Ezekiel 1-2

Bible Study with Dr. Chuck Missler

PRELUDE

The Book of Ezekiel
by Chuck Missler

Ezekiel used symbols and allegory more than other prophets. He had a remarkable vision of God’s Throne in Chapter 1, and this vision was referenced throughout the book. God intended his very life to be a sign to Israel; Ezekiel therefore engages in some strange behavior: he shut himself up in his home, bound himself, and was struck dumb. He was to lie on his right and his left sides for a total of 430 days, he ate bread that was prepared in an unclean manner, and he shaved his head and beard, which was shameful for those in his calling. 

Ezekiel was one of the most fascinating and mystical prophets of the Old Testament. He was held captive with King Jehoiachin in the second of three deportations under Nebuchadnezzar, years before Jerusalem was overthrown. Daniel, who had been in Babylon years before Ezekiel arrived, is mentioned three times.

Ezekiel was colorful—and enigmatic—in his prophetic perspectives. He was also very direct, carefully vindicating God’s justice, and also providing insight on Satan’s origin.
The famed vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones, in Chapters 36 and 37, is unquestionably the monumental Biblical fulfillment of the 20th century. The bones (Israel) come together and come back to life, at first as flesh without the spirit. Later, breath is breathed into them. But notice it’s two steps: flesh first, spirit later.

Isaiah, incidentally, makes an interesting remark, speaking of the same thing. He says, "The Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people" (Isaiah 11:11). When was the first time? After Babylon, when Cyrus gave the decree to build the Temple. Isaiah is saying that when God gathers them the second time, it will be the last time. From the 19th century on we have seen the move towards Zionism. On May 14, 1948, all the debates should have ended. Are these things literal? Is Israel going to be restored? Argue all you like until May 14, 1948. From that point on throw the old books out unless they agree with what Isaiah is saying, because Israel is there. They are in danger, but they are there. They are being restored, but many people who study Ezekiel 37 fail to read Ezekiel 36: Why is Israel to be restored?

Ezekiel 36:22-24
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land

God is restoring Israel because His name is on the document. He said He was, that’s why He’s going to do it. Not because Israel deserves it or because of their foreign policy, but because He said He would.

The impending—but ill-fated—invasion of Gog and Magog, described in Chapters 38 and 39, is among the most famous prophetic passages in the Bible and appears on our near horizon. You cannot really understand the caldron of the Middle East without carefully studying this book.

The last nine chapters are about the Millennial Temple. There’s a description of it that is so highly detailed most scholars realize that somehow it is very specific and very literal, but there are mysteries—it is interesting to note the things which are not mentioned. Throughout the entire nine chapters describing Ezekiel’s Temple we don’t see any gold or silver mentioned. There is no Table of Shewbread. No Golden Lamp-stand; no Ark of the Covenant mentioned (Jer 3:16). Where’s the Seat of Mercy? Where’s the Throne?


INTRODUCTION

2 Peter 1:20
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

Scripture does not have one meaning for you and another for me. In all these prophecies God had an intended communication. They were given to us in the Bible for our learning and enlightenment. Now, there may be areas in the Scripture where you and I may have different views.

However, it is not a selective nor secret knowledge type of thing. Our only guide is the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:21
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

This is very evident in the book we are about to study,
Ezekiel. It is probably the most ignored book in the Old Testament.


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Two Kingdoms

The Northern Kingdom – Israel
– 19 Kings reigned 250 years
– 7 different dynasties
– Assyrian Captivity, 721 b.c. (no return)

The Southern Kingdom – Judah
– 20 Kings reigned 370 years
– 1 dynasty: The Davidic
– Babylonian Captivity, 606 b.c. (70 years)

Chronology
- 612 BC: Nineveh falls to an alliance of Babylon and Media
- 609 BC: Pharaoh Necho leads army against Assyria. Josiah fights Necho and gets killed (2 Chronicles 35:20-24)
- 606 BC: Battle of Carchemesh. Nebuchadnezzar vs. Pharaoh Necho on the West bank of Euphrates (Jeremiah 46:1-6)
- 606 BC: The Babylonians began the first of three deportations of the Jews; Daniel was in this group
- 597 BC: In the second group was young Ezekiel, then about twenty five years old. He was taken to Tel Aviv near the ship canal Chebar (Ezekiel 3:15). There he lived in his own house with his beloved wife (Ezekiel 8:1; 24:16).
- 592 BC: Five years after Ezekiel came to Tel Aviv, he was called to be a prophet of God, when he was 30 years old; this was 6 years before the destruction of Jerusalem in 586, so while Jeremiah was ministering to the people back home, Ezekiel was preaching to the Jews of the captivity in Babylon. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel was a priest called to be a prophet.

Ezekiel the Man
Name means “God strengthens” or “God will strengthen”

One of the three that were called the Captivity Prophets (the other two are Jeremiah and Daniel)

Ezekiel was a priest, but he never fulfilled that role because he was taken captive to Babylon during the second deportation in the reign of Jehoiachin (aka, Jeconiah, the king of Judah) (2 Kings 24:10–16). He reigned only three months and was the object of the blood curse that is circumvented by the virgin birth (Jeremiah 22:30).

Ezekiel was with the captives who had been brought down to the rivers of Babylon. The captives had been placed by the great canal that came off the River Euphrates, which was several miles from Babylon itself. Ezekiel’s ministry was among those people.

Ezekiel's Message
Jeremiah had told them to settle down in Babylon for seventy years, but the false prophets told the people that God would destroy Babylon and set the captives free (Jeremiah 28 & 29). It was Ezekiel’s task to tell the people that God would destroy Jerusalem, not Babylon, but that there would one day be a glorious restoration of the people and a rebuilding of the temple.

His messages were not well-received at first (Ezekiel 14-18), but it did ultimately result in the nation being purged of adulterous practices. He later prophesied God’s judgment upon Israel, which took place during the 3rd deportation of Israelites.

The main theme of the book was to proclaim the sovereignty and the glory of God.

Organization of Ezekiel 
Source: Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments, Logos Research Systems, Inc., Oak Harbor, WA, 1997.

Prophecies about Israel’s Destruction
Ezekiel 1-3: The Call of the Prophet
Ezekiel 4-24: God’s judgment on Jerusalem (Given before the siege of Jerusalem)

Prophecies about the Surrounding Gentile Nations
Ezekiel 25-32: God’s judgment on the surrounding nations (Given during the siege)

Encouragements about the Future (With the destruction of Jerusalem having come and passed, also vindicating his prophecies, Ezekiel turns to focus on the future)
Ezekiel 33-48: God’s restoration of the Jews in the kingdom (Given after the siege)
Ezekiel 33-36: The Israelites return to the Land
Ezekiel 37: The Israelites experience new life and unity (The Valley of Dry Bones)
Ezekiel 38-39: God’s judgment on Gog and Magog
Ezekiel 40-48: The Millennium

Sequence of Events
- Ezekiel’s call to prophesy (Ezekiel 1:1-3:15)
- Symbolical predictions of Jerusalem’s destruction (Ezekiel 3:16-7:27)
- 14 months later, a vision of the temple was polluted by Tammuz or Adonis worship; God’s consequent scattering of fire over the city and forsaking of the temple reveal Himself to an inquiring people in exile; happier and purer times to follow (Ezekiel 8:1-11:25)
- Exposure of the particular sins prevalent in the priests, prophets, and princes (Ezekiel 12:1-19:14)
- A year later, the warning of judgment for national guilt was repeated with greater distinctness as the time drew nearer (Ezekiel 20:1-23:49)
- Two years and five months later—the very day on which Ezekiel speaks—the day of the beginning of the siege took place; Jerusalem shall be overthrown (Ezekiel 24:1-27)
- Predictions were made against Muslim nations during the interval of silence towards his own people; if judgment begins at the house of God, much more will it visit the ungodly world (Ezekiel 25:1-32:32)
- In the 12th year of the captivity, when the fugitives from Jerusalem had appeared in Chaldea (Ezekiel 33:21), Ezekiel foretells better times, the reestablishment of Israel, and the triumph of God’s kingdom on earth over its enemies, Islam, and Gog (Ezekiel 33:1-39:29)
- After an interval of 13 years, the closing vision of the restored kingdom was given (Ezekiel 40:1-48:35)

God intended Ezekiel's life to be a sign to Israel
Source: Wiersbe, Warren W.: Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1993.

Symbolic Acts
- Played at war (Ezekiel 4:1-3; cf. Revelation 4-5)
- Shut himself up in his home.
- Bound himself.
- Struck dumb.
- Lie on his right and his left sides for a total of 430 days (Ezekiel 4:4-17)
- Ate bread that was prepared in an unclean manner
- Shaved his head and beard, which was considered a shame in his particular calling (Ezekiel 5:1-4)
- Acted like someone fleeing from war (Ezekiel 12:1-16)
- Sat and sighed (Ezekiel 21:1-7)
- Watched his wife die without being able to mourn for her (Ezekiel 24:15-27)


EZEKIEL 1: THE VISION OF GOD’S THRONE

The world is more than 3 dimensions
The Chariot of God’s Throne, described by Ezekiel, is a glimpse of hyperdimensional event. He is not describing an aircraft, UFO, etc. We live in only four of at least 10 dimensions (supported not just by Biblical texts but physics as well).

“30th year” (Ezekiel 1:1)
Source: Pfeiffer, Charles F., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: Old Testament, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1962.
- Year of maturity for a priest (Numbers 4:3)
- Could also mean 30th year since Josiah’s revival (Ezekiel was born during Josiah’s revival)
- Could also mean 30th year of Jehoiachin’s age, 585 BC
- Could also mean 30th year after Josiah’s reform, 593/592 BC
- Could also mean 30th year of the current jubilee period
- Could also mean 30th year of the neo-Babylonian empire, 606/605 BC
- Could also mean 30th year of Manasseh, 667 BC
- Could also mean 30th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, 592 BC; the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s exile, 595/594 BC
- Could also mean 30th year of the editing of Ezekiel’s book, three years after the 27th year of 29:17 (567 BC) and the 30th year of Jehoiachin’s reign (Cf. 2 Kings 25:27)

King Jehoiachin
The 18th, and next to the last, king of Judah, was the son of the petty tyrant, Jehoiakim, and grandson of the godly Josiah. His name means "The Lord establishes."

Enthroned by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, Jehoiachin reigned only three months when he was deported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in the year 597 BC, along with the upper classes (2 Kings 24:8-16). He was released by Amel Marduk (Evil Merodach), son of Nebuchadnezzar in 560 BC, the 37th year of his exile (2 Kinggs 25:27).

The fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity (592 BC) is the first of 14 date references in the book of Ezekiel (cf. 1:2; 3:16; 8:1; 20:1; 24:1; 26:1; 29:1; 29:17; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1; 32:17; 33:21; 40:1).

The River Chebar
"The great river," "the grand canal," the River Chebar was the main canal that came off the Euphrates River, which watered that area. It was an artificial water course of the Euphrates. Beginning above Babylon, it flowed southeast, passed through Nippur, site of ancient Jewish settlements, and joined the Euphrates again below Ur. This area was removed by quite a few miles from Babylon and, evidently, the Jewish captives were put there to till the land.

Ezekiel’s home was on the river Chebar, at Tel Aviv, the principal colony of the exiles, near the city of Nippur, southeast of Babylon

"... that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God" (Ezekiel 1:1)
Contrast with the depression of the captives (Psalm 137:1-2); Cf. Visions of Isaiah (Isaiah 6) and visions of John (Revelation 4-5) – These visions all changed these witnesses dramatically and permanently.

"…windstorm coming out of the north" (Ezekiel 1:4)
North: Generally symbolizes attacks from the enemies (e.g., Babylon, Soviet forces)

Out of the north: Used in Scripture to point toward the throne of God (Isaiah 14:13; Psalm 75:5-7)

"… an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal" (Ezekiel 1:4-5)
- "Our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29)
- "God is light …" (1 John 1:5)
- Paul, at the time of his conversion, saw "a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun…" (Acts 26:13)

Missler: "God meets us on our ground"
Missler reminds us that in order to understand the following vision of Ezekiel, we must view it through the eyes of a Levitally trained priest – which was the background of Ezekiel. That is, because Ezekiel was a trained priest, God spoke to Ezekiel based on what Ezekiel would understand best. (God therefore speaks to each one of us uniquely based on how and what we understand.)

The living creatures symbolize the glory and power of God
The following descriptions of the 4 living creatures all speak of God’s constant working in the world, His power and glory, His purpose for man, and His providence.

"… in the fire was what looked like four living creatures" (Ezekiel 1:5)
- Cherubim (4 wings): Seen guarding the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24) and adorning the Mercy Seat (Exodus 25:10-22)
- Seraphim (6 wings): Vision of the Throne of God (Isaiah 6:1-8)
- Living Creatures (6 wings): Vision of the Throne of God (Revelation 4-5; Daniel 7 – Interestingly, the major difference between John’s and Daniel’s visions is that Daniel did not see the 24 elders. If the 24 Elders represent the Church, as many pastors believe, this difference represents a literal understanding of Ephesians 3:4. Paul spoke of the mystery of the Church that was not made known to Old Testament saints, and indeed, we see here that Daniel’s vision of the Throne of God does not include the Church, represented by the 24 Elders!)
- HaSatan was the “anointed cherub that covereth” (Ezekiel 28:14).

"...straight forward" (Ezekiel 1:9), "No variableness or turning" (James 1:17)
They could see in all directions and move in all directions without turning. This symbolizes how God is moving forward undeviatingly, unhesitatingly toward the accomplishment of His purpose in this world today. Nothing will deter Him—nothing can sidetrack Him at all.

"The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches" (Ezekiel 1:13)
- "God is light…" (1 John 1:5)
- "I am the light of the world…" (John 8:12)
- "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7)

"Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel" (Ezekiel 1:16)
- Cf. the wheels of the throne of “the Ancient of days” (Daniel 7:9)
- Cf. the bases in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 7:27-30)
- Cf. the chariot in 1 Chronicles 28:18.

"Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around" (Ezekiel 1:18)
They were "full of eyes," picturing the omniscience of God.

"The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

"… the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose" (Ezekiel 1:19)
These wheels seem to speak of the ceaseless activity and energy of God.

"Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them" (Ezekiel 1:20)
These four living creatures are guard the throne of God (Revelation 4):
1) They protect the throne in that they do not allow man in his sin to come into the presence of God
2) They indicate the way that man is to come

"… high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man" (Ezekiel 1:26)
God came to earth a Man, walked the dusty trails of Palestine, until spikes were driven into His feet…
- "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14)
- "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Isa 52:7)

"This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of theLORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking" (Ezekiel 28)
In the presence of the Lord, Ezekiel fell face down.
Throughout the Old Testament, when men came into the presence of God, they fell face down:
- "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5)

- Daniel also fell face down (Daniel 10:6-8)
- "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dea" (Revelation 1:17)


The result of this vision fell heavily on Ezekiel. However, God set him up on his feet, called him to be a watchman, fed him with the Word, and filled him with the Spirit (Jeremiah 15:16; Job 23:12; Matthew 4:4; Revelation 10:9).

Other Manifestations of God
Exodus 19:16, 24:10; 1 Kings 19:11, 22:19; Nahum 1:3; Psalm 18:11, 50:3; 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2, 22:11; Isaiah 6:1


EZEKIEL 2: THE CALL OF THE PROPHET (Continued)
Only two men in the Old Testament were called by the title of "son of man" (Ezekiel 2:1)
- In Hebrew, "man" was the word Adam, meaning, "son of the dust"
- Daniel was also called the son of man.
- This is also the title that Jesus appropriated to Himself—86 times in the New Testament! Jesus held this title dearly because it spoke of His humanity and what He has done for us because of His love.

"... the spirit came into me" (Ezekiel 2:2)
In Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit did not indwell all believers but indwelt selected persons temporarily for divine service (Exodus 31:1-11; 1 Samuel 10:9-11; Psalm 51:11; Ezekiel 3:24).

"… nation…" (Ezekiel 2:3)
The Hebrew term here is not normally used to speak of Israel! Israel is usually contrasted with the “nations” (a word used to speak of the Gentiles). The fact that this word was now used to speak of Israel shows how Israel had now become “Lo-ammi,” not the people of God (Hosea 1:9).
Why 70 Years? (2 Chronicles 36:21)

The Israelites were enslaved in Babylon for exactly 70 years because they failed to follow the Lord. They were guardians of the Land (Israel) and were supposed to keep (till) the ground for six years, letting the land rest on the seventh year, a Sabbath for the land. However, they failed to keep that for 490 year (Leviticus 25), and so God basically told them that they owe Him 70 Sabbath years.

The 70 years of Babylonian captivity was to make up for the number of years that the Israelites violated His laws with respect to the Land. This becomes particularly heavy when we realize that the Israelites had been sent prophet after prophet after prophet to get them to repent, but they did not repent.

"Thus saith the Lord God" (Ezekiel 2:4, KJV)
In the Hebrew, Ezekiel often used the two-fold name of “Lord God,” or Adonai YHWH. This terminology stresses both God’s sovereign authority (Adonai – My God) and His covenant-keeping faithfulness (YHWH).

By using the phrase, "... thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD" (KJV), Ezekiel had exposed himself the possibility of being charged guilty of a capital crime.
The Nation Israel, even in its idolatry, took the concept of blasphemy very seriously. If anyone pretended to be speaking on behalf of God, he did that by putting his life on the line. The Israelites would to him to the test, and if he failed the test, they would stone him (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

Here, Ezekiel was instructed to declare the prophecy he shared as the Word of God itself.

"…they will know that a prophet has been among them" (Ezekiel 2:5)
Fulfillment is the test of a true prophet (Deuteronomy 18:21, 22; Jeremiah 28:9).

"In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe" (Ezekiel 2:9-10)
There are only two scrolls described this way in the Scripture:
- One was given to Ezekiel to "eat" (Ezekiel 3:1)
- The other was the Seven Sealed Scroll, which brought forth judgment (Revelation 5)

Jeremiah 15:16
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.

Revelation 10:8-11
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but 'in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.'" I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

Why "eat" the scroll?
When Jesus was tempted in the desert, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 in response to Satan’s temptations: "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4).

It wouldn’t surprise me if these prophets truly chewed on the scrolls, but the point here is the only sustaining food for our spirit is the Word of God. We should ingest it and digest it. Be very aware of word diets, our choices of words that we ingest/digest…



EZEKIEL AND REVELATION

Ezekiel 1 vs. Revelation 4-5
Ezekiel 3:3 vs. Revelation 10:10
Ezekiel 8:3 vs. Revelation 13:14-15
Ezekiel 9 vs. Revelation 7
Ezekiel 10 vs. Revelation 8:1-5