Ezekiel Introduction
DATE - Most date the book between 595 and 592 BC, with most leaning
to 593BC. It is believed he continued through 570 BC, 23 years.
THE MAN:
1. Ezekiel was a priest \\#Eze 1:3\\ taken captive in one of the
conquests by Babylon (probably 597 BC).
2. We think he began his ministry when he was 30 \\#Eze 1:1\\,
the age when a priest could begin his service
\\#Num 4:3, 23, 30, 35\\.
3. His name means "God will strengthen."
4. God called Ezekiel "the son of man" 93 times in this book.
a. This was God’s was way of reminding Ezekiel that He knew
Ezekiel was just a man, with very real emotions, pains,
and weaknesses.
b. God asked some very, very difficult things of Ezekiel. By
calling him by this term, God acknowledged that He knew
He would have to give Ezekiel the strength and ability to
perform the,
c. The Scripture refers to Jesus by this title 84 times.
(1) Most of them record Jesus calling Himself by that
name.
(2) While this did not mean that Jesus was "just" a man,
it did mean that Jesus was completely human, able to
experience emotions, pains, and weakness.
(3) God the Father and God the Holy Spirit gave strength
to His physical nature to enable Him to complete His
earthly task.
TIME:
1. Ezekiel is a contemporary with Daniel and Jeremiah.
a. He was likely taken captive and carried to Babylon in 597
BC.
b. The Babylonians would conquer Jerusalem in 586 BC, that
is just seven years after Ezekiel began to prophesy.
c. Ezekiel will be a captive in the land of Babylon, but he
will have visions of what was happening in Israel and he
will have messages for both the captives and the land of
Israel.
2. The fall and destruction of Israel was inevitable.
a. God had told the Jews to submit and surrender to Babylon
\\#Jer 21:1-10\\.
b. Those who did so would be cared for by God
\\#Eze 11:16, Jer 24:4-10\\.
3. There were three major carryings from Jerusalem to Babylon.
a. Jehoiakim (605 BC) - Daniel was carried away as a youth.
b. Jehoiachin (597 BC)(his son who reigned only three months)
Ezekiel was taken.
c. Zedekiah (586 BC) - Fall of the city
STYLE:
1. Ezekiel is a book of revelations for the Old Testament as the
Book of Revelation is for the New Testament.
2. Many of the prophecies have been fulfilled, but some of the
prophecies are dual-reference prophecies, meaning while they
may have been fulfilled in part historically, they have a
future and greater fulfillment in the future.
3. Some of what Ezekiel spoke was given through normal words, but
much more of it was through signs, symbols, and visions. As
with any prophecy, some interpretations we feel strongly
about, on some we can only give an educated guess, and on
some, we have no idea.
THEME:
1. God wanted the people to know He was God and that His Word
was true.
2. This theme can be picked up by the phrases used.
a. "the Word of the Lord" - 60 times
b. "they shall know that I am the Lord" - 24 times
c. "ye shall know that I am the Lord" - 22 times
http://truthsaves.org/bible-book-outlines/outline-of-ezekiel/
MESSAGE DATES - Ezekiel dates many of his messages. It seems that in
chapters 1-11, these dates combine the messages into one topic with
multiple parts. From chapter 12 through chapter 36 Ezekiel records a
series of messages, mostly with no dates. The messages of Ezekiel
12-19 have no date and may all go together. The messages of Eze 20-23
have one date and may also go together.
C:\Users\Carl\Documents\Word\Carl\Carl2018\Eze Message Chron.xlsx
The Kings (From the general time period)
I. Kings of the Divided Kingdom
A. Judah’s Kings
16. Josiah \\#2Ki 21:24-23:30; 2Chr 33:25-35:27\\
{640 to 609}
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign and reigned
thirty-one years \\#2Ki 22:1\\. He was the last good king of
Judah to reign and the Lord blessed him by allowing three of
his children to reign-unfortunately, all were evil and their
reigns were very short. At the age of 16, he began seeking the
Lord; by his twelfth year of rule, he was purifying the land
\\#2Chr 34:3;\\ \\#2Ki 23:4-20\\. By age 26, he had the people
repairing the temple \\#2Ki 22:3\\ where the High Priest found
a copy of the law \\#2Ki 22:8\\. When the king read it, he rent
his clothes \\#2Ki 22:13\\ and enquired of the Lord whether the
judgment Judah deserved was presently coming \\#2Ki 22:13\\.
The Lord’s reply was that the judgment was coming but because
of his tender heart \\#2Ki 22:19\\, not during his reign.
Josiah went on to keep the Passover with such zeal has had not
been seen since the days of Judges \\#2Ki 23:21-22\\. The Bible
records that there had never been another king like Josiah
\\#2Ki 23:25\\. Nevertheless, Josiah insisted on becoming
involved in a fight between Necho, King of Egypt, and
the King of Assyria at the Euphrates \\#2Kings 23:29\\. The
battle must have been long for he was killed at Megiddo,
\\#2Chron 35:20\\ says the battle was against Carchemish, a
Hittite tribe which lived along the Euphrates and served the
Assyrians at that time. Whoever Israel fought against
attempted to communicate with Josiah that he was going against
God’s will \\#2Chr 35:21-22\\ but Josiah persisted and was shot
by an archer and died \\#2Chr 35:23\\. \\#Jer 46:10\\ speaking
of two more battles Egypt would lose to Babylon in the
immediate future \\#Jer 46:1-12, 13-26\\ tells this was God’s
way of executing judgment on Egypt. Why Josiah tried to
intervene is a mystery but it cost him his life.
17. Jehoahaz \\#2Ki 23:31-34, 2Chr 36:1-4\\ or Shallum
\\#Jer 22:11 1Chr 3:15\\
{609}
This is the first son of Josiah to rule \\#2Chr 21:17\\
\\#2Chr 22:1, 2Ki 13:1\\. Jehoahaz began to rule when he was 23
and reigned 3 months \\#2Ki 23:31\\. He was a wicked king
\\#2Ki 23:32\\. Pharaohnechoh, ruler of Egypt imprisoned him
and took him to Egypt where he died \\#2Ki 23:34\\.
18. Jehoiakim \\#2Ki 23:34-24:6, 2Chr 36:4-8,\\
\\#Jer 22:18,24,24:1,25:1,26:1,27:1,35:1;36:1,45:1\\
\\#Jer 46:1, Dan 1:1\\
{609-597}
Jehoiakim was appointed by Pharaohnechoh, ruler of Egypt, to
replace his brother, Jehoahaz \\#2Ki 23:34\\. He was the son of
Josiah and before Pharaoh changed his name, he was called
Eliakim. He paid gold and silver to Pharaoh for his position
\\#2Ki 23:35\\ for which he had to heavily tax Israel. He began
ruling when he was 25 \\#2Ki 23:36\\ and ruled 11 evil years
\\#2Ki 23:37\\. After eight years, Pharaoh retreated under
Nebuchadnezzar’s onslaught and Jehoiakim paid him for three
years \\#2Ki 24:1\\. When he rebelled, Babylon began conquering
Israel. This lasted several years. Jehoiakim died before
Nebuchadnezzar completed his conquest of Judah and was buried
in Israel \\#2Ki 24:6\\. Jeremiah preached many messages during
Jehoiakim’s reign. It was Jehoiakim who killed Urijah the
prophet \\#Jer 26:21-23\\ and destroyed copies of Jeremiah’s
prophecies \\#Jer 36:1, 22-23\\.
19. Jehoiachin \\#2Ki 24:6-25:30, 2Chr 36:8-10\\
\\#Jer 52:31-34\\. Also called Coniah
\\#Jer 22:24 37:1\\ and Jeconiah \\#1Chr 3:16 Jer 24;1\\
{597}
The son of Jehoiakim \\#2Ki 24:6\\, he reigned 3 months and 10
days \\#2Chr 36:9\\. He was 18 years old when he started
\\#2Ki 24:8\\ and an evil king \\#2Ki 24:9\\. He surrendered to
Nebuchadnezzar \\#2Ki 24:12\\ and stayed a prisoner in Babylon
for 37 years \\ 2Ki 25:27\\, at which time he was lifted out of
prison and ate and was nourished by Evilmerodach, king of
Babylon, for the remainder of his life \\#2Ki 25:29-30\\.
20. Zedekiah \\#2Ki 24:17-25:7, 2Chr 36:10-21\\
{597-586}
Zedekiah was the last king of Judah. He was Josiah second son
to rule \\#2Ki 24:17\\. He began ruling when he was 21 years
old and ruled 11 years \\#2Ki 24:18\\. He did evil
\\#2Ki 24:19\\, rebelling against the Lord through Jeremiah
\\#2Chr 36:12\\ and Nebuchadnezzar \\#2Ki 24:20\\. In his ninth
year, Nebuchadnezzar began a siege against Jerusalem which
lasted two years \\#2Ki 25:1-2\\. The famine was so severe, the
people abandoned the city \\#2Ki 25:3-4\\. Zedekiah was caught
near Jericho \\#2Ki 25:5\\. His children were killed before him,
his eyes blinded, and he was carried away to Babylon where he
died \\#2Ki 25:7\\. Zedekiah is referenced 48 times in the book
of Jeremiah. Some are merely time references; some are
accounts.
B. Israel’s Kings - There were none. They were in captivity.
OUTLINE:
I. \\#Eze 1:1-23:49\\ Before the Siege (c.593-587)
A. \\#Eze 1:1-3:15\\ The First Message
B. \\#Eze 3:16-7:27\\ The Second Message
C. \\#Eze 8:1-11:25\\ The Third Message
D. \\#12:1-23:49\\ Many Messages
II. \\#Eze 24:1-33:20\\ During the Siege (c.586 BC)
A. \\#Eze 24:1-27\\ Messages Against Judah
B. \\#Eze 25:1-32:32\\ Message Against Judah’s Neighbors
III. \\#Eze 33:21-48:35\\ After the Siege (c.585-570 BC)
A. \\#Eze 33:31-35:15\\ Reality of More Destruction
B. \\#Eze 36:1-39:29\\ Return of Israel to the Lord
C. \\#Eze 40:1-48:35\\ Return of Israel to the Land
<Outline
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