Ezekiel was taken captive to Babylon in 597 B.C. and began his prophetic ministry among the other deportees. Before Jerusalem fell in 587 B.C., his message centered on the coming judgment. Many Jews still residing in Judah, as well as those already in Babylon, refused to believe Ezekiel concerning the impending destruction of Jerusalem. The prophet’s ministry focused on this epic event, using the exile to prove God was justified in punishing His people.
After Jerusalem fell, the prophet’s message changed from condemnation to consolation. He looked into the future, beyond the seventy years of captivity and envisioned the physical and spiritual rejuvenation of the nation.
Ezekiel was fearless and spiritually strong. His message was clear, direct, and uncompromising. He was a practical theologian whose nature was deeply introspective. His style is rich with parables, signs, allegories, visions, imagery, and symbolic actions in order to dramatize his messages. His most prominent theological concepts are God’s faithful nature, the purpose of His judgments, Israel’s restoration, repentance, and individual accountability to God.
Essay Questions
Summarize each of Ezekiel’s visions:
1. Vision of the Cherubim (1:4-28)
2. Vision of the Scroll (2:9 – 3:3)
3. Vision of the Plain (3:22-23)
4. Visions of Jerusalem (Ch. 8-11)
5. Vision of Dry Bones (37:1-28)
6. Visions of the New Temple (40:1 – 48:35)
7. What other prophet was already ministering in Babylon when Ezekiel prophesied? (Ez. 14:14-20 & 28:3). Consult Bible dictionaries and list other prophets who were also active during this era.
8. Identify, list, and summarize the symbolic actions of Ezekiel from the following passages: 4:1-17; 5:1-17; 12:1-20; 21:1-23; 22:17-31; 24:15-27; and 37:15-17.
9. Summarize Ezekiel’s message to the false prophets (13:1-23).
Give the spiritual lesson in each of the following parables or allegories:
10. The Vine (15:1-8)
11. The Faithless Wife (16:1-63)
12. The Two Eagles (17:1-21)
13. The Cedar (17:22-24)
14. The Lion’s Whelps (19:1-9)
15. The Withered Vine (19:10-14)
16. The Two Women (23:1-49)
17. The Boiling Pot (24:1-14)
18. List the Messianic prophecies found in chapters 34 through 39.
19. Describe Israel’s restoration as recorded in chapters 40 through 48.