Introduction to Ezekiel

Person, Place and Time

There is very little guesswork
needed in discovering who
wrote the book of Ezekiel, or
where and when it was
written. The opening three
verses of the book give us
much of the information we
need.
Ezekiel describes himself as
the son of Buzi, and a priest
(1:3). The fact that he is a
priest might help to explain
why much of his discussion
concerning holiness draws upon the section of Leviticus (chapters 17-26) which is often
referred to as The Holiness Code. The reference to the thirtieth year in verse one is not
clear, but could well refer to his own age (as NIV) and thus to the year when he entered
service as a priest.
Ezekiel is in Babylonia, in exile, as a result of the deportation of King Jehoiachin in 597 BC
(2 Kings 24:8-17), and has been there for five years (1:2). We are told that the first vision
he sees comes while he is by the River Kebar. While there is debate as to where this river
is at least two possibilities have been mentioned it is likely that it refers to a canal in
the city of Nippur, not far from Babylon
itself (see map above). His prophetic
Old Testament History
ministry lasts until at least the 27th
c. 1445
Exodus
year of the exile (29:17), when he
c.1400
Entry to the Promised Land
would have been 52.
c. 1010-970 David
Ezekiel was married but his wife died
c. 931

Division of the Kingdom

c. 722

Israel is destroyed by Assyria

c. 597

Deportation to Babylon

c. 587/6

Fall of Jerusalem

538

The return from exile begins

515

Rebuilding of Temple begins

445

Nehemiah travels to Jerusalem

at the time of the final fall of Jerusalem

in 587/6 BC (24:1-2; 15-18)1.

It is an interesting possibility that

Ezekiel may have known Jeremiah
before being taken into exile. There
are some close links between Ezekiels
sayings and some of Jeremiahs (Ezek
11:19-20 and Jer. 31:33; 32:39-40 for
example)2. Unlike Jeremiah (and

The box above gives some suggested dates for important events in Israels history. This is adapted from
the ESV Classic Reference Bible.
2

See McConville G, 83
1

Isaiah), Ezekiels prophetic ministry all takes place in Babylonia and is, thus the only
prophetic book that is set totally in exile. As Gordon McConville points out, Daniel is also
set in exile, but is not a prophetic book in the way that Ezekiel is.
Uniquely among the prophets, Ezekiel gives very specific dates for many of his sayings, or
oracles. While there is some debate as to exactly what calendar he used (there are two
possibilities, either that he used one which ran from autumn to autumn, or from spring to
spring) this allows us to date much of what he wrote with some accuracy3.
Reference

Event/Oracle

Date

1:1

Ezekiels call

31st July 593

8:1

Vision of idolatry in Jerusalem

17th Sep 592

24:1

The siege begins

15th Jan 588

29:1

Oracle against Egypt

7th Jan 587

31:1

Oracle against Pharaoh

21st June 587

33:21

The city has fallen

19th Jan 586

40:1

Vision of new Jerusalem

28th April 573

Old Testament Prophets

It can be helpful to see the prophets in relation to each other (as well as to the history of
Israel). Ezekiel, for instance, covers the same time as Obadiah and the end of Jeremiah.
The story of Daniel is also set in the time of the Exile. The diagram below gives one
possibility of how the prophets relate to each other historically.

Themes
Ezekiel has a number of important themes, and like all of scripture, the emphasis starts
with the person of God.

Transcendence and Immanence

The book begins and ends with the presence of God. In the first chapter this is depicted
through the vision of Gods throne approaching Ezekiel from the north. In the final
chapter, we have the vision of the new Jerusalem and its name: The Lord is There.

The table below is adapted from Taylor JB, 36 and assumes a calendar that runs from spring to spring. It is
not a complete record of dates that Ezekiel gives.
2

The first vision might be said to present Gods transcendence; the fact that he is other
different from and truly above humanity. However, it also touches upon Gods presence;
for Ezekiel and the other exiles, the vision of Gods throne in Babylonia would have been
a comfort, and a reminder that God is God over all, not just Israel.
The final vision goes further in this exploration of Gods presence; it reminds us that while
God is transcendent, he is also immanenthe is with his people. For the Jews, the Temple
was the ultimate symbol of this. For us, living after the incarnation when God becomes a
human being Immanuel, God with us then the reality of Gods immanence is even
more profound. Our hope, is still the hope of Ezekiels final vision, of a time when God
dwells with his people for eternity (Rev 21:3).

Sovereignty of God
The vision at the start of the book demonstrates the fact that God is not just the god of
Israel (as we have seen). He is the God of the whole world. The Jewish faith starts with the
understanding that God is creator and sustainer of the universe. This fact lies behind the
biblical understanding of God as Judge; he is Judge because he is creator. The book of
Ezekiel reminds us that whatever the circumstances may be, God is still sovereign. For the
Jews in exile this meant that God was still working out his covenantal promises to his
people. For us, now, it is a reminder that however much of a mess the word may seem,
God is still on his throne and still in control.

Humanitys Sin and Responsibility

Part of how Ezekiel brings Gods message to the people is to remind them that, while
God is sovereign and they are his covenant people, they have personal and corporate
responsibility for how they live. So, in a series of allegories (16:1-63; 20:1-31 and 23:1-494)
he shows Israels history of repeated faithlessness in contrast to Gods faithfulness. The
allegory of Oholah and Oholibah in chapter 23 is perhaps the most graphic of these, but
all of them aim to shock the people out of their complacency. The sin of the people is not
something that is obvious in ordinary life, it has taken hold in the very centre of Jewish
faith and religious activity: the Temple (8:1-18).

The Reality of Judgment

Old Testament prophets are probably known for their teaching on the judgment of God.
Ezekiel is no exception. Ezekiels message is not just one of judgment, but of the
imminent nature of that judgment, and of its certainty. On a number of occasions, God
emphasises that he will act as Judge (see e.g. 12:28; 22:14). The first vision brings this
message as well. While there is hope in the presence of God, the vision is full of symbols
of judgment (from the throne itself, to the threat of the storm) so that Gods presence is
seen as bringing both hope and judgment.

The Promise of Restoration

The final section of the book turns to the theme of hope and restoration. God can make
even dry bones live (37:1-14) so there is hope for the people of God. Ezekiels final visions
are of a land where the presence and the glory of God have returned (43:1-12) and where
4

See Taylor JB, 42 for a more detailed discussion of this.

3

the land is now a place of blessing and abundance. This was to give hope to the exiles,
but it also brings hope to us. For we live at the time when in Jesus we see these visions of
hope appear in flesh. So that in Jesus we see, as he himself said, the fulfilment of the
prophets (Matt 5:17).
In all of these themes, part of the message of Ezekiel is that no-one can have the privilege
of catching a glimpse of the glory of God without its having a profound effect on their
lives. His response at the end of the first vision has to be the response of Gods people
thought the ages to the revelation of God, This was the appearance of the likeness of
the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown. (1:28b)

Structure
The book divides into three major sections5:
1. Gods judgment on Judah and Jerusalem - chapters 1-24
1.1. The call of Ezekiel to confront a rebellious people - chapters 1-3
1.2. Signs, visions, metaphors and oracles declaring judgment for Jerusalem chapters 4-24
2. Gods judgment on foreign nations - chapters 25-32
2.1. Oracles against Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia - chapter 25
2.2. Oracles against Tyre - chapters 26-28
2.3. Oracles against Egypt - chapters 29-32
3.

Gods restoration of Israel - chapters 33-48

3.1. Renewal, return, restoration and resurrection - chapters 33-39
3.2. Vision of new temple, Torah, land and city - chapters 40-48

Recommended Books
Two readable introductory commentaries:
Taylor JB, 1969, Ezekiel, London: Tyndale
Wright CJH, 2001, The Message of Ezekiel, Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press
An excellent introduction to all of the prophetic books:
McConville G, 2002, Exploring the Old Testament Volume 4 The Prophets, London: SPCK
A very good, more detailed commentary which is extensive but accessible:
Duguid IM, 1999, Ezekiel, Grand Rapids: Zondervan

This structure is taken from The Proclamation Bible, Hodder and Stoughton, 882
4