As many people assume that the Holy Spirit is not active in the Old Testament, the Lord proves every one of those people wrong. ", "The Gog and Magog Tradition in Ezekiel 20:8", International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, English Translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible: Ezekiel, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Book_of_Ezekiel&oldid=1132590694. 1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, thatthe heavens were opened and I saw visions[ a] of God. If you know anything about that latter book, you know that its author describes visions which are among the most confusing and bizarre in all the Bibleperhaps in all of literature. With Ezekiel, God did not force Israel to listen, He gave the option and they had to choose. database? Its with the exiles in Babylon, who gather by the river Chebar. The Prophet Isaiah Predicts the Return of the Jews from Exile, by Maarten van Heemskerck. The angelic guide is still with Ezekiel and will continue to explain and instruct him in the law of the temple, but at this point there is a special word from the Lord out of the temple, which is virtually a statement of consecration. by Gerard Van der Leun. In the Old Testament, God chose very specific people to give His message to Israel. In Ezekiel, you see that God uses every part of Himself to draw His people back to Him, almost in an underlying message to say, Please come back to Me, I just love you so much and I miss you. Episode 6 | Visions of Ezekiel Lion and Lamb Ministries 63.1K subscribers Subscribe 489 10K views 1 month ago Join Monte as he looks at the visions given to the #prophet #Ezekiel. 10.Visions of the divine glory over the cherubim. 1:1). Not only did these actions give signs to Israel, but they also revealed to Ezekiel the heart of the Lord. But, God did not do this for embarrassment, He did this to remind the people of Israel that He was still going to be their God and that He still desperately wanted to be loved and served by them. We might conclude that Israel is a cherubic nation, called to stand watch at the house of God, just as cherubim were stationed at the gate of Eden (Gen. 3:24). Each cherub has four facesthe face of a bull, a lion, an eagle, and a man (Ezek. Not as slaves, but having a real relationship with Him. 1:2627). 1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.. 2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,. Old Testament Overviews. In chapter 18, the Lord tells the Israelites it doesnt matter how holy their father or mother may be; when we stand before the Lord, we will be held accountable for what we did. Below, toward earth, are four living creatures that represent the main categories of land and sky creatures: wild animals, domesticated cattle, birds, and men. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD.. The genre of the book is mainly of a prophetic nature, with a mixture of oracles, prophesies and reports of the situation in Judah; however it does deviate from this, most notably in chapter 13, where it takes the form of a supposed psalm. In general this report details (1) the vision that John saw of Jesus Christ, (2) the message that Jesus Christ gave to the apostle John and (3) the future events that will take place in the last days. "The vision of dry bones," explains how God's people would miraculously come together and be re-gathered to their homeland from among the nations of the world where . It seems that Israel stands alone as the invading soldiers cover the land like a cloud. He promises: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Yet the glory isnt in the temple. A frieze depicting the Prophets Amon, Nahum, Ezekiel, and Daniel. You can use it as an example when writing 1:6 ). To get the full effect of the vision, we need to see that Ezekiel 1 is only the first of a three-chapter sequence, during which Ezekiel is commissioned as a prophet. The first major vision can be found in Ezekiel 1:4-28. Ezekiel's commission would last for some 22 years and involve some challenging assignments. Ezekiel wasnt the first man to see Yahwehs glory cloud. 3348 promise that God will be known through the restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel. The cherubim and wheels and the expanse are only mechanisms to move the enthroned one from place to place. He appears to have spent the rest of his life in Mesopotamia. The vision of the Valley of Dry Bones may be the best known prophecy of this Hebrew prophet. . [26], Previous prophets had used "Israel" to mean the northern kingdom and its tribes; when Ezekiel speaks of Israel he is addressing the deported remnant of Judah; at the same time, however, he can use this term to mean the glorious future destiny of a truly comprehensive "Israel". The chariot is the original glory of God, and the world itself is modeled after the pattern of this glory. How interesting it must have been to be a friend of Ezekiel during that time; God speaking so clearly and so specifically about Israel, His plans for the sinners, the righteous, the enemies, anyone, and how to return to the Lord God of Israel. God uses Ezekiel's six visions to teach us important lessons: The Vision of God (The Vision of the Throne-Chariot and Living Creatures). In this film, created for Practical Matters by independent documentary filmmaker Sonia Narang, an Indian Jewish visual artist works with a group of high school students at the SAR Academy, a modern Orthodox day school in New York City. This essay was written by a fellow student. Like Isaiahs vision of glory (Isa. It would be extremely humbling to them for them to have to rebuild their worship place to God. Ezekiel purpose were to bring restoration and hope to Gods people., Isaiah 6 is written with a mixture of prose and verse, detailing the calling, or commission, of Isaiah by the Lord God. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul., are myriads upon myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them as in Sinai in holiness., I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. 48:2). God always displays His glory to Israel, yet they fail to obey Him. 3:10). Ezekiel describes his vision as an elaborate and complex image that symbolizes the majesty of Yahweh and proclaims Yahweh's sovereignty over all the nations of the earth. The seal on the Saint's foreheads 2:1, 3, 8; 3:1, 3, 4, 10; etc.). The Lord had descended on Sinai in a storm cloud (Ex. Since September 30, 2015, Russia has stationed more than 50 aircraft and helicopters across Israels northern border in Syria, including the Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-24M bombers, Su-25 attack aircraft, Su-30SM fighters and Mil Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters as well as Caspian Flotilla ships, according to the Russian News Agency. When Yahweh sends Israel into exile, he packs up and heads into exile with them. Save time and let our verified experts help you. We might surmise that David and his men are glory in human form. God inspires the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel to reveal to the Israelites why they will become captives to Babylon, His anger against false prophets, and the restoration of Israel., Testament (1000-1200 words). f) The Discharge (32:6) 32:6 "I will also make the land drink the discharge of your blood As far as . Ezekiel was a faithful servant that loved his Master. He was among 10,000 exiles carried off during a period. We might conclude that Israel is a cherubic nation, called to stand watch at the house of God, just as cherubim were stationed at the gate of Eden. 1:10). As one writer wrote, taking such steps allows God to unearth the dry bones in our lives, to revive our hearts and to breathe new life into our souls. 7:24. As a "sentinel for the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 3:17), Ezekiel had repeatedly warned of God's pending penalty for Judah's transgressions, including its fondness for idolatry (Ezekiel 5:7-10). Instead of affecting change through Gods righteousness, they were swept away by the sins of the nations and worshiped idols and sacrificed their own children in the fire. [25] The process of purification begins, God prepares to leave, and a priest lights the sacrificial fire to the city. God made these people His and they are turning from Him. Ezekiel glimpses the interior of the throne room because Yahweh is about to invite him to take his place among the living creatures. 1:5 ), but with bronze legs and hooved feet ( Ezek. Sadly, only a small percentage of the worlds population seems to realize that it is God who has done these great things. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. 28:18). In chapter 1 of the book named after Ezekiel, God gave the prophet a glimpse of the spirit realm, which serves God in accomplishing His will. He showed himself to prophets like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee. God choses whomever He wants to give His messages to His people. What can it mean, but Holy Spirit? Likewise, we see leaders of nations, the media, and even churches the prophets of our day mislead the world into a false impression that Israel is not really threatened in the Middle East, or they say that Israel is the real threat the world. I want you to see what you have done against Me, not so that I can punish you, but so that there will not be anything between us again and we can freely commune. Second, I will place you in your own land. Gog will think that Israel is living in relative peace and abundance, making her an easy target. 1:22), and above the expanse, Ezekiel sees a lapis lazuli throne, occupied by a figure like a man made of fire and metal (Ezek. Peter J. Leithart is president of the Theopolis Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. This is in marked contrast to the Deuteronomistic writers, who held that the sins of the nation would be held against all, without regard for an individual's personal guilt. From the first chapter, which graphically describes the overwhelming invasion of the divine presence into Ezekiels world, to the last phrase of Ezekiels vision (the Lord is there) the book sounds and echoes Gods sovereignty. The book moves on to anticipate the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, explains this as God's punishment, and closes with the promise of a new beginning and a new Temple. 1:6) and four wings ( Ezek. A Jewish man purchases groceries in the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem. Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" (Ezekiel 14:6) Ezekiel encountered God through extraordinary visions full of metaphor and symbology that have produced much speculation over the millennia, yet God also conveyed His message to the People of Israel through Ezekiel very clearly: Repent! Comparing his vision to Babylonian iconography reveals that Ezekiel saw a divine "throne chariot" of the heavenswidely described in the ancient biblical world. cite it. Are these. Visions could vary in kind, differing in such things as length, intensity, number of symbols, and whether the vision was perceived in the spirit, as in a dream, or by the conscious physical senses. This is a reminder that God does pursue those whom He loves, but He also wants His people to come to Him out of freedom. That is why He created human beings to begin with, God is a relational God. He willed it to happen out of obedience to the Lord and what He told him to prophesy over and to these dry bones. This is the law of the temple: all the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy, such is the law of the temple. For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. The author does not identify himself as an apostle., Ezekiel the watchman prophet who had an assignment to bring the message to Gods people. It was nineteen years since Ezekiel had seen the vision of the glory of the Lord leaving His temple (10:18-22; 11: 22-24). a. He is now our gate to Divine Revelation and personal communication with our Father in heaven, Adonai Himself. [8] This last statement is incredible. 3. 1:6) and four wings (Ezek. Mom, Your Pain Is Realbut So Is Gods Comfort, Manage His Household Well: A Challenge for All Dads, When Your Difficult Boss Is Also Your Pastor. Ezekiel has the broad three-fold structure found in a number of the prophetic books: oracles of woe against the prophet's own people, followed by oracles against Israel's neighbours, ending in prophecies of hope and salvation: The book opens with a vision of YHWH (.mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}). Will be known through the restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel feet ( Ezek a small percentage of Theopolis! The cherubim and wheels and the world itself is modeled after the pattern of this Hebrew Prophet Coalition... Frieze depicting the Prophets Amon, Nahum, Ezekiel, and David a lion an... 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