Bible

[Ranb2khz]

Dave_007, I noticed that you quoted Ezekiel 1 in your message. I assume that God has been leading you to this book for some reason. Likewise, He has recently lead me to it as well, so I decided to do some studying on it, and thought that I would share what He has shown to me on it.

I personally haven't watched any of the shows that you pointed out, but if they are in some way related to Ezekiel 1, I thought it best to see what exactly the Bible is saying in the scriptures that you shared.

As with all scripture, we have to view it in the context as it relates to the circumstances and situations of the time. I am not implying that it was meant only for the specific set of circumstances occurring at the specific time it was written; but much scripture can be applied to any particular circumstance at any point in time. In the case of Ezekiel 1, we must review a bit of Judaea history prior to the visions of Ezekiel. The following information is rather lengthy, but if any one wishes to understand the passages of scripture that you shared - it would be a worthwhile read:

The Book of Ezekiel

Early in the second siege of Jerusalem (598 B.C.), Nebuchadnezzar took a second group of captives to Babylon. Among them was a young man named Ezekiel, who was from the priestly family of Buzi, a Zadokite priest (1 Kings 1:32, 2 Kings 24:17; Ezekiel 1:3, 44:15). Expectations were high that Zedekiah’s reign would usher in a new era of peace, prosperity, and stability (Jeremiah 28:1-9). It soon became evident, however, this would not be the case. In 598 B.C. Ezekiel was 25 years old and was just five years from beginning his priestly service in the temple.

In 593 B.C., six years before the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel received the first of a series of 14 visions that comprise the 48 chapters of his book. His ministry continued for at least 22 years, until his last prophetic vision in 571 B.C. (29:17). Ezekiel was married, but no children are mentioned. In the midst of his ministry his wife died – a tragic loss that was the basis for one of his messages on the death throes of the nation (24:15-27). His name means “God Strengthens”. Indeed, he sought to be a source of strength to both warn and encourage the people of their need for repentance and faith. His 14 messages are arranged chronologically and each is dated, giving the year, month, and day. The messages commence with his call in 1:1, dated July 31, 593 B.C., and continue until his vision in Chapter 40 of the new temple, New Jerusalem, and reunified Israel, dated October 22, 573 B.C.

The authorship of the book of Ezekiel has never been widely challenged. Even though Ezekiel’s name is mentioned only at 1:3 and 24:24, there has always been a general consensus that the prophet wrote the book. It is autobiographical throughout, with a uniformity of language and style. Its chronological arrangement also attests to its uniformity and structural balance.

Themes In Ezekiel:

Growing up in a priestly family impacted Ezekiel’s theological perspective. We can easily identify at least six themes in the book. Each theme builds on the previous ones as the message progresses.

1. Ezekiel’s message opens with a vision of God’s holiness and transcendence, which had been violated by Israel and Judah.

2. Yahweh’s holy character demanded justice and judgment, which would bring about the imminent destruction of Jerusalem.

3. The transcendent God was concerned about and would judge the sinfulness of humanity. Earlier, Amos (760 B.C.) had stressed the social injustice of the nation. Ezekiel took Amos’s view of sin a step further and identified the spiritual root of sin as violation of God’s holy character and commandments.

4. Growing out of Ezekiel’s view of sin was his call for individual responsibility. He presented one of the clearest statements of personal responsibility found in the Bible in his message of 18:1-32.

5. When he had fully developed the idea of accountability and judgment, he balanced it with wonderful messages of hope and restoration, especially in chapters 33-37 and 40-48.

6. The theme that pervades all the other theological perspectives of the book is the prophet’s consciousness of God’s redemptive purposes in light of His nature and man’s great need.

The eschatological (end times) perspective of Ezekiel has been a matter of much discussion. We must look at this perspective in its relationship to other biblical eschatological works, especially Daniel and Zechariah in the O.T., and Revelation in the N.T.

Obviously, one’s eschatological position will determine in large measure how one interprets the messages of Ezekiel. The view reflected in these notes follows the dispensational premillennial framework, which views the return of Christ as inaugurating a visible earthly kingdom for a thousand years. This view best complements the exegesis of the text and best correlates with the theology of Ezekiel and his understanding of the Kingdom of God.

The message of the book is well organized and proceeds logically. The first section of the book begins with the reality of God’s presence in the midst of days of turmoil (1:1 – 3:27), by addressing the theological question, where is God in the midst of life’s storms? Second, Ezekiel addressed the reality of judgment both for Israel and for the nations (4:1 – 32:32). Third, Ezekiel revealed the reality of restoration and final defeat of Israel’s enemies (33:1 – 39:29). Fourth, the prophet’s final message turned to redemption and restoration that await all of God’s people (40:1 – 48:35).

~ “The Apologetics Study Bible”

Commentary from “The Apologetics Study Bible”:

1:1 Ezekiel “saw visions of God”, a clue that he is about to relate a theophany, or appearance of God. This one begins by introducing the attendant beings that surrounded Him.

1:2 Critics differ on the meaning of the “fifth year”. Most likely this is a reference to the fifth year of the exile of Jehoiakim, who was taken captive in 597 B.C. He had been allowed to remain on the throne as a vassal to Nebuchadnezzar after the siege of Jerusalem in 605 B.C. This date would indicate that Ezekiel’s ministry began in 593 B.C.

1:3 The Hebrew text uses an emphatic (forcibly and clearly) form of the formula “the word of the Lord [indeed] came”, indicating that the prophet received a direct divine call that became the compulsion for his ministry to the exiles.

1:4 Many theological questions arose from the first attacks on Jerusalem and the subjugation of Jerusalem in 605 B.C and 597 B.C. Why would God allow such an atrocity to be inflicted on His chosen people? The Judeans could not reconcile the thought of the impending destruction of the city where God had enshrined His name (Psalm 48; Jeremiah 7:4). The thought that a pagan nation should gain control of, or utterly destroy, Jerusalem and plunder the temple presented theological dilemma for the Judeans (see Daniel 1:2; 5:1-4). Jerusalem was considered inviolable. That pagans could overthrow the nation was tantamount to admitting that their gods were greater than Yahweh. These issues also called their faith into question. It was to this time and to these circumstances Ezekiel was called to be God’s prophetic spokesman.

Some would deny that Ezekiel 1 describes a theophany. Windstorms are common occurrences for desert dwellers. But this windstorm also displayed flashes of lightning, fire, and smoke – all elements associated with a theophany (see e.g. Exodus 19:16-18; 1 Kings 19:11-13; Job 38:1; 40:6; Psalm 29:3-5). The description of spiritual beings and the vision of God that followed confirm that this was not a “natural” occurrence, but a theophany. But the “model” for this theophany was clearly the “Holy of Holies”, the inner sanctuary of the temple (Ezekiel was a priest, Ezekiel 1:3).

1:5 Spiritual beings, especially angels, often are presented as having a human form (e.g. Genesis 18:1; Joshua 5:13-15; Judges 13:6) and here these unique creatures also are said to have the “form” (Hebrew “demuth”) of a human being. The verses that follow provide various descriptive details, including the appearance of their legs (v. 7), their hands (v. 8), their movements (v. 8-9), their wings (v. 11), their relation to the “Spirit” (v. 12,20), their color (v. 13), their swiftness (v. 14), and their sound (v. 23-24).

1:10 Each creature had four faces: those of a human, a lion, an ox and an eagle. These creatures represent four major categories of life forms: human life, undomesticated animal life, domesticated animals, and winged creatures. A similar vision appears in Ezekiel 10, where the creatures are called “cherubim” (Hebrew “cherub”, singular, or “cherubim”, plural) probably from an Akkadian root “karubu”, which means “intercede”, “be gracious”, or “bless”. These creatures appear elsewhere in the Bible as guardians of the holiness of God (Genesis 3:24; Exodus 36:35; 1 King 6:23-29; Revelation 4:6-7).

1:15-16 Each of the cherubim was associated with wheels described both in terms of their appearance and function. Their appearance was like beryl, a precious stone. The outer rims of these high and awesome wheels were inset with “eyes”, a symbol suggesting God’s omniscience (v. 18). The Spirit supplied both power and guidance for the wheels to allow the platform and throne-chariot to move anywhere at lightning speed, suggesting God’s omnipresence. In fact, everything in the vision is intimately related to the platform and throne-chariot described in verses 22-27.

1:22 The “expanse” is the same word as in Genesis 1:6. Here it describes a platform located above the living creatures as the support for God’s throne.

1:26-27 This theophany, in which God’s visible attributes are described in terms of human characteristics, provided assurance to Ezekiel and the captives that God had not abandoned them, but was with them even in Babylon. Scholars usually classify such comparisons as “anthropomorphic accommodations”, meaning that God accommodated people by describing Himself in human terms, but the “accommodation” theory does not conform to the biblical record.

According to Genesis 1:26-28, human beings were created in the “image” (Hebrew “tselem”) and “likeness” (Hebrew “demuth”) of God (Genesis 1:26). These two words are always used to refer to the physical appearance of an object. The same words are used in Genesis 5:3 in relating that Adam had a son named Seth that looked just like him. These words appear in passages describing the appearance of idols (see Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 4:16,23,25; 5:8). While God is a spiritual, and not a physical, being, it also is true that He and every spiritual being (e.g. angels) in the Bible have certain attributes or a “form” that is shared in common (see genesis 18:2; Joshua 5:13-14; Daniel 8:16; 9:21; 10:6; Luke 1:19,26).

In reply to the request to “show us the Father”, Jesus said, “The one who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:8-9). Hebrews 1:1-4 states unequivocally that Jesus is the “exact expression” of God the Father (see Colossians 1:15,19). Human physical form has the same form, or appearance, as God Himself. The image of God defines the dignity and worth of human life, and explains why He intends to resurrect and glorify the human body (1 Corinthians 6:19; 15:14).

1:28 The mention of the rainbow is an echo of God’s covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:11-13). Just as God restored the world after the flood, He promised to restore fallen Israel. This vision is an earthly hint that the message of Ezekiel would be one not only of judgment, but also of hope and restoration. It was this message of hope that answered a crucial theological question for Ezekiel and every exile in Babylon – and Judeans still left in Jerusalem – namely; Is there hope for restoration?
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Another short synopsis of the Book of Ezekiel:

Ezekiel, a priest and a prophet, ministered during the darkest days of Judah’s history: the seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Carried to Babylon before the final assault on Jerusalem, Ezekiel uses prophecies, parables, object lessons, and symbols to dramatize God’s message to His exiled people. Though they are like dry bones, baking in the sun, God will reassemble them and breathe life into the nation once again (37:1-14). Present judgment will be followed by future glory, so that, “you shall know that I am the Lord” (6:7).

The Hebrew name for Ezekiel, “Yehezke’l”, means “God Strengthens” or “Strengthened by God”. Ezekiel is indeed strengthened by God for the prophetic ministry to which God calls him (3:8-9). The name occurs twice in this book and nowhere else in the Old Testament.

Ezekiel’s prophecies for God’s people can be seen as the companion piece to those of Jeremiah. While Jeremiah delivered a frightening message primarily of judgment and destruction, Ezekiel’s message focuses more on restoration and reconstruction.

A large portion of Ezekiel’s book (40-48) focuses on a temple in Jerusalem that has yet to be built. Its dimensions and features are distinctly different from any Jewish temple ever constructed, leading many scholars to assume this temple has a yet future role to play in Israel’s history. In Ezekiel’s vision, the Lord says of this temple, “this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever” (43:7). Even the city where the temple sits will have a new name: “And the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE” (48:35).

~ “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible”