The Major Prophets: Ezekiel Part 1 "Jerusalem Will Fall"
Most people only know a few things about Ezekiel... something about the "wheels" and maybe the dry bones, or the battle of Gog from Magog. But there is so much more to his life story and his amazing prophetic visions and teachings!
Ezekiel is the third prophet taught in the series and his message will be given in three parts. You will be swept away with this video teaching, as it is written in narrative form. The narrator is Ezekiel's wife, Eliana, (read by Katie Guaschino) who is a real bible character, and the reported events are all biblical. The book of Ezekiel is 48 chapters long, and requires an in- depth study. I have summarized this book to include the major events and prophetic words given by Ezekiel to spark your interest for a deeper verse by verse study. You may also be intrigued about the fact that there are at least 18 similar verses found both in the writings of Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Yes, they were contemporaries and colleagues. We know for sure of one letter that went between them! Or, possibly, the Lord was giving them the same message at the same time! Whatever the case, God was validating his words in two different sources. If we now examine the words of Ezekiel, we have even more insight about what was happening in Israel right before the fall of Jerusalem. All of Ezekiel's words came true. Can we not, now, trust his words that he has given to us about the last days? The events that are still to come? (12:20)
Scriptures: Ezekiel 1-11
Discussion or Journaling Questions:
1. Ezekiel 1-11 deals with Israel’s disobedience and God’s judgement, the coming siege, two messages and a vision. If the people were stubborn and would not listen, why do you think he sent Ezekiel at all?
2. What do you think were Ezekiel’s greatest struggles as he acted out God’s prophesies?
3. Ezekiel saw the glory depart from the temple in Jerusalem. Why was it important for the captives in Babylon to know this? Why is it important for us to know this?
4. Do you think God’s glory has been in America? If so, is it still here, or has it departed?
5. What was it that God really wanted his people to know during this period of time? What is it that he wants us to know during the times we are living in?
Enjoy this 5 minute video showing evidence of King Nebuchadnezzer.
Here is the text of the video: Ezekiel Part 1
Have you heard of my husband, Ezekiel? Such a prophet of Yahweh he was! My name is Eliana which means, “God has answered.” Oy, Vey, what a man he was! He was strong as an ox, hence his name, “God Strengthens.” and strength--strength is what we needed in the times we lived in. What a time that was… living together with the exiles from Judah that had been deported to the River Chebar in Babylon! Both Ezekiel and I cried many tears on the long journey from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with about 8000 others--merchants, and shopkeepers, military men, and of course the royal family of Judah. Eighteen- year -old King Jehoiachin, was with us, along with his mother, and many of his relatives from the royal household. It was the second time King Nebuchadnezzer had come up against Jerusalem, in 597 BC. Now we were slaves… slaves of the Chaldeans, the people of Babylonian Empire. They turned us all into farmers, working in the fields next to the Chebar River-- a great canal running off of the Euphrates river. Previously, during King Jehoiakim’s reign, they had attacked Jerusalem, carrying off some of the temple treasures along with many of the young princes, including our young friend, Daniel. He was taken to the capital city itself. Occasionally we would hear something of the other Jewish brothers that had been distributed across the empire.
We were both young, then, just 25 years old. How handsome my Ezekiel looked! Even the work in the hot sun never slowed him down, though he was not a farmer by trade. He was a Levite, in fact, a priest. If we had been in Jerusalem, Ezekiel would have officially become a priest serving in the temple at age 30. But we were not there. Everything was different now. One day, five years after our arrival in Babylon, while Ezekiel was sitting by the River Chebar, he looked and saw a whirlwind coming out of the north… a great cloud with fire engulfing itself. No one else could see the sight! The heavens were opened and he could see visions of God. I will never forget hearing him describe it… the four living creatures with four faces and wings, the wheels inside the wheels, their rims full of eyes... but most awesome of all-- the likeness of a man, high on a throne! His body was amber colored with the appearance of fire all around it (1:27) and from the waist down he had the appearance of fire.. There was an incredible brightness all around him… it was the glory of the Lord!
Of course, my Ezekiel fell on his face when he saw the whirlwind, and then the Lord began to speak! The spirit entered Ezekiel and lifted him onto his feet. It was then that Yahweh himself spoke to my husband. He said, “ Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel...you will speak my words to them…” He also told Ezekiel,( now a prophet of Yahweh, God be praised!) , that the people of Israel were impudent and stubborn people,(which we already knew) and they would not listen,(of course!) but at least they would know a prophet had been among them. He was not to be afraid of them! God was going to strengthen Ezekiel and make him like adamant stone, harder than flint. Yahweh had him “eat” his words on a scroll, and they tasted so sweet! Like honey. He was now going to speak God’s words to the captives.
When Ezekiel came out of this vision, he sat there, stunned, on the river, for seven days. It took him a while to speak, to explain to me, to all of us, what had happened. Ezekiel was soon nicknamed “The Watchman” by those of us who loved Yahweh, since we knew God had called him to proclaim warnings of what was coming ahead. (3:17)
For a second time, Ezekiel met with the Lord on the plain near our home, and beheld the glory of the Lord.(3:23) From this point on, until the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel could not speak. He was mute. The only time he could speak was when the Lord opened his mouth to speak HIS words. Oftentimes, I called my husband, “The visual prophet.” Why? Because, unlike some of the prophets, his ministry was “acted out.” It was similar to Hosea taking Gomer as a wife, or Jeremiah buying property or wearing a yoke. My Ezekiel topped them all with the number of strange things he was called to do! We never knew what he would be asked to do next.
You see, Ezekiel was dealing with the objections of men who thought their present unfortunate circumstance would pass over. They saw no calamity ahead, and stubbornly held on to the thought that the Lord would never abandon his people. The false prophets were telling our settlement of captives that everything was all right, and we would be returning to Judah soon. On the flip side, Ezekiel was called to give them oracles of doom. Back in Judah… all was going down--the city, King Zedekiah and his men, the temple, the walls--everything. They did not want to hear that Jerusalem would be under siege by the Babylonians… they believed this to be impossible! About that time, we received a letter from Jeremiah, telling us the same thing. “Settle down, build homes. Jerusalem will be destroyed. You will be in captivity for 70 years…”
So what “strange'' things was he called to do? He was told to take a clay tablet and draw Jerusalem, with the siege mound around it, placing it outside where everyone could see it. Not so bad, right? Next he was told to go outside and lie down on his left side and put an iron plate between himself and the model of the city. He was to do this for 390 days, to symbolize the 390 years of the sin of Israel, and then lie down another 40 days on his right side, for the iniquity of Judah. In a sense, he was actually “acting out” the siege of Jerusalem. He could only eat, “Ezekiel’s Bread” for all those days-- made of barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt. He had to make it himself, (I could not help!) and he could only have 20 shekels a day, and a small amount of water.” He was foretelling that Jerusalem would be surrounded by the Babylonian armies and that the people inside the walls would not have any food to eat. Just like Jeremiah had said! Ezekiel 4
After acting out the days of the siege of Jerusalem, next he had to cut his hair (his beautiful hair!) and his beard and divide the hair. One third of it was to be burned in the middle of the “city”, one third of it he struck with the sword, and ⅓ he scattered in the wind. A small number of his hairs were bound in the edge of his garment.(chapter 5:1-4) In other words, a third of the people would die in the fire, another third by the sword, and the final third would be scattered abroad. This is what the Lord said, “Jerusalem has rebelled against my judgments by doing wickedness more than the countries around her… therefore I am against you, and will execute judgements in your midst in the sight of the nations. And, I will do to you what I have never done, the fathers will eat their sons in your midst…” Such a humiliation! Idolatry was a capital punishment in the Torah, and God was bringing final judgement of Israel to its completion.” I will send famine, pestilence, wild beasts and blood.. (5:17) I the Lord have spoken!”
In a rare moment, Ezekiel gave a stunning sermon to the exiles… destruction and disaster were coming to Jerusalem, and soon! And he added God’s admonition to us, “When I punish you in the way that has been foretold, then you will finally know that I am the Lord!” (7:27)
A year later, we were sitting in our home with the elders of Judah and something strange occurred! The hand of the Lord fell on Ezekiel. He looked up, and saw the man of “fire” again, the one he had seen in his first vision. The man stretched out his hand and the spirit of God picked him up by a lock of his hair and transported him to Jerusalem to the temple.(8:3) The glory of the Lord was there, and Yahweh spoke to Ezekiel out of the brilliance. He wanted him to experience all of the wickedness that was going on there. There was a statue of Asherah there, at the North Entrance, but that was not all. Next, the man took Ezekiel through a hole in the wall, into the inner chambers. There were idols of every creeping thing and every abominable beast all lined up on the walls. Seventy of the elders of Israel were burning incense before the idols. They were worshipping the creation rather than the creator! But that was not all. As he moved around to the North Gate, he saw women who were worshipping the fertility God, Tammuz. Between the porch and the altar, 25 men were bowing in prayer to the east, to the god of the sun. God was so angry with them! He declared, ‘Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and then they have returned to provoke me to anger. Therefore, will I also act in fury….(Ezekiel 8)
The vision continued with Yahweh showing Ezekiel the destruction of the wicked remaining in the city. He commanded an angel to mark the foreheads of his faithful followers. The mark was the letter TAV. It was a cross! The sign of Jesus! Anyone with the cross was divinely protected. The rest of the people were given over to destruction. He told his angels, “Go through the city and kill, do not let your eye spare, nor have pity.” (9:5) Yahweh also showed Ezekiel how he would judge the king and princes of Israel, not in the city, but at the border of the country. “Then the remnant would know that Yahweh was the Lord… when all these things came true.
Ezekiel then watched as the glory of the Lord departed from the east gate of the temple, escorted by the Cherubim and the wheels. (10: 18-19) As you can imagine, my husband was overwhelmed by this vision, but God gave him, and us, hope. He told Ezekiel that He, Yahweh himself, would be a sanctuary for us now. Wherever we were. Whatever country we were in.(11:16) Some day, he would gather us, and give us the land of Israel again.(11:17) He would give us a one heart, and put a new spirit within us, and replace our stony hearts, with hearts of flesh. Then we would finally be able to walk in his ways, and be his people. (11:19-20) As he watched, the cherubim lifted up their wings, and with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the Lord above them, the glory rose up out of the city and stood on the Mt. of Olives for a time. The departure signaled Jerusalem’s doom. The city would be devoid of God’s blessing until the glory would return, some day, back to the Mt. of Olives and through the East gate once again. (43) As I think of this now, it is no coincidence that Jesus himself ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, and promised to return there! (Acts. 1:11, Zech 14:4) As the glory lifted, the spirit picked up Ezekiel and brought him back to the River Chebar, back home. Immediately, he shared with us all that he had seen!
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