Revised by Tyler Mayfield (6/23)
God’s Centrality in the Book
When reading the Book of Ezekiel, one gets the sense of God’s overriding presence and command. The book prioritizes God’s voice over the prophetic voice. God typically commands the prophet to say an oracleAn oracle is a divine utterance of guidance, promise, or judgment delivered to humans through an intermediary (who is often also called an oracle). In the Bible oracles are given by Balaam (in the book of Numbers) and by David (in 2 Samuel). A number… or do a sign-act. But the book does not usually depict EzekielEzekiel was a priest and prophet who was raised in Jerusalem and exiled to Babylon in 597 BCE. as accomplishing these acts. God’s command is enough. Ezekiel also uses the formula “They/you will know that I am the LORD” at least 70 times to express the priority of knowledge about God.
An example of this theme occurs in the prophet’s call story in Ezekiel 2-3. The prophet is commanded to stand, but he needs the spirit to set him on his feet. We get the sense that this call story is less about the prophet’s desires and more about God’s. Further, the spirit animates the prophet who is not able to respond as he is commanded. The missing element in this call story is the prophet’s objection. Ezekiel does not object. In fact, the chapter does not record any response from the prophet. The emphasis is on the divine call and the rebellious people, not on Ezekiel. His digestion of the scroll also points to his lack of objection to this call. This nonresponse stands in contrast to Isaiah’s “Woe is me! I am a man of uncleanIn Hebrew law many regulations warned against impurity. Unclean things were numerous and included leprosy, menstruating women, dead bodies, shell fish, and pigs. lips” and Jeremiah’s “I do now know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” The lack of a response by Ezekiel also highlights another feature of this book—Ezekiel’s seeming lack of free will. He is unable to stand at the beginning of this chapter without the spirit’s assistance. He carries out most of his prophetic tasks only under divine control.
Glory of the Lord
The vision of the glory of the Lord represents a view of God as transcendent Lord of all creationCreation, in biblical terms, is the universe as we know or perceive it. Genesis says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the book of Revelation (which speaks of end times) the author declares that God created all things and… and serves as a symbol of the spiritual presence of God among the people. The visions occur at several points in the book, where God’ s glory is leaving the old TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged…, coming to the Jews in exile, and dwelling within the future, restored Temple.
The Priestly tradition in the Bible includes this emphasis on glory from the time of the wilderness (Exodus 16:7) to the tabernacleThe tabernacle, a word meaning “tent,” was a portable worship place for the Hebrew people after they left Egypt. It was said to contain the ark of the covenant. The plans for the tabernacle are dictated by God in Exodus 26., then the ark, and eventually the Temple. A vision of this glory from exile confirms God’s ability to be revealed to the people outside of the Temple.
HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine Character of God
The holiness of the Lord is a constant theme of this book, a background belief manifested in many ways. God’s holiness appears in visual form in the awesome throne vision (Ezekiel 1:4-28). Divine holiness demands that evildoers and idolaters be punished-a central theme in Ezekiel’s prophecies against JudahJudah was the name of Jacob’s fourth son and one of the 12 tribes., Israel, and the nations. Despite the covenantA covenant is a promise or agreement. In the Bible the promises made between God and God’s people are known as covenants; they state or imply a relationship of commitment and obedience. God made with God’s people, they were disobedient and rebellious: “You are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you…” (5:7). Because of divine holiness and righteousness, the Lord punishes the people; yet, in defense of the holy name, God does not utterly destroy (Ezekiel 20:9, 14, 22). God will gather, heal, and sanctify the people in future restoration. The structure and character of the restored Temple embody the holiness of the Lord (Ezekiel 40—43).
Hope of Restoration
Despite the sinfulness of Israel and the righteousA righteous person is one who is ethical and faithful to God’s covenant. Righteousness in the Old Testament is an attitude of God; in the New Testament it is a gift of God through grace. In the New Testament righteousness is a relationship with God… wrath of God, Ezekiel does contain messages of healing, hope, and consolation. The long vision of the restoration of the land and Temple is one significant locus for this theme (chapters 40—48), but it occurs in many places (Ezekiel 6:8-10; 11:16-20; 16:60-63; 20:33-38). Ezekiel’s theology focuses on Israel, and in a future new exodus God will gather the people back to the Promised Land. God’s words of consolation are about concrete blessings from God, such as food, peace, land, and a restored covenant and Temple.
Responsibility: Individual and Corporate
Like much of the Old Testament, Ezekiel has a firm notion of the corporate responsibility of a tribe, nation, or people before the Lord. His judgments against the nations are evidence of this. Yet we find a new theme alongside it: the responsibility of the individual sinner to repentRepentance is a central biblical teaching. All people are sinful and God desires that all people repent of their sins. The Hebrew word for repent means to “turn away” from sin. The Greek word for repentance means to “change on’e mind,” more specifically, it means…, and the justice of the Lord in punishing individuals only for their own sins (Ezekiel 18).
Rethinking SalvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. History
Israel in exile is faced with unbelief: Is their god real, or just a local deity of little importance? Is their religion of any enduring value? Ezekiel’s resounding “Yes” to continued faith in the Lord occurs along with a willingness to rethink key issues in the relationship between God and Israel, including their covenant history (chapters 16 and 20). This suggests the flexibility of God in relationship to God’s people in history.
Sinfulness of God’s People
As was common among the prophets, Ezekiel’s prophetic vocation includes a powerful word of the Lord to the people of Israel regarding their sins. The sinfulness of the people is not recent; Ezekiel retells the early history of Israel to emphasize their constant rebellion and sinfulness (chapter 20). These sins include rebellion, turning their backs on the Lord (that is, abandoning their faith in God), idolatry, defiling the Temple, willfully breaking the commandments, including blasphemyBlasphemy is disrespecting or dishonoring of something held sacred. To use the name of God in swearing or to commit a profane act is to commit blasphemy. and Sabbath-breaking. For these grave sins, God punished Judah and Jerusalem with destruction and exile.
Sinfulness of the Nations
As the holy Creator and Lord, God acts as judge of the nations and their rulers (chapters 25—32). The Lord does not expect them to follow the laws of Israel (like the SabbathSabbath is a weekly day of rest, the seventh day, observed on Saturday in Judaism and on Sunday in Christianity. In the book of Genesis, God rested on the seventh day; in the Gospel accounts Jesus and his disciples are criticized by some for not…), but condemns them for general wrong-doing, such as oppression, corruption, greed, and lust for violence. Especially important for the prophet was the cruel way Israel’s neighbors treated Judah/Jerusalem during its fallThe Fall refers specifically to the disobedience of Adam and Eve when they listened to Satan rather than adhering to God’s command not to eat the fruit from the tree. When people act contrary to God’s will, they are said to fall from from grace…; their greed and gloating is condemned by God. Another theme is the prophet’s words against any false trust that some were putting in other nations (chiefly Egypt) rather than in the Lord.
Temple: God’s Dwelling Place
The Temple is a key theme in Ezekiel. The Temple is a physical manifestation of the presence, glory, and blessingBlessing is the asking for or the giving of God’s favor. Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of his firstborn Esau. At the Last Supper Jesus offered a blessing over bread and wine. To be blessed is to be favored by God. of God in Israel. A key sin of Israel is the defilement of the Temple (5:11; 8:5-18), and this is in turn a key reason for its destruction, the sacking of Jerusalem, and the exile. In one of his visions of the “glory of the LORD” as an awesome throne-chariot, Ezekiel sees the glory departing from the Temple (10:18-19). In the large vision that ends the book (chapters 40—48), the prophet-priest describes the future restoration of the Temple and its rituals as God’s promise of blessing, restoration, and divine presence for the future.
True and False Religion
As prophet and priestA priest is a person who has the authority to perform religious rites. In New Testament times priests were responsible for daily offerings and sacrifices in the temple., Ezekiel is zealous for the Lord, consistently condemning idolatry, Sabbath-breaking, and disobedience to the law. This applies to Israel past, present, and future as well as to the surrounding nations (on grounds of general human justice rather than Israel’s unique laws). The Lord is revealed throughout the book as Lord of all nations and all creation.
Wrath of God
The wrath of God against Judah, Israel, the Jews in exile, and the nations and their rulers is a common theme in Ezekiel. The wrath of God is not arbitrary or vicious, but God’s steady resolve to destroy evil and wickedness. God’s wrath is provoked by the sinfulness of the people of Israel, sins which include idolatry, Sabbath-breaking, defiling the Temple, and placing their faith in other nations rather than in the Lord. God’s wrath also rests upon sinful nations and rulers surrounding Judah/Israel.
