revelation in the New Testament.

Obviously, one’s eschatological position will determine in large measure how one interprets the messages of Ezekiel. The view reflected in these notes follows the dispensational premillennial framework, which views the return of Christ as inaugurating a visible earthly kingdom for a thousand years. This view best complements the exegesis of the text and best correlates with the theology of Ezekiel and his understanding of the kingdom of God.

The message of the book is well organized and proceeds logically. The first section of the book begins with the reality of God’s presence in the midst of days of turmoil in 1:1–3:27 by addressing the theological question, where is God in the midst of life’s storms? Second, Ezekiel addressed the reality of judgment both for Israel and for the nations in 4:1–32:32. Third, Ezekiel revealed the reality of restoration and final defeat of Israel’s enemies in 33:1–39:29. Fourth, the prophet’s final message turned to the redemption and restoration that await all of God’s people in 40:1–48:35.