Name means: “God Will Strengthen.”
Also called: “Son of man,” a term used 93 times in the Book of Ezekiel.
Home: Tel Abib, near the Chebar River in Babylon.
Family: Son of Buzi, probably a priest in the line of Zadok; married to an unnamed woman who died at the beginning of the final siege of Jerusalem (c. 588 B.C.).
Occupation: Priest and prophet.
Best known for: His extraordinary visions that appear at the beginning and end of the Book of Ezekiel. His prophecies, often laden with props and theatricality, were met with stubborn resistance from his original hearers but greatly influenced later readers.
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Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Zedekiah to reign in Jerusalem, but the prophet Ezekiel, his fellow exiles, and even their Babylonian captors considered the deposed and deported King Jehoiachin as Judah’s lawful ruler (2 Kin. 24:17).
Jehoiachin was banished to Babylon (c. 597 B.C.) after he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar in order to avoid subjecting Jerusalem to a siege (see “A Promise of Permanent Exile” at Jer. 22:24–27). He was imprisoned for thirty-six years (2 Kin. 25:27) before his release by Nebuchadnezzar’s successor Evil-Merodach.
Babylonian records of the government rations Jehoiachin received during his captivity refer to him as the “king of the land of Yahudu [Judah],” indicating that his captors regarded him as a king in exile. His status is further confirmed by the preferential treatment accorded him by Evil-Merodach, who elevated him above other captive rulers, perhaps including Zedekiah (25:28–30).
Jehoiachin’s high status even among his captors may have contributed to the people’s apparent assumption that they would return home within a couple of years. They did not acknowledge that their idolatry and other sins had invited calamity (see “Storm Warning” at Lam. 2:17). Prompted by their spiritual blindness, God called Ezekiel to prophetic ministry. Ezekiel staged a one-man drama portraying Jerusalem’s impending destruction in order to dispel all thoughts of a quick homecoming (Ezek. 4:1–3); after the Babylonians were finished plundering and burning Jerusalem, there would be no home to go back to.
The Lord did not promise Ezekiel that his words would move his listeners, who were “impudent and stubborn children” (2:3, 4). Now that judgment was under way, the Lord’s goal was not to prevent destruction but to use it to help His people see things from His perspective.
More: The exiles’ friends and families back in Judah also assumed that the captivity would be brief. Jeremiah told the exiles to prepare for a long stay. See “Seeking the Peace of the City” at Jer. 29:4–7.
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Different Callings, Same Purpose
Few people experience a calling as dramatic as did the prophet Ezekiel (see “The Christian’s Calling” at Heb. 3:1). Nevertheless, God has called all of His followers to serve Him with all of their lives (see “Who Is Called?” at 1 Sam. 3:1–21). This call impacts every part of our existence—family, identity, faith, relationships, career, even our outlook on the future.
People in the Bible experienced a wide variety of callings. Yet the same God invited them to the same purpose—to devote themselves to Him.
Person: Abraham
Occupation When Called: Unknown
Outcome of God’s Call: Left his homeland and relocated to Canaan (Gen. 11:31—12:4; Acts 7:2–5).
Person: Isaac
Occupation When Called: Wealthy livestock owner
Outcome of God’s Call: Remained in Canaan, where he carried on his father’s faith and work (Gen. 26:2–6).
Person: Jacob
Occupation When Called: Wealthy livestock owner
Outcome of God’s Call: Lived with the hope that the God of his father and grandfather would bring him back to Canaan (Gen. 28:12—29:1; 33:18–20).
Person: Moses
Occupation When Called: Adopted son of the royal family of Egypt; shepherd in Midian
Outcome of God’s Call: Became the liberator and leader of the Israelites (Ex. 3:1–12; 5:1).
Person: Nehemiah
Occupation When Called: Cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes I
Outcome of God’s Call: Negotiated with the king to lead a group of Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and its walls (Neh. 1:1—2:10).
Person: Esther
Occupation When Called: Wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia
Outcome of God’s Call: Intervened to save the Jews, her people, from a genocidal plot (Esth. 4:1—6:10).
Person: Ezekiel
Occupation When Called: Priest
Outcome of God’s Call: Became a prophet who spoke God’s message to the Jewish exiles in Babylon (Ezek. 2:1–5).
Person: Daniel
Occupation When Called: A youth deported to Babylon
Outcome of God’s Call: Became an advisor to kings and a prophet (Dan. 1:19; 7:1).
Person: Jonah
Occupation When Called: Unknown
Outcome of God’s Call: After initially running from the Lord, went to Nineveh and warned them of God’s judgment, bringing the city to repentance (Jon. 1:1–3; 3:1–10).
Person: Rich Young Ruler
Occupation When Called: Member of Israel’s upper class
Outcome of God’s Call: Turned from Jesus because he could not part with his possessions (Matt. 19:16–21).
Person: Barnabas
Occupation When Called: Unknown
Outcome of God’s Call: Became a friend and mentor to young believers, including Saul (Acts 9:26, 27; 11:25, 26 and John Mark (15:36–39).
Person: Saul
Occupation When Called: Tentmaker; Pharisee dedicated to persecuting Christians
Outcome of God’s Call: Served as God’s principal spokesman during the latter part of the first century A.D. (Acts 9:15).
Person: Believers in General
Occupation When Called: Varied
Outcome of God’s Call: Are brought to salvation and a transformed lifestyle through faith in Christ (Rom. 1:6, 7; 8:28–30; 12:1, 2).
More: God’s call is evident in His giving people unique abilities that fit them for specific purposes. For more, see “Called by Name” at Ex. 31:1–11 and “You Are Unique” at Ps. 33:15.
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During the years of his prophetic ministry, Ezekiel acted out numerous symbolic dramas to communicate his message.
Drama | Significance |
Laid siege to a clay tablet (Ezek. 4:1–3). | Symbolized the Babylonians’ impending siege of Jerusalem. |
Lay on his left side for 390 days and on his right side for 40 days (Ezek. 4:4–8). | Represented the number of years that Israel and Judah would endure God’s judgment. |
Ate bread cooked over unclean fuel (Ezek. 4:9–16). | Symbolized the dispersion of the Jews among the Gentiles as well as famine conditions during the siege of Jerusalem. |
Shaved his head, weighed the hair, and disposed of it in various ways (Ezek. 5:1–4). | Symbolized the suffering of Jerusalem’s inhabitants (Ezek. 5:11, 12). |
Dug a tunnel and prepared for flight (Ezek. 12:1–16). | Represented the breach of Jerusalem’s walls, the capture of King Zedekiah, and the exile of survivors to Babylon. |
Ate and drank with trembling (Ezek. 12:1–16). | Signified the dread that would fall on Judah. |
Sighed loudly (Ezek. 21:6, 7). | Signified news of the Lord’s impending judgment. |
Erected a signpost at a fork in a road (Ezek. 21:18–24). | Indicated the two paths that Nebuchadnezzar’s army would take to Jerusalem and Ammon. |
Refrained from mourning the death of his wife (Ezek. 24:15–24). | Represented the silent grief that the exiles would feel after Jerusalem’s fall. |
Joined two sticks together (Ezek. 37:15–28). | Symbolized the Jews enjoying a reunited kingdom under God’s leadership. |
More: Using drama to communicate prophecy is common in Scripture. Symbolic acts were also performed by the prophets Ahijah (1 Kin. 11:29–39), Zedekiah (1 Kin. 22:11), Elisha (2 Kin. 13:15–19), Isaiah (Is. 20:1–6), Jeremiah (Jer. 13:1–14; 19:1–13), and Agabus (Acts 21:10, 11).
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The “clay tablet” Ezekiel used as a symbol of Jerusalem (Ezek. 4:1) was likely an ordinary Babylonian brick about a foot square and flatter than modern rectangular bricks (see “Brickmaking” at Gen. 11:3). These bricks were used to build Babylon’s walls and structures, and Jewish exiles likely used them to build houses (compare Ezek. 12:3–6).
The prophet either wrote Jerusalem’s name on the clay before firing or scratched it on the brick’s surface after it had been baked. Either way, Ezekiel’s object lesson dramatized the final siege of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.
The miniature siege wall that Ezekiel was to build against the brick may have referred to an array of towers from which archers could barrage defenders with arrows. These platforms were sometimes mounted on wheels and furnished with a battering ram.
A third prop in Ezekiel’s one-man drama was an iron plate or skillet (4:3). Women in ancient Israel heated such plates until they were red-hot. After removing the skillet from the coals, they placed a small loaf of bread dough on it and allowed the iron’s heat to slowly cook the bread. In a similar way, the Lord would slowly “cook” Jerusalem.
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Ezekiel’s act of reclining on his right side for forty days seems to indicate that Judah’s exile would last for forty years. But the prophet Jeremiah set the duration at seventy years (2 Chr. 36:21; Jer. 25:11).
Jeremiah’s reckoning probably included the years when Babylon dominated Judah, starting around 605 B.C. after the Battle of Carchemish (see “The Battle of Carchemish” at Jer. 46:2) and continuing until Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem and began to rebuild the temple around 536 B.C. (Ezra 3:8–10). Throughout those seven decades, Middle Eastern nations were forced to “serve the king of Babylon,” just as Jeremiah had predicted (Jer. 25:11).
Ezekiel, on the other hand, dated the Exile from the surrender of Jehoiachin and the deportation of the nation’s leaders (c. 597 B.C.; see “A Long Layover” at Ezek. 1:2). A passage of forty years would set an end date of 557 B.C., twenty years before the captivity ended in 536 B.C.
This apparent discrepancy may be explained by the possibility that Ezekiel’s days of lying prone had nothing to do with the length of captivity. It instead concerned the duration of Jerusalem’s siege, which is the context of Ezekiel 4. The Lord told the prophet to use a clay tablet or brick to symbolize the city (Ezek. 4:1) and to “set your face against it” to signify a siege (4:3). Ezekiel was told to lie on his side facing his model city for two periods of days.
These days of Ezekiel’s siege signified the number of years of sins that the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had committed, 390 and 40 respectively, for a total of 430. Ezekiel lay immobile with his face “toward the siege of Jerusalem” for 430 days (4:7, 8).
Babylonian records report that the final siege of Jerusalem probably began in mid-January of 588 B.C. and ended in mid-March of 587 B.C., a period of approximately 430 days.
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You Shall Know That I Am the Lord
The Lord sent Ezekiel with His words to the Judean captives in Babylon (Ezek. 2:1–5; 3:14, 15). The Babylonians had twice invaded Judah in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s warnings, yet the exiles still did not grasp why God had allowed these calamities to occur or why they had been deported to Babylon. They still did not understand that the nation’s troubles came as a result of their idolatry and other sins against God.
Through Ezekiel, the Lord endeavored to open His people’s eyes to this truth. Over a period of at least twenty years, the prophet repeatedly detailed the people’s sins and warned of the certainty of God’s wrath. Nevertheless, the people remained willfully blind to their condition.
This stubbornness explains why the phrase “You [or they] shall know that I am the LORD” is repeated more than sixty times in the Book of Ezekiel (6:7, 10, 13, 14). These declarations often fall in the middle of a promise of God’s wrath: “The slain shall fall” (6:7); “I would bring this calamity” (6:10); “thus will I spend My fury” (6:12); “I will … make the land desolate” (6:14).
The choice is ours whether we know the Lord’s grace and mercy, or His wrath and fury. Regardless of how we respond, God is determined to be heard. Sooner or later all will know that He is the Lord.
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In Ezekiel’s vision of Jerusalem, the Lord commanded angels to mark the foreheads of all who quit taking part in “abominations,” leaving the rest to be slain. The people’s sins—bloodshed and idolatry—were “exceedingly great” (Ezek. 9:9). But all who demonstrated concern for holiness were shown mercy.
This vision recalls the killing of the firstborn in Egypt, when the Hebrews were spared because they had marked their doorposts with blood according to the Lord’s command (Ex. 12:1–36). God marked some for mercy even at the height of His judgment.
Amazingly, the mark Ezekiel mentioned is Tau, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Tau is the equivalent of the letter T in the modern English alphabet, but in Jeremiah’s day it was written like the English letter X and was often used as a signature (Job 31:35). Early Christians noticed the similarity between Ezekiel’s “mark” and the sign of the cross. Both were symbols of God’s mercy and sinners’ redemption.
The judgment foreseen by Ezekiel demonstrates that even as God executes judgment, He always looks for repentance. Those who resist Him and continue in their willful rebellion can expect His wrath. But those who “sigh and cry” over their sins and the sins of others will know His comfort (Ezek. 9:4; compare James 4:8–10). Forgiveness requires repentance, but it is available to all.
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Ezekiel 10 draws us in with a spectacular vision of cherubim and wheels within wheels. But the real story in this passage is the Lord’s departure from His temple. Given the temple’s history and significance, Judah could suffer nothing more tragic.
The temple was the “house of the LORD” designed by David and built by Solomon (2 Chr. 5:1). God blessed the magnificent structure by filling it with His glory and presence (5:14). The temple was revered as a hallowed symbol of God (6:20).
Yet Ezekiel watched God depart from the temple. There is no question why the Lord left. Because the Hebrews had turned the “house of the LORD” into a home of idolatrous abominations, God chose to leave His temple and go “far away” from His people (Ezek. 8:6–17; compare 11:23). Judah’s end was at hand.
There is no greater heartbreak than the loss of the Lord’s presence (compare Gen. 4:13, 14). Ezekiel’s vision appeals to us to repent and not to allow ourselves to be separated by sin from our God. We can make no bigger misstep than driving God away when He longs to bless us with His presence (Heb. 6:4–12).
More: God departed from the temple but did not abandon His people. As He scattered them throughout the world, He assured those who feared Him that He would be a “little sanctuary” for them wherever they went. See “A Little Sanctuary” at Ezek. 11:16. Brother Lawrence, author of The Practice of the Presence of God, wrote that his soul was in a “habitual, silent, secret conversation with God.” See here for an article on the life of Brother Lawrence.
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Scripture asserts that it is better for God’s people to honor His truth than to bend to the shifting winds of public opinion. In the case of Ezekiel, the Bible records four specific examples of God calling the prophet to go against popular thought:
• God told Ezekiel to stand against twenty-five elders of Jerusalem who claimed that the city would never be taken (Ezek. 11:2–4).
• God told Ezekiel to denounce false prophets, whose lies were overlooked because of a popular maxim that their words could be ignored since no one lived long enough to see prophecies come to pass (12:21–25; compare Deut. 18:22).
• God told Ezekiel to rebuke the people for dismissing his prophecies as forecasts of a distant future rather than Judah’s imminent fall (Ezek. 12:26–28).
• God told Ezekiel to oppose the claim that the present generation was innocent and that whatever troubles they faced were the fault of past generations (18:2).
Ezekiel’s listeners deluded themselves with appealing falsities that took on an air of truth. Ezekiel spoke out against these misconceptions just as Peter denounced scoffers who ridiculed the promise of Christ’s return (2 Pet. 3:3–13).
Delivering a hard truth means risking that people will discard our message—and they may also reject us as its messengers. But if we go along with others when we know that they are mistaken, we fail to demonstrate God’s true love and His love of truth.
More: Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Baumfree, experienced a vision in which God gave her the name Sojourner because she was to travel in spreading the gospel, and He gave her the name Truth because she was to “declare the truth to the people.” See here for an article on the life of Sojourner Truth.
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The captives were far from home. They felt torn from the temple, where God’s presence dwelled. Like others the Lord had scattered across the ancient world, they lived with a crushing sense of isolation (see “Scattered Among the Gentiles” at Jer. 9:16 and “The Dispersion of the Jews” at Jer. 52:28–30).
The scattering of God’s people was a major theme for the prophet Ezekiel, who repeatedly declared that the Lord would send His people abroad (Ezek. 5:10, 12; 6:8; 11:16; 12:15; 20:23; 21:15; 34:6; 36:19) Yet wherever these refugees went, the Lord promised to be their “little sanctuary.” Furthermore, He vowed to eventually bring them home to Israel (11:17; 20:34, 41; 28:25; 34:13; 36:24; 37:21; 38:8, 12; 39:27).
Wherever God’s followers go, God goes with them. The assurance of His presence comforts us when we find ourselves alone among people who neither know nor honor God. Whatever the circumstances around us, we can call on Him. Wherever we go, the Lord is with us.
More: God promised to be a “little sanctuary” for Old Testament followers, but in the New Testament, the Christian is described as a “temple” for God. See “Called Alongside” at John 14:16–18 and read 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.
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The widespread practice of witchcraft was one reason that God scattered His people. The witches of Judah used charms and mystical rites to cast spells and tell fortunes, and together with false prophets (Ezek. 13:9, 10), they helped lull God’s people into a false sense of security. Despite the Law’s strong warnings against practicing or depending on witchcraft, people increasingly turned to spiritists during the crisis that preceded Jerusalem’s fall. See “The Seduction of Spirits” at Deuteronomy 18:9–14.
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The Babylonian exile became a blessing in disguise by encouraging a form of Judaism that was more mobile, cross-cultural, and well-informed than that which had existed in Judah. The synagogue was a key factor in this development.
In Judah the Lord’s people had looked to Jerusalem’s temple as the center of their cultural and religious life. But the temple’s destruction in 587 B.C. called for new ways of maintaining Jewish identity. Faced with the impossibility of constructing a temple in Babylon, the captives began to meet in local assemblies for worship, education, and political discussion. It was likely leaders from one or more of these groups who came before Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord (Ezek. 14:1; 20:1).
Known to us by their Greek name as synagogues (“gatherings” or “assemblies”), these groups began to assume formal responsibilities as Jewish exile communities vested them with authority. Synagogues were led by laity and could be organized by as few as ten laymen. Synagogues did not continue the animal sacrifices of the temple, but they enabled the people to worship the Lord and gather under a shared identity.
When the Exile ended, the former captives carried the synagogue model back to Judah, where it competed for loyalty with the new temple and its priests. Synagogues also spread to Jewish enclaves throughout the ancient world. The rapid expansion of the Christian faith during the first century was significantly aided by synagogues, which existed almost everywhere the gospel was preached.
The Babylonians had assumed that destroying the temple would extinguish the Jewish faith. But they unintentionally helped spread the faith of Abraham by forcing the development of new methods and structures for religious worship and community. The synagogue was a gift of the Exile.
More: Synagogues were well-established throughout Israel by Jesus’ time. See “The Synagogue” at Mark 1:21. The scattering of God’s people also resulted in the creation of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. See “The Septuagint” at Acts 18:24.
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An idol is more than a figure crafted by human hands as an object of prayer and sacrifice. The Lord defined an idol as anything set up in a way that causes a person to stumble into sin. It is any godless craving or commitment that rules a human heart.
The people of Ezekiel’s day served these “idols of the heart” even as they engaged in rituals prescribed by God. They gave themselves to ungodly worship but still expected the prophets to reveal messages from the Lord. God promised to set Himself against these hypocrites, who would become an example to the people of the consequences of sin.
This is a sobering condemnation. It is possible to commit ourselves to beliefs and practices utterly opposed to God yet expect blessings even as we pursue those things. For the Lord to show us favor in our hypocrisy would be a terrible act. We would find ourselves forever ensnared by worthless gods rather than liberated to enjoy the genuine goodness of the living God.
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The people of Ezekiel’s day assumed that God would never destroy Jerusalem because a handful of godly residents held back His judgment. Most of the population flaunted God’s standards but figured they could evade God’s wrath because it would be “unfair” to their righteous neighbors if the entire city fell.
This flawed philosophy ignored individual accountability for sin (Ezek. 33:20) and failed to recognize the ubiquity of evil. Although the presence of ten righteous people might have saved Sodom (Gen. 18:32), a thorough search revealed that Jerusalem contained not a single good person (see “Not One Righteous Person” at Jer. 5:1). Judgment was certain and imminent.
We might count on benefits to come our way because someone close to us loves and follows God—a family member, a friend, a pastor, or a community figure. But it is foolish to count on another person’s good deeds and prayers as a substitute for our own faith and obedience. The lives of others make a difference—but only to a point. Eventually we each face God alone.
More: The only Person whose righteousness can substitute for our own is Christ. See “Salvation: Past, Present, and Future” at Rom. 5:6–11.
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A parable is a truth wrapped in a memorable story or word picture. Jesus delivered much of His teaching through parables (see “The Parables of Jesus” at Luke 8:4), as did several Old Testament prophets, including Ezekiel.
1. The Wood of the Vine (Ezek. 15:1–8)
Symbolized how Judah had become useless and now served no other purpose than to be burned up.
2. The Foundling (ch. 16)
Illustrated the nation’s betrayal of God’s love and compassion.
3. The Eagles and the Cedar (ch. 17)
Illustrated the foolishness of King Zedekiah, whose rebellion invited Nebuchadnezzar’s troops to destroy Jerusalem.
4. The Fiery Furnace (22:17–22)
Foretold that God would purify His people through the siege of Jerusalem.
5. The Two Harlots (ch. 23)
Symbolized the spiritual adultery of Israel and Judah.
6. The Cooking Pot (24:1–14)
Symbolized how God would use the “heat” of hardship to purge Jerusalem of its impurities.
7. The Shipwreck (ch. 27)
Foretold the judgment of Tyre.
8. The Irresponsible Shepherds (ch. 34)
Revealed how God would deal with Jerusalem’s poor leaders.
9. The Dry Bones (ch. 37)
Symbolized the spiritual renewal of Israel.
More: Jeremiah and Zechariah also used parables to communicate their message. See “The Parables of Jeremiah” at Jer. 18:1–10 and “The Parables of Zechariah” at Zech. 5:1–4.
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God rebuked the people of Jerusalem and the surrounding country by delivering three symbolic statements that called their proud self-image into question. The Lord said …
• They were born to Canaanite parents (Ezek. 16:3). The Lord had commanded the Israelites to drive the idolatrous Canaanites from the Promised Land (see “The Abominations of the Canaanites” at Lev. 18:24–30 and “The Gods of the Canaanites” at Deut. 32:39; see also 2 Kin. 17:7–19). The Israelites failed to carry out this charge; instead, they disobeyed the Law by intermarrying with the Canaanites and adopting their idolatrous practices (for example, Judg. 3:5, 6; 1 Chr. 2:3; 1 Kin. 11:1, 5, 7; Ezra 9:1). Thus the Lord reminded Israel of its sins, illustrating their need of forgiveness.
• They were abandoned at birth (Ezek. 16:4, 5). This emotional passage reminded the Israelites of their humble origins. Their patriarch Abraham and his family were outsiders in Canaan (Gen. 23:4; Heb. 11:9–10). His descendants were slaves in Egypt and sojourners in the desert until God gave them a land. Israel was the “least of all peoples” when God called them (Deut. 7:7), and it was God alone who watched over them.
• They were adopted (Ezek. 16:6, 7). In His sovereign grace, the Lord chose the Hebrews to be His people. He revealed Himself to Abraham, a native of the Sumerian city of Ur in southern Mesopotamia (see the city’s profile at Gen. 11:28), then chose Abraham and his wife Sarah to give birth to a people through whom He would bless “all the families of the earth” (Gen. 12:1–3). All of the Israelites’ blessings, from the beginning, had come from the Lord, their adoptive Father.
The Lord raised these issues to challenge His people’s self-righteousness and guide them toward humility. We can also find ourselves in these words. We, too, were born outside God’s family. We, too, are lost apart from His grace. We, too, have been adopted into God’s family. And we, too, need to evaluate whether we live with humility and gratitude, honoring the Lord in thought, word, and deed. To live any other way is to forget that we owe every good thing to God. Only He can sweep away the skeletons in our closets, forgiving yesterday’s mistakes and clearing the way for a brighter tomorrow.
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Just as we say “Like father, like son,” the people of Ezekiel’s day apparently said “Like mother, like daughter.” Ezekiel applied that proverb to Jerusalem, implying that it was born to a Hittite mother and an Amorite father (see “The Peoples of the Old Testament” at Josh. 24:11).
Ezekiel did not claim that the Israelites had literally descended from a Canaanite couple; he knew that God’s people traced their family line to Abraham and Sarah, who were Arameans (Deut. 26:5, where “Syrian” means Aramean). Ezekiel meant that, because of their extensive idolatry, the Israelites might as well be children of the notoriously idolatrous Canaanites (see “The Abominations of the Canaanites” at Lev. 18:24–30 and “The Gods of the Canaanites” at Deut. 32:39).
Ezekiel also linked Jerusalem to two other symbols of sin and idolatry, the cities of Sodom and Samaria. Like these “sisters,” Jerusalem tolerated so many evils that it would eventually be destroyed. Sodom (see Sodom and Gomorrah’s profile at Gen. 18:20) and her four daughter cities were consumed by brimstone and fire for sins that included sexual immorality (Jude 7) and unjust treatment of the poor in an environment of incredible wealth (Ezek. 16:49). The northern Israelite capital Samaria (see the city’s profile at 1 Kin. 16:24) and her daughter cities fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. as a reprimand for their entrenched idolatry (2 Kin. 17).
The Judeans who thought that God would overlook their idols were wrong. Devastating wrath was coming because Jerusalem had outdone her sinful sister cities in turning to other gods (Ezek. 16:48–52).
We often see ourselves as separate from others who have fallen because of their errors. But we endanger ourselves if we adopt the spiritual attitudes and practices of cultures that disobey, dishonor, or disbelieve God. We might as well be members of the same broken family.
More: Do you know the spiritual roots of your own family and ancestors? “Researching Your Religious Roots” at Heb. 13:24 offers some suggestions for ways to discover your spiritual heritage.
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The parable of the vine made clear that no rescue would come to Jerusalem from Egypt and that the Babylonians would leave the people of Jerusalem no path to escape. Both predictions came to pass. An Egyptian force started for Jerusalem and caused a momentary distraction, but the Babylonians quickly returned and captured the city. As the city fell, King Zedekiah and his troops attempted to flee through the Jordan River Valley but were quickly caught.
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The children of Ezekiel’s day had good reason to complain about their parents. They were growing up as exiles in a foreign land because their parents and grandparents had forsaken God. The younger generation had a saying that blamed parents for children’s troubles.
God declared that His people should quit talking that way (Ezek. 18:3), explaining at length that sin and righteousness are not inherited. Every person reaps what he or she sows. Each individual is responsible for his or her own choices regarding matters like idolatry (18:6, 12, 15), sexuality (18:6, 11, 15), the use or abuse of money (18:7, 8, 13, 16, 17), and the treatment of the poor (18:7, 12, 16, 17).
Blame for wrongdoing falls to no one but the perpetrator. God warned that those who sin will pay the penalty (18:4, 13, 18), while those who honor Him will be rewarded for their righteousness (18:21–29).
The decisions of our parents do not diminish our own accountability. Even if our families give us a bad start, God calls us to take responsibility for our own lives. Even with a difficult background, we can enjoy the Lord’s forgiveness, healing, and righteousness. God delights to give fresh starts.
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As they reacted to God’s declarations about guilt and innocence, Ezekiel’s hearers sang a sad song of injustice: “It’s not fair!”
Their protest displayed a human tendency to determine right and wrong based on what we personally experience. But our own satisfaction with how we are treated is a limited, subjective standard that can never make life fairer for all. Only God’s broader perspective can bring true and ultimate justice.
This principle appears throughout Scripture. People of great faith such as Noah (Gen. 6), Deborah (Judg. 4), and Daniel (Dan. 1) ignored their surrounding culture and conducted themselves according to God’s standards. In contrast, the Bible’s most colossal moral failures occurred when people lived by their own rules—for example, Korah (Num. 16), Samson (Judg. 13–16), and Jezebel (1 Kin. 19, 21).
Every person answers to God for his or her response to the Lord’s absolute standards. Ezekiel offered three possibilities:
• A person lives righteously and serves others justly (Ezek. 18:5–9). Not many people in Judah fit that description, but the nation could look back on recent righteous figures such as King Hezekiah (2 Chr. 29:1, 2) and the prophetess Huldah (34:21, 22).
• A person is born to righteous parents but grows up to pursue evil (Ezek. 18:10–13). Many Judeans fit that category, including Hezekiah’s son Manasseh (2 Chr. 33:1, 2) and Josiah’s son Jehoahaz (2 Kin. 23:31, 32).
• A person is born to wicked parents but grows up to live righteously (Ezek. 18:14–18). Few people matched that description, but Manasseh’s grandson Josiah is one impressive example (2 Chr. 34:1, 2).
If we expect life to always go our way, life will always feel unfair. But if we are genuinely concerned with justice, then we will submit to God’s objective and absolute standards.
We see these standards in action when principled judges run honest courtrooms, unbiased referees apply rules impartially, and even-handed regulators ensure that all businesses abide by the law. In a far more perfect way, God has established absolute standards of justice and love. By living according to His commands, we pursue justice for all people.
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Lions were common in Canaan during Old Testament times, living in forested hills and in thickets near the Jordan River. Lions are believed to have inhabited the entire Middle East from Asia Minor to India until about A.D. 100. Ezekiel’s parable of the two lion cubs alludes to common methods of capturing lions using camouflaged pits and nets. The Assyrians made a sport of capturing lions, catching and releasing them for their royal officials and military officers to hunt.
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Aside from what the Lord revealed in Scripture and through the life and work of Jesus Christ, His primary way of making Himself known is through men and women committed to Him and His commands. They are the light of the world, and their good works shine the way to the Lord (Matt. 5:14–16)—which means that our conduct puts God’s reputation at stake.
The Lord made a covenant with Israel to be His people (Ezek. 20:5, 6). Yet even before the escaped slaves arrived at the Promised Land, they went back on their commitment and worshiped idols they had served in Egypt—not once, but on three occasions. The Lord threatened to pour out His fury (20:8, 13, 21), but He spared them for one reason: He wanted the world’s nations to know who He is (20:9, 14, 22).
If Israel were destroyed, the nations would lose a crucial witness to the living God. Moses pointed this out at Mount Sinai, when the Lord wanted to destroy the idol-loving Israelites and make Moses the father of a new nation. Moses argued that the Egyptians and other nations would misinterpret God’s purpose for leading the people out of Egypt (Ex. 32:9–14).
We should scrutinize our own reputations and ask ourselves whether our lifestyles make us faithful witnesses for God. Do our actions attract people to Him? Are our lives appealing? Is God honored by the things we do and say?
More: If our actions keep others from God, we may need to repent before attempting to evangelize others in any significant way. See “Repentance and Evangelism” at Jer. 3:17. Daniel Defoe explored the poignant experience of true repentance in his novel Robinson Crusoe. See here for an article on the life of Daniel Defoe.
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God stated that the people of Israel encountered “high places” when they entered Canaan. These centers of idolatry on the tops of mountains and hills were sites where the Canaanites worshiped false gods. By letting many of these shrines stand, the Israelites directly violated the Lord’s command, and the high places became a persistent temptation to worship other gods. To learn more about the high places, see “The High Places” at Deuteronomy 12:2.
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Cleansing the Land
It was around a lively childhood dinner table, as the seventh of twelve children, that Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896) learned how to argue a point. Determined to “win the West for God,” Stowe’s father Lyman Beecher, a prominent preacher, revivalist, and reformer, moved the family to the frontier city of Cincinnati, where he served as president of Lane Seminary, soon a center for abolitionists. Separated only by the Ohio River from a slave-holding community in Kentucky, young Stowe was well-informed about life in the South and the plight of fugitive slaves.
At the age of twenty-five, Stowe married a professor from her father’s school. Both were fervent abolitionists, and their home became a shelter for runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. Due to her husband’s unsteady health, Stowe had set out to supplement her family’s income through writing, but she never considered herself very talented or glamorous. On the contrary, she described herself as “a little bit of a woman, just as thin and dry as a pinch of snuff; never very much to look at in my best days and very much used-up by now, a mere drudge with few ideas beyond babies and housekeeping.”
First Stowe penned a geography book for children and a collection of short stories featuring characters from New England’s history. But after Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, outlawing assistance to runaway slaves, she knew it was time to speak out against the sins of her nation. A peril and shame hung over her nation, and she hoped that every woman would break her silence. “I feel now that the time is come,” she pleaded, “when even a woman or a child who can speak a word for freedom and humanity is bound to speak.… I hope every woman who can write will not be silent.”
For her own contribution, Stowe resolved to compose a story that would portray slavery “in the most lifelike and graphic manner possible”—a story that would be uncompromisingly authentic—and impossible to ignore. This story soon grew into a two-volume novel read by millions. Uncle Tom’s Cabin showed slavery’s destructive impact on everyone involved, slaves and slave-owners alike. Slaves were torn from their families and forced to remain ignorant. Slave-owners were dehumanized by their own actions, gaining dishonest profits and spreading bloodshed. It was foolish of northern Christians to reduce their faith to a set of rules, and it was foolish of southern Christians to bend the Bible to excuse or even justify the practice of slavery.
Stowe wrote in an informal style that spoke to readers untouched by other anti-slavery arguments delivered in highbrow terms. She found sympathy in the North and hatred in the South. But her story was famous everywhere. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was first serialized in an antislavery paper in 1851 and 1852, but when it appeared in book form, it sold one million copies before the Civil War and was translated into nearly two dozen languages. Play adaptations were performed for sold-out audiences. When President Lincoln met Stowe in 1863, he is reported to have said, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!” Although this statement was certainly an exaggeration, it is impossible to deny that Uncle Tom’s Cabin had an immeasurable impact on American history.
Stowe later said, “I wrote what I did because as a woman, as a mother, I was oppressed and brokenhearted with the sorrows and injustice I saw, because as a Christian I felt the dishonor to Christianity—because as a lover of my country, I trembled at the coming day of wrath.” Like the prophet Ezekiel, this follower of God cried out to her people to cleanse the land of their cruelty lest it be purified through divine destruction.
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The Bible presents an extensive range of people who faced widely varying circumstances and responded to God in very different ways. These people perceived their needs and exercised faith in ways that fit who and where they were.
Ezekiel ministered in a foreign land among exiles who were prisoners of war. Their faith had to take into account the sobering reality that God had judged them and scattered them from Judah. And just as they had to discern how to live for God in their unique setting, other people in Scripture were compelled to find distinctive ways to live out their faith:
• Agrarian settlers. God placed the Bible’s first family—Adam and Eve and their sons—in the Garden of Eden and gave them responsibility to manage it (Gen. 2:15). The family later relocated but remained farmers (3:23—4:2). Note that after Adam and Eve’s sin, God came to them while “walking in the garden” (3:8).
• Nomadic herders. The Bible’s early chapters suggest that Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Rachel were all livestock owners who moved frequently. Their dealings with God often took place on the way to and from temporary settlements (13:14; 26:1, 2; 28:10–12).
• Oppressed slaves. The faith of the Hebrews in Egypt was marked by cries for justice and deliverance (Ex. 3:7). It involved finding ways to survive and overcome tyranny, including civil disobedience (1:15–21).
• Wandering refugees. After escaping from Egypt, the Israelites spent forty years traveling through the Sinai Desert. Issues of survival and community surfaced as the community began to develop into an organized society. The stress of the journey produced tests of faith, some of which the people failed.
• Citizens of a powerful empire. Under David and Solomon, Israel became an international power in politics and trade. Government and commercial systems were established more officially than under the judges. The nation’s religious life became formalized as a temple was built and staffed.
• Citizens of a nation in conflict. Israel’s split into northern and southern kingdoms was more than political. It tore at the nation’s faith. Idolatry became even more widespread, and prophets became prominent. Faith directly impacted international relations as Egypt, Assyria, and Babylonia dominated the Middle East.
• Displaced settlers. After Assyria overran Israel and Babylon conquered Judah, most survivors were deported east to southern Mesopotamia. Ezekiel prophesied to a group of these displaced settlers. Many stories of faith that emerge from this context are of minority Jews working their way into influential positions in the majority culture—Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel, for example. Faith became tied to the hope of reestablishing the homeland and rebuilding Jerusalem.
• Angry inhabitants of an occupied territory. In the Gospels we see Israel occupied by the Romans and the people exhibiting all the marks of an angry populace under military control: political factions and infighting, class warfare, ethnic hostility, and a constant fever of insurrection. When Jesus came along with His claim of messiahship, the people wondered if He would liberate them from the Romans. Jesus’ teaching pointed to a new way of dealing with conflict—love instead of violence, prayer instead of curses—and a new measure for spirituality—the spirit of the Law, not just its letter.
• A persecuted movement. The early church suffered intense persecution almost from its beginning. The situation was complicated as the movement became more ethnically diverse and spread beyond Palestine. Key themes of faith under these circumstances were suffering, community, prayer, and qualifications for membership in the movement.
• Urban dwellers. An additional context for many, if not most, first-century followers of Jesus was their life in the city. Faith had to handle questions of business and trade, law, money, taxes, ethnic and racial differences, authority, and other issues common to cities everywhere. New Testament Christianity thrived in this urban context (see “Churches Unlock Communities” at Acts 11:22).
Each of these contexts remains a challenge in the modern world, and people of faith are found in each. Considering the settings where God’s people live trains us to appreciate our differences—the various ways to live out our loyalty to God. Yet no matter where we find ourselves, there is one Lord and one faith.
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The Lord was looking for a strong and righteous person to lead His people out of trouble. But as He surveyed Judah and listed His people’s sins, He told Ezekiel that He had searched in vain for someone who could “stand in the gap” between the people’s guilt and His righteous wrath. He found no worthy go-between.
The Lord’s search recalls Jeremiah’s futile attempt to locate even one righteous person whose presence would save Jerusalem (see “Not One Righteous Person” at Jer. 5:1). There was not a single individual who was not guilty of abandoning God’s ways.
Ultimately, only Christ is righteous enough to connect a holy God and sinful humanity (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 9:15). Apart from Him, none of us would be free of God’s wrath, for all of us have sinned (Rom. 3:21–26). Because Jesus took on Himself the judgment for our sin, we can have unimpeded access to God.
But we can also become go-betweens in this troubled world, standing in the gap to bridge chasms of prejudice and indifference. We can do a great deal to halt evil and inform others of the opportunity to know God through Christ. And we can intercede moment by moment in prayer.
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The parable of the two sisters comments on the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Israel was notorious for its idolatry. Its capital city of Samaria was virtually a museum dedicated to foreign gods. Archaeologists have found there nearly five hundred fragments of ivory plaques and inlaid wood portraying Egyptian and Syro-Phoenician gods and goddesses (see Samaria’s profile at 1 Kin. 16:24). Yet for all its dedication to pagan idols, Israel was outdone by its sister kingdom Judah. The prophet Jeremiah remarked that Judah had as many gods as it had cities (see “A God for Every City” at Jer. 2:28).
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The Babylonians began a two-year siege of Jerusalem around 588 B.C., with one brief respite. The attack culminated in the fall of the city. Hundreds of miles away in Babylon, the Lord told Ezekiel to tell the people a parable about a pot of stew. Jerusalem was a cauldron full of water, spices, and choice meats, with logs or “fuel bones” blazing underneath.
Some believe that Ezekiel based his parable on a folk song that was sung as food was prepared. The parable began with a recipe for stew. But just as sin made God’s people odious and distasteful, scum or rust in the pot spoiled the stew and made it inedible (Ezek. 24:6). The Lord’s remedy was to “turn up the heat” (24:9) to make the water evaporate, the meat burn up, the pot red hot, and the scum melt away (24:10, 11). God would thus cleanse the city of impurities. That was what the Babylonian siege accomplished.
If a modern community is relatively healthy, it can stand some heat. But a community perishes if it ignores problems and lets spiritual and moral decline go unchecked. Jerusalem did not survive God’s heat. Our task is to prevent a similar fate for our communities.
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Ezekiel’s prophecy of Tyre’s downfall describes an ancient funeral service. It was customary for friends and mourners of the deceased to sit on the ground in sackcloth, lamenting their loss with loud wailing. Compare the behavior of the princes in this passage with the rituals of professional mourners in “Mourning Women” at Isaiah 3:24–26.
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Tyre: Merchant to the Coastlands
Location | Description |
1. Tyre (Ezek. 27:3) | Phoenician capital and the ancient world’s dominant sea power. |
2. Senir (Ezek. 27:5) | The mountain range of Hebron and a source of fir for ship planks. |
3. Lebanon (Ezek. 27:5) | The mountain range north of Tyre famous for its magnificent cedars, which were traded widely through Tyre. |
4. Bashan (Ezek. 27:6) | The fertile plain east of the Jordan River. |
5. Cyprus (Ezek. 27:6) or Elishah (27:7) | The Mediterranean island of the Minoans and a site of Phoenician settlements in the ninth and eighth centuries B.C. |
6. Egypt (Ezek. 27:7) | Superpower to the south and a source of world-renowned linen (see “The Spoiled Sash” at Jer. 13:1–11). |
7. Sidon (Ezek. 27:8) | Tyre’s twin city 20 miles to its north. |
8. Arvad (Ezek. 27:8, 11) | Northernmost Phoenician city. |
9. Gebal (Ezek. 27:9; Greek: Byblos) | The fourth main port city of the Phoenicians, famous for its masons (1 Kin. 5:18) and possibly the site of the alphabet’s invention. |
10. Persia (Ezek. 27:10) | The rising empire east of the Persian Gulf (or Lower Sea) in modern-day Iran. |
11. Lydia (Ezek. 27:10) | Or Lud, the fertile, wealthy region in western Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) where Revelation’s seven cities were located (Rev. 2–3). |
12. Libya (Ezek. 27:10) | Or Put, the lands in northern Africa west of Egypt, whose soldiers often served as mercenaries for Egypt (2 Chr. 12:3, where “Lubim” refers to Libyans). |
13. Tarshish (Ezek. 27:12) | Probably a land or city in the western Mediterranean, possibly Spain (see Tarshish’s profile at Jon. 1:3); believed to be a source of valuable minerals and metals. |
14. Tubal and Meshech (Ezek. 27:13) | The peoples of southern Asia Minor known for trading in slaves. |
15. Togarmah (Ezek. 27:14) | A region north of Tyre near Carchemish and Haran on the main trade route between Asia Minor and Mesopotamia. |
16. Dedan (Ezek. 27:15, 20) | The region on the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula that was crossed by the “incense route” connecting southern Arabia and Syria. |
17. Syria (Ezek. 27:16) | The territory northeast of Tyre that connected the seaport with the major international trade routes. |
18. Judah and Israel (Ezek. 27:17) | Two of the Phoenicians’ primary trading partners to the south, beginning in the time of David and Solomon (see “The Phoenicians” at 2 Chr. 9:21). |
19. Damascus (Ezek. 27:18) | A major commercial center on the far side of the mountains east of Tyre, located at the intersection of the two main highways, the Way of the Sea and the King’s Highway (see the city’s profile at Jer. 49:23). |
20. Helbon (Ezek. 27:18) | Probably a winemaking center several miles north of Damascus. |
21. Javan (Ezek. 27:19) | Possibly the Greeks, who, like the Phoenicians, possessed expertise in shipping. |
22. Arabia (Ezek. 27:21) | The collective name for the nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula southwest of Palestine who had a growing reputation as international traders. |
23. Kedar (Ezek. 27:21) | Ishmaelites of the desert area east of Israel who controlled caravan routes between Palestine and Egypt (see “The Peace Haters” at Ps. 120:5–7). |
24. Sheba and Raamah (Ezek. 27:22) | A region and tribe probably from the mountainous region of southwest Arabia (modern-day Yemen), a location that enabled it to control much of the trade from India and East Africa to the Middle East (see “The Queen of Sheba and International Trade” at 2 Chr. 9:1). |
25. Haran, Canneh, and Eden (Ezek. 27:23) | Three cities of northern Mesopotamia; only Haran’s location is known: at the intersection of major east-west and north-south highways (see Haran’s profile at Gen. 11:31). |
26. Assyria (Ezek. 27:23) | The empire of the upper Euphrates that imported large amounts of cedar from Lebanon (see “The Cedar Trade” at 1 Kin. 7:2). |
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Ezekiel probably prophesied about Pharaoh’s broken arms about a year after the Egyptians sent an army north during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (c. 588 B.C.; Jer. 37:5). When the Babylonians briefly retreated, some in Jerusalem assumed that the siege had ended and that the city’s security lay in an alliance with the Egyptians.
In Jerusalem, Jeremiah spoke out against these false hopes (37:6–10). In Tel Abib, Ezekiel warned Judean exiles that Egypt soon would be neutralized. Its pharaoh, probably Hophra, would have his arms “broken,” an image of powerlessness.
The prophets’ words came to pass. Shortly after returning to capture Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar’s troops traveled south to Egypt, where they found a new king in power: Ahmose II, the victor in a civil war that ended Hophra’s life.
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Ezekiel must have had quite a following. When it appeared that the Lord was about to reveal something through him, news of the event raced through the community. His prophecies were like a performance, with his listeners hanging on every word.
But when the show was over, so was the people’s interest. They heard Ezekiel’s words but did nothing to put them into action. They enjoyed the presentation but ignored the message. Even when they talked as if they exhibited real concern for others, they continued to live for their own interests. Their curiosity about Ezekiel’s sermons did not change their lives.
When faith becomes more about entertainment than genuine commitment, we become spectators rather than players, concerned more with What is the latest word from God? than What am I going to do with what God has said? If we only hear the word and never put it into practice, we deceive ourselves (James 1:22).
Self-deception is the worst thing about a faith that exalts entertainment. True conversion means not just expanded knowledge about spiritual things or good feelings toward God, but changed purposes, commitments, and actions. As Jesus pointed out, true love for God means living according to His will (John 14:15, 21, 23, 24).
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Ezekiel’s prophecy against Israel’s leaders pointed out a critical truth: if those who are led are neglected or suffering, their so-called leader is probably incompetent or evil.
God found that Israel’s “shepherds” fed themselves instead of their flock (Ezek. 34:2–8), giving the people nothing but leftovers (34:18, 19). The shepherds not only neglected the most vulnerable—the weak, the sick, the broken, the refugees—they actively exploited them (34:4–6, 21). Removing these leaders was the only remedy (34:9, 10). God Himself would heal the hurting, restore the scattered, and feed His flock (34:11–16).
Centuries later, Jesus prescribed “shepherd leadership” for one of His followers (John 21:15–19). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus modeled this true leadership by laying down His life for His sheep (10:11–17). As we exercise authority at home, work, church, or in community, our task is to put those we lead before ourselves, giving our utmost as we tend to their needs.
More: For more on biblical leadership, see “Servant-Leaders” at Matt. 20:25–28 and “Lessons in Leadership” at Heb. 5:1–14.
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The Jewish exiles would have been horrified at the sight of the remains of countless people left unburied. Dared by God to believe in His power to do the impossible, Ezekiel heeded God’s instruction and spoke to the bones. As he commanded them to live, they rattled with new life. Bone joined to bone and flesh enwrapped sun-dried skeletons. But the bodies still had no life. As Ezekiel spoke, wind blew and the bones came to life and stood up as a mighty army.
Israel had cried out, “Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!” (Ezek. 37:11). But the Lord promised to open their graves and restore them to their homeland. As God brought His people back from spiritual death, they would know that His power had rescued them.
God promised too that His Spirit would give His people life and help them walk in His ways (36:26, 27; 37:14). The Holy Spirit had inspired Old Testament believers to pursue holiness, and from time to time He came upon leaders and gave them extraordinary power. But He never permanently resided in God’s Old Testament people as He does within Christians. Ezekiel’s vision of an indwelling Spirit must have filled his listeners with anticipation. To learn more about the Israelites’ perspective on the Holy Spirit, see “The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament” at Isaiah 42:1–9.
Gog and Magog
Scholars disagree on the identity of Gog and Magog, the participants in a battle in which the Lord defeats a powerful army allied against Israel. They also debate when the battle takes place. But no one misses the point that God fights on behalf of His people. He does not allow their enemies to destroy them. He so completely annihilates Israel’s enemies that it takes seven months to bury their bodies (Ezek. 39:12), and their weapons provide seven years’ worth of firewood (38:9).
Understanding these chapters is difficult in part because they represent a style of literature known as apocalyptic (see “Apocalyptic Literature” at Rev. 10:1–10). Their symbolic message is communicated through vivid imagery and high contrasts. We must be wary of quick conclusions based on too literal a reading of the text. At the same time, we shouldn’t dismiss Ezekiel’s vision as allegorical or assume that it was a coded message that could only be understood and applied by his original hearers.
The identities of Gog, Magog, and the other names mentioned (38:2–3) may be impossible to establish with certainty. The name Gog appears in the Bible only in Ezekiel and in Revelation 20:8, suggesting prophetic significance. Around 660 B.C. the kingdom of Lydia in western Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) was ruled by King Gyges, suggested by some as the Gog referred to in Scripture. Others identify Gog as an ancient god called Gaga. Others name Alexander the Great or some other historical figure.
Magog, Meshech, Tubal, and Gomer (Ezek. 38:2, 6) are mentioned in Genesis as sons and nations descended from Japheth (Gen. 10:2). Tracing these peoples through history and geography, some suggest that Gog refers to modern-day Russia.
Whatever the identity of Gog, he includes in his army soldiers from Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah (Ezek. 38:5). In Ezekiel’s day, the first three of these referred to lands at the extremes of the world as the Jews knew it (see “Tyre: Merchant to the Coastlands” at Ezek. 27:3). Some view this international conspiracy of nations against Israel as a literal confederacy that will attack Israel in the end times, precipitating Armageddon. Others see it as a symbol of all of the forces of evil gathered against God’s people.
It is quite possible that Ezekiel himself did not know the exact identity of these enemies allied against Israel. In his day, the Lord was dispersing the Jews throughout the world and removing the land from their control. The Lord gave promises of restoration (Ezek. 36–37; compare Jer. 31), but even a restored Israel would have enemies.
God promises to protect His people. His victory over our enemies is cataclysmic, overwhelming, and total (39:1–16). He accomplishes it by Himself (38:17–23). And it all goes down on what sounds like the great and terrible “day of the LORD” foreseen by other prophets (Joel 2:28–32; Amos 5:18–20; Zeph. 1:14–18).
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Ezekiel 40–46 lays out detailed plans for a new temple complex and worship rituals in Jerusalem. Some interpret these as a blueprint of a physical temple to be constructed in or near Jerusalem during a future millennial (thousand-year) period. Others see it as a vision that stresses the purity and spiritual vitality of an ideal place of worship and those who will worship there. Either way, the design expresses the name of the new city where the temple is located: “THE LORD IS THERE” (Ezek. 48:35). The illustration here offers one possible rendering of the new temple according to Ezekiel’s specifications.
OW: Wall of outer court (Ezek. 40:5)
G1: Eastern outer gateway (40:6–16)
OC: Outer court (40:17)
C: Chambers in outer court (40:17)
G2: Northern outer gateway (40:20–22)
G4: Northern inner gateway (40:23, 35–37)
G3: Southern outer gateway (40:24–26)
G5: Southern inner gateway (40:27–31)
IC: Inner court (40:32)
G6: Eastern inner gateway (40:32–34)
T: Tables for killing sacrifices (40:38)
SP: Chambers for singers and priests (40:44–46)
V: Vestibule of temple (40:48, 49)
S: Sanctuary or holy place (41:1, 2)
SC: Side chambers (41:5–7)
E: Elevation around temple (41:8)
CY: Separating courtyard (41:10)
B: Building at west end (41:12)
PC: Priests’ chambers (42:1–14)
IW: Wall of inner court (42:10)
CP: Priests’ cooking places (46:19, 20)
K: Kitchens (46:21–24)
The Gateway
More: Compare the new temple as envisioned by Ezekiel with the layout of the temple conceived by David and constructed by Solomon. See “Solomon’s Temple” at 2 Chr. 5:1.
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God called the Israelites at various times in history to dedicate places and people in a way that reminded God’s followers that they were His own. Monuments, the tabernacle, the temple, and mountains—along with leaders, priests, and prophets—were designated as holy: consecrated or set apart to God.
This pattern continued in Ezekiel’s vision of the new temple. Access to this holy place was highly restricted (Ezek. 44:1–9), and a holy district was to be established in the restored land.
Yet although holiness is often associated with certain places, the call to holy living is never confined to one location or another. All of life is to be holy, no matter where we are. Ezekiel pinpoints some very practical dimensions of holiness:
• To stop violence and oppression (45:9).
• To cease evictions (45:9).
• To restore honesty in business, using high standards of integrity and trustworthiness (45:10–12).
• To donate part of each business transaction to God, whether a merchant is wealthy or poor (45:13–17).
• To mark life with monthly festivals and celebrations that include everyone (45:18–25).
• To restore a six-day work week and protect the Sabbath, with the prince providing for this observance (46:1–15).
• To be careful with inheritances and boundaries, treating aliens and strangers fairly (46:16–18; 47:13–23).
• To provide an area for ordinary people, for homes and shared space (48:15–20).
• To name each of the commercial centers—the exits or gates of the city—after groups of citizens (48:30–35).
• To name the city itself “THE LORD IS THERE,” communicating the true extent of holiness: everything in the city is connected to the Lord (48:35).
We may conduct ourselves with more reverence in certain settings and on certain occasions, but we are neither more nor less holy when we enter or exit a particular place. Christ has already invited us into the Most Holy Place, allowing us to live as His set-apart people in everything we do (Heb. 9:11–15; 10:19–25).
More: The patriarchs believed that wherever God had visited the world, that place had become holy. See “Sacred Space” at Gen. 28:22. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, strived to live a holy lifestyle through spiritual disciplines such as the regular study of Scripture. See here for an article on his life.
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As the Israelites established traditions to mark life’s rhythms, God also called them to remember that they were His people. He appointed a periodic celebration known as the “year of liberty” as a reminder that He had freed the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Find out more about this celebration in “The Year of Jubilee” at Leviticus 25:8–17. To learn about the connection between the Jubilee year and the Babylonian exile, see “Seventy Years of Sabbaths” at 2 Chronicles 36:21. For more on Israel’s festivals, see “Jewish Feasts” at Luke 2:42.
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From Dead Sea to Lively Waters
As if to prove the vitality of the life-giving waters flowing out of the new temple (Ezek. 47:1, 9), the man tells Ezekiel about En Gedi, a site on the western shore of the barren Dead Sea. He describes fishermen lining the shore, casting their nets into fresh waters teeming with “exceedingly many” fish. This starkly contrasts with the site as it was known to the people of Ezekiel’s day. See En Gedi’s profile at 1 Samuel 23:29.
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Scripture gives us only the barest glimpses of heaven. But we know with certainty that God will be there and that we will never be separated from Him again. With this bright vision of eternity, Ezekiel’s book of prophecy draws to a close.
Just as the apostle John saw the New Jerusalem descend from heaven (Rev. 21), so Ezekiel envisioned the day when the city of God would finally be made perfect and complete in every way. Both prophets saw twelve gates facing the four corners of the earth (Ezek. 48:31–34; Rev. 21:12, 13), an indication of accessibility for everyone. Inscribed with the names of Israel’s twelve tribes, the gates suggest inclusion, restoration, and fulfillment of everything that God has promised His covenant people. In John’s vision, this image is strengthened by the fact that these gates never shut (Rev. 21:25).
The name of this ideal city is “THE LORD IS THERE.” This is a fitting climax not only to the Book of Ezekiel but to John’s Revelation and to the Bible itself. It shows that a reversal has occurred. Ezekiel saw the Lord withdraw from His temple because of the people’s sinfulness (Ezek. 10:18), but now He has returned to a new temple to live among His people forever. And while fellowship with God was cut off by sin in Eden (Gen. 3:22–24), it becomes permanently accessible in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2, 3).
In this life we may at times feel distant from God. We might question whether He knows who we are. But Scripture assures us that one day we will no longer wonder where God is or how much He loves us. We will dwell with Him, enjoying the fulfillment of His perfect grace, forever.
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