Ezekiel #26

Ezekiel, a priest carried into Babylonian exile, receives some of Scripture’s most vivid visions — a throne-chariot of God’s glory, a valley of dry bones brought back to life, and a detailed future temple — addressed to a people who had lost their land, their temple, and nearly their hope.

Read Ezekiel in the King James Version →

Author and Date

The book presents itself as the work of the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, who dates his visions by the years of King Jehoiachin’s exile (Ezekiel 1:1-3). These dates place his ministry c. 593-571 BC. Tradition holds that he wrote the book substantially as it stands. Some scholars see evidence of later editing by his followers, while others stress its unity of style and structure; the degree of editing is debated.

Background and Audience

Ezekiel was deported to Babylon in 597 BC with King Jehoiachin and prophesied among the exiles by the Chebar canal. Before Jerusalem fell in 586 BC, exiles hoped for a quick return, and he insisted judgment was coming. After the fall, his message turned to restoration.

Outline

• Chapters 1-3: Vision of God’s glory, and Ezekiel’s commissioning as watchman
• Chapters 4-24: Sign-acts and oracles of judgment on Jerusalem, including the glory leaving the temple
• Chapters 25-32: Oracles against surrounding nations, including Tyre and Egypt
• Chapters 33-37: Renewed watchman, the shepherds of Israel, a new heart and spirit, and the valley of dry bones
• Chapters 38-39: The prophecy concerning Gog and the defeat of Israel’s enemies
• Chapters 40-48: Vision of a new temple, the glory’s return, and a restored land

Key Themes

God’s glory and holiness stand at the center. Ezekiel stresses individual responsibility, God’s departure from a defiled temple and return to a renewed one, and the promise that he will replace hardened hearts with new ones. A recurring refrain, that Israel and the nations will come to “know” the LORD, ties judgment and restoration together.

Key Verses

• Ezekiel 3:16-21 — Ezekiel appointed watchman, accountable for warning the people
• Ezekiel 34:11-16 — God promises to shepherd his scattered flock himself
• Ezekiel 36:26-27 — the promise of a new heart and God’s own Spirit within
• Ezekiel 37:1-14 — the valley of dry bones, an image of Israel’s restoration
• Ezekiel 48:35 — the restored city’s new name, declaring God’s presence there

How It Fits the Bible

Ezekiel stands between Lamentations and Daniel in the Major Prophets, sharing Jeremiah’s promise of a renewed covenant. Its river flowing from the temple and its throne visions are echoed in Revelation, and Jesus’ words about being born of water and the Spirit in John 3:5 are often compared with its promise of a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36:25-27).