Panorama of the Prophets
Ezekiel Overview Chapters 1-24
There are Scriptural books, that when you
turn
to them in most Bibles, you find that the
pages
still stick together.
A)These are neglected books – slighted slices of
Scripture.
B)And of all such books, Ezekiel is probably at
the
top of the list.
One commentator writes, “Of all the prophetic
books, Ezekiel is the one that has been the most
neglected.”
C)Let me save you from an embarrassing
moment when you get to heaven. You don’t want
to bump into Ezekiel, and have him ask,
“Yo bro, how’d you
like my book?”, and then have to
admit you never even read it.
D)Overview tonight and next week – Read it
Division of the first half of the book:
Ch.1-3 The
ordination of the Prophet.
Ch. 4-24 The
Proclamations of the Prophet.
1. The nearness of Judgment ch.4-7
2. The need of
3. The nature of God’s Judgment ch. 12-24
Background:
A)Ezekiel was a contemporary of two other famous
prophets, Jeremiah and Daniel.
B)Ezekiel was in
him three times in his book.
C)Tradition says while Ezekiel was in
a student of Jeremiah.
1)Obviously, he had personal ties with both men.
Remember, 3 times
and took the Jews captive – in 605 BC, 597
BC,
and in 586 BC when they finally destroyed
A)In the second deportation the Babylonians
took some of
Jews –
B)Ezekiel was one of them.
Jeremiah looked through sobbing eyes -
Ezekiel saw through surreal eyes.
He was a visionary – a biblical mystic
So here’s how God positions His prophets
at
this strategic time in history…
Jeremiah remains in
nation’s collapse –
B)Daniel serves in
1) Ezekiel lives with the exiles in captivity.
That is often what God does – places us
at different
spots in the body for a different purpose and
reason
or function.
A)Each person has a different role in ministering to
God’s sheep – Pastor teacher
Evangelist – Prophet
B)Here’s another way to position the book.
The theme of Isaiah is God’s salvation –
Of Jeremiah, God’s judgment.
Of Daniel, God’s Kingdom.
Of Hosea, God’s Faithfulness.
And the theme of Ezekiel is God’s glory.
Ezekiel starts with an amazing vision of
the God’s indescribable glory!
Ezekiel 1:1 tells us, “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, that the heavens were opened and I saw
visions of God.”
A)Ezekiel saw his vision of God in the 30th year – but
the question becomes the 30th year of what?
B)And we don’t know. But it could be his own 30th
year– which gives us a glimpse at what Ezekiel
may’ve been dealing with personally at the time.
C)Ezekiel was a priest, and priests couldn’t begin their
ministry until age 30.
He’d trained his whole life to minister
in the temple.
A)Now he’s finally old enough - and he’s an exile in
B)It’s like wanting to drive a car. You’re
excited!
You’re about to turn 16 years old.
1)On the Eve of your 16th birthday – they change the
driving age to 18.
C)Major Bummer - This was a bummer for Zek
It all
could’ve depressed Ezekiel if he’d not had his eyes on
God.
But in Ezekiel’s 30th year God shifts his
direction.
Rather than priest, God turns him into a
prophet – a
divine spokesman.
A)His ministry begins not with serving, but with seeing
God’s glory, “the heavens were opened and I saw
visions of God.”
B)This is always God’s pattern. When we come to Jesus
we immediately get excited about serving Him.
After all, look at all He’s done for
me, what can I do
for Him?
C)And that’s good. But we need to realize in God’s
plan, knowing always precedes doing –
seeing comes before serving –
worship comes before work.
How can we represent someone we really don’t
know?
A)How can we serve another person until we learn
of
their passion and priorities?
B)So Before Ezekiel is given a ministry for God, He’s
given a vision of God.
C)This is the pattern God replicates in every believer
– knowing always precedes doing.
1)God has a ministry for you, but be patient.
First we need to catch a vision of God and
His glory!
4 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was
coming
out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire
engulfing
itself; and brightness was all around it and
radiating out
of its midst like the color of amber, out of the
midst of
the fire.
A)In chapter 1, Ezekiel recounts the spectacular
sight he
saw – a vision truly beyond his wildest dreams.
B)Let me sum it up for you, Ezekiel sees the throne
of
God – but it’s not what we think of as a throne.
1)It’s not a ornate, plush velvet, padded chair. God’s
throne is more than a chair – it’s a chariot.
C)It’s a throne on wheels – powered by angelic
propulsion.
Ezekiel sees God’s throne as a chariot.
A)Scripture tells us the Ark of the Covenant - was a
small scale replica of God’s throne in heaven.
B)It’s interesting that 1Chronicles 28:18 refers to
the
C)Remember, God took Elijah to heaven in a fiery
chariot.
D)We think of it as an angelic limo, but I don’t
think so.
I believe God fired up his throne to fetch
Elijah.
Deuteronomy 33:26, “There is no one like… God…
Who rides the heavens to help you, and in His
excellency on the clouds.”
2 Samuel
cherub, and flew; He was seen upon the wings of the
wind.”
E)It’s cool (and biblical) to imagine God ripping
across
the heavens in a souped-up
chariot.
1)Ezekiel sees God in a fullthrottle,
whirlwind fiery
chariot. –
Hebrews
fire.”
I’m sure Ezekiel wondered how anything could
exist
within this fireball - until he spotted some movement.
RDV 5-14
LIVING CREATURES The cherubim (1:5-14)
A)These creatures symbolize the glory and power of
God.
B)In Revelation 4, John gets a glimpse of God’s
throne, and he too sees four living creatures.
1)We learn in Ezekiel
creatures are also called “cherubim” – which we know
is a type of angel.
B)They could see in all directions and move in
all
directions without turning.
1)The four faces speak of their characteristics: the
intelligence of man; the strength and boldness of the
lion; the faithfulness and service of the ox; and
the
heavenliness of the eagle.
C) Some see in these faces the four Gospels:
Matthew
(lion—king); Mark (ox—servant);
Luke (man—Son of
Man); John (eagle—Son of God from heaven).
D)The creatures could move quickly to accomplish
the will of God.
Each creature was associated with a set of
wheels, two
wheels in each set. RDV.15-21
The wheels in each set were not parallel to each
other,
like the rim and the hub of a bicycle wheel; rather,
they
were at right angles to each other, like a gyroscope
top.
The wheels were constantly turning and, since
they
faced in all four directions, they could move in
any way
without changing motion, just like the cherubim.
A)They were “full of eyes” (v. 18), picturing the
omniscience of God as He rules His creation.
2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us “the eyes of the Lord run to
and fro throughoutthe
whole earth.”
The firmament (
A)This was a beautiful “platform” above the wheels and
the cherubim, containing the throne of God.
B)God is still on the throne, and His will is being
accomplished in this world even if we do not always see
it.
C)The complex movements of the cherubim and the
wheels reveal how intricate is God’s providence in the
universe; only He can understand it, only He can control
it. But there is perfect harmony and order.
The rainbow (
A)There was a rainbow in the storm. Certainly this told
Ezekiel that God’s mercy and God’s covenant
would not
fail His people.
B) Gen. 9:11-17, where the rainbow was appointed
as a
sign of mercy and also Rev 4:3 / 10:1
C)Noah saw the rainbow after the storm, the
Apostle
John saw it before the storm, but Ezekiel
saw it
within the storm.
D)Great reminder of God’s presence and mercy in
each aspect of the storms we encounter in this
life.
Ezekiel’s Response to the Glorious
Vision:
A)In response to the glorious vision, Ezekiel hits
the
deck. He falls on his face in humility.
B)Now that Ezekiel has seen the Lord, he’s ready to
serve the Lord.
C)And in 2:1 God comes to commission him, “And He
said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will
speak to you."
D)Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and
set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me.”
It’s ironic, when you compare Ezekiel’s
experience
with what happens in a charismatic service
today.
A)In a Benny Hinn meeting
supposedly it’s the Holy
Spirit who knocks you down - while it’s man who
helps
you up.
B)But that’s not what happens to Ezekiel. The Spirit
doesn’t knock him down – the Spirit picks him up
1)Ezekiel humbles himself and falls on his face, then the
Spirit lifts him up!
C)Guys, don’t be mistaken, the Holy Spirit doesn’t
slay us - He stands us up again,
1)after we’ve humbled ourselves.
Object Lessons
The book of Ezekiel is full of object
lessons
the prophet acts out.
A)In the Gospels, Jesus spoke in parables. Ezekiel lived
in parables.
B)God sums up Ezekiel’s ministry in 24:24, “Thus
Ezekiel is a sign to you; according to all
that he has
done.”
1)He was constantly acting out a skit that taught a
spiritual lesson
Examples
C)At the end of chapter 2 God hands Ezekiel a
scroll,
which he’s told to eat.
In 3:3 Ezekiel says, “So I ate, and it was in my mouth
like honey in sweetness.”
Here’s God’s point - His Word needs to be digested
and consumed. Don’t just nibble – scarf it up, pig
out,
chow down!.
The Bible is not a finger food. You’ve got to chew on its
message.
In chapter 4 God tells Ezekiel to lay on
his
left side for 430 days.
A)The days represent the # of Yrs of
B)What are you doing Zek
– God told me to lay here
390 days left side 40 days right side –
1)The yrs of our sin.
C)Uncomfortable -
Sometimes obedience to God can hurt.
Uncomfortable - It produces sore spots.
A)When God restrains you, and tells you not to move
from the place where He’s positioned you it
can hurt and be painful –
B)maybe it’s a tough marriage, or an unbearable job, or
a friendship that’s being tested.
C)Hey, it’s not always easy to lie down when
you feel like walking off.
D)Everybody else screams for you to take a stand, but
God is saying stay on your side.
1)There are times to stand up, and there are times to stay
down.
E)Guys, if you’re obedient to stay where God has
placed you, He’ll sustain you, and strengthen
you.
A year later, God gave Ezekiel another
vision, this
time of the sins of the people back in
A)The glory appeared again (8:2), and God took the
prophet in vision to the holy city.
B)There he saw a four-fold view of the sins of the
people:
(1) an image set up at
the north gate of the temple,
possibly of As-tarte, the foul
Babylonian goddess, 8:5;
(2) secret heathen
worship in the hidden precincts of the
temple, 8:6-12;
(3) the Jewish women
weeping for the god Adonis, who
was supposed to die and be raised from the dead
each
spring,
(4) the high priest and
the twenty-four courses of priests
worshiping the sun, 8:15-16.
Is it any wonder God planned to destroy
the city?
A)Of course, the glory of the Lord could not remain
in
such a wicked place.
B)The glory had come to the temple, 8:4; but in 9:3
the
glory moved to the threshold of the temple.
The throne of glory was now empty. It would
become a
throne of judgment.
In chapter 9 we see God’s servant putting a mark
of
protection on the faithful remnant of believers, lest they
be slain in the judgment to come.
Then, in 10:4, the glory of God moved above the
threshold of the house, hovering there before judgment
was going to fall.
In
threshold to the eastern gate of the temple (v. 19); and
finally in
the top of the
“Ichabod—the glory has
departed” (1 Sam.
After 8½ centuries of abiding in the midst of
His people
the glory, and power, and presence of God returns
to
heaven.
In chapters 8-11 you can chart his slow,
reluctant exit –
from the Holy of Holies to the door of the
the east gate to the mountain top.
It was as if He didn’t want to leave.
The rabbis even claimed the Shekinnah
stayed on top
of the mountain for 3½ years. From the Hebrew text
they discerned 10 stages in God’s departure.
But here’s a simplified way to look at it – the
temple had
two courts - the inner and outer court.
God’s glory left the inner court, before He left
the outer
court.
It’s also possible for the glory of God to
depart a person.
Here’s an important application. You too
are a
temple with an inner and outer court.
You have an inner, spiritual life.
You also have an outward ministry.
1) A person once filled with the Holy Spirit can
lose that
special empowerment – but it also happens in two
stages.
The inner life is effected first, then the
outward ministry.
Public ministry may still be going strong, after
the
private devotion has dried up.
You lose intimacy with God, long before you
lose influence for God.
Samson is the classic example.
Privately, in his heart he harbored lust and sexual sin –
while publicly, he continued to exude supernatural
strength.
But the day came when God’s Spirit left him
completely.
The Philistines tied him up, and Samson thought
it was
business as usual.
Judges
before, at other times, and shake myself free! But
the
Scripture adds… “he
did not know that the LORD had
departed from him.”
His compromise caused God to depart from
him.
Let’s beware that doesn’t happen to us.
A)
perpetual stubbornness. She refused to repent.
B)Make sure Jesus remains on the throne in the inner
court of your life.
1) Make sure He’s at home in your heart.
And if you wonder… can the glory return
once it has
departed?
A)Look no further than Matthew 21, and Jesus’
triumphant entry into the city of
B)Remember, according to Hebrews 1:3 and Ezekiel
10:4 Jesus was the
Shekinnah glory – the brightness of
the Lord’s glory.
C)And remember the path He took into the city
that
day…
1)He rode the donkey down the
through the east gate, right into the
D)The same path by which the glory left - the
glory
returned.
E)And how long did Jesus linger on earth? 3½ years –
the same amount of time the rabbis said the Shekinnah
lingered on the mountain before it ascended.
Remember too, at the end of His 3½ years
of ministry
- as well as His
death and resurrection –
A)Jesus ascended to heaven – and from where?
B)The mountain top east of
C) But the story still doesn’t end there... One
day Jesus
will return to earth to establish His throne in
and guess where Zechariah 14:4 tells us He’ll set
His
foot?
D)You bet, the
same mountain - and according to Ezekiel 44:1-3 – He’ll
enter through the very same eastern gate.
E) The same path the Shekinnah
glory cut when it
departed from the temple is the same path Jesus has used
to come and go from
LOVE IT
Look at a few more object lessons:
A)Chapter 12 Once more Ezekiel gives his neighbors
in
B)Each morning he packs his belongings and sets them
outside. At twilight he loads his stuff on his
shoulders
and walks away.
C)I don’t know about you, but I hate to Move -
All the sorting,
boxing, packing – what a hassle.
Ezekiel though is moving every day.
A)And rather than leave home through the front
door, God tells Ezekiel to dig a hole in the wall.
B)Illustration of what it is going to be like to be forced
to escape and to be carted off into captivity.
In verse 10-11 God explains his purpose.
“Thus says the LORD God: ‘This burden concerns
the prince in
you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them;
they shall be carried away into captivity.'
How many of you like Country music:
Ch.16 makings of a country music song RD
v.1-14
A)In the chapter the Jews are described as an
abandoned
infant – tossed out into an open field as soon as she’s
born.
B)That’s when God finds her, washes her, clothes her,
and
adorns her with beauty – then He takes her as His
wife.
C)It’s reminiscent of the musical, “My Fair Lady”. An
English professor takes a little urchin off the
streets, Eliza
Doolittle.
D)He trains Eliza to be poised, mannered, and noble.
Through his training he turns her into a
polished,
and beautiful young lady.
And to his surprise he falls in love with
her and takes
Eliza as his bride.
A)But this is where the comparisons end.
B)From verse 15 onward God’s Eliza turns out to be a
flirt, rather than fair – and a whore, rather than a
lady.
C)Rather than thank God for His benevolence, she uses
her
beauty to play the harlot. Verse 15, "you trusted in your
own beauty, played the harlot because of your
fame, and
poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who
would have it.”
D)Judah took the blessings of God, gold and
silver, and made them into idols.
Verse 21 shows how far she plunged.
sons and daughters – children dedicated to God – and
made child sacrifices to false gods.
Verse 25 tells us, “You offered yourself to everyone
who passed by, and multiplied your acts of
harlotry.” The
NASB translates the passage, “You spread your
legs to
every passer-by to multiply your harlotry.”
E)Judah was a spiritual slut. She made no attempt
to be
faithful to God.
1) She cared nothing about faithfulness.
song was by Hank Williams, “Your Cheatin’
Heart”. And
that’s the title we could give to Ezekiel 16.
In fact, a cheatin’
heart is a common theme in a lot of
country songs.
A)You’ve probably heard the joke, “What happens when
you play a country music song backwards?” Here’s
the
answer,
“The guy sobers up, he gets rehired at the
factory, his
dog stops howling, and his wife comes back
home.”
B)Like many today it would take losing everything
to
bring
CHAPTER 21
In verse 6 Ezekiel is told to “sigh” – or to moan
and groan. His sigh is a sign.
A)A sigh is a powerful sign…
B)If your boss begins your annual review with a
sigh
you know you’re in trouble.
C)If your spouse starts a conversation with
a sigh you know here comes a complaint.
D)It takes a hard, stubborn person to ignore
such a
sign and continue on in the grievous behavior.
Ezekiel’s sigh is symbolic of
to God’s judgment – the whole nation
will sigh.
Verse 7, “every spirit will faint… all
knees will be weak as water.”
CHAPTER 24 Final word of Judgment as the
last
invasion begins
Ezekiel boils water, loads the pot with
cuts of meat, then cooks up a stew.
A)The oils and fats rise to the surface forming a
picture
of
B)The people of the city had become the scum of the
earth, and now the scum is in serious hot water.
Rd v.6-7
C)But that’s not all that happens to commemorate
the beginning of the siege.
As
Ezk’s wife died – The joy of his life.
A)It was symbolic of God’s wife – the city of
dying –
B)Ezk was forbidden by God to show any remorse.
C)His sorrow was to be eclipsed by a greater sorrow –
the sorrow over the ruin of
The first 24 chapters of Ezekiel remind us that
sin will
not go unpunished –
Pick up next week 25 – Judgment on