The 26th book of the Bible, consisting of 48 chapters
God’s second prophet in Babylonia after Daniel

The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, whose name means “God strengthens” or “God makes strong,” is also counted among the so-called “Major” Prophets with its 48 chapters.
But I think it is not only the length of his writings, but also the scope of his prophecies. Not only was Ezekiel unable to carry out his “ministry” in Israel at all, but his messages were not directed solely at Israel, but were “international” in scope, intended for the nations as well.

The fulfillment of his prophecies began almost immediately thereafter, before Ezekiel himself and before the eyes of his contemporaries.
By now, we are already familiar with so many of the prophet’s fulfilled “revelations” from history—and these certainly deserve the title “Major.”

Ezekiel himself is a “Kohen,” one of the descendants of Aaron, who were called to the hereditary priesthood of God through their male lineage.
But in the year 597 B.C., under King Jehoiakim of Judah, also known as Jehoiachin, a second deportation of Jewish captives to the Babylonian Empire took place—just under 10 years after the deportation of Daniel, who had since risen to prominence there under King Nebuchadnezzar II.
The city of Jerusalem itself was spared once again—God is patient; after many fruitless warnings, He gave the people and their rulers one last opportunity to repent.
Among these captives was 25-year-old Ezekiel, who, by human standards, had a secure and prestigious future ahead of him—one for which he had been prepared his entire life.
But now, because of his “abduction,” Ezekiel could never be ordained as a priest, nor could he ever fulfill his calling to serve in Solomon’s Temple …

Five years later, on his 30th birthday, the book and ministry of Ezekiel begin at the Kebar River with God’s “personal” calling of Ezekiel to be HIS prophet.

There is a Chebar in present-day Iran and a Khabur that flows through eastern Turkey and Syria—but Ezekiel himself speaks of the land of the Chaldeans, the homeland of Abraham, the forefather of the people, and that lies in Babylonia in present-day Iraq.
Meanwhile, science—this time archaeology—once again confirms the truth of God’s Word.
Excavated cuneiform tablets from ancient Nippur, about 200 km southeast of Baghdad, mention a river named Kebar. This Kebar is a tributary or canal of the Euphrates. The river mentioned by Ezekiel was part of an ancient irrigation system in the fertile Mesopotamia.
These discovered clay tablets are dated to the middle of the first millennium B.C.—that is, around or shortly after the time of the prophet Ezekiel.

Ezekiel’s descriptions remind us of parallels with Moses’ calling and his experiences on Mount Sinai, which we find in the first books of the Bible and which took place a good 1,000 years earlier.
And at the same time, they remind us of the accounts of the Apostle John in the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

At first glance, Ezekiel’s visions seem confusing. They begin on the banks of the very same river Kebar in the land of the Chaldeans with a vision of God’s “glory” and his calling as a prophet.
The means and methods Ezekiel used to proclaim God’s message can also only be described as extremely “strange” or “unusual”—but I don’t want to give anything away here. 🙂

Outline of the Book of Ezekiel:

I like a division of the prophetic book into 5 parts

Content of the prophet Ezekiel:

• The prophet Ezekiel
  • Ezekiel chapter 1
    • A. First Major Section: Book of Judgment or Speeches Before the Destruction of Jerusalem (Chapters 1-24)
    • I. Ezekiel’s Call and Consecration as a Prophet (1:1-3:21)
      • The Appearance of God’s Glory in Babylonia
  • Ezekiel chapter 2
    • God Sends Ezekiel to the Stubborn and Rebellious Israelites
  • Ezekiel chapter 3
    • Call to Be a Watchman and Prophet for Israel
    • II. First Series of Prophecies of Judgment Against Judah and Jerusalem in Images and Words (3:22-7:27)
  • Ezekiel chapter 4
  • Ezekiel chapter 5
  • Ezekiel chapter 6
    • Announcement of complete destruction for all places of idolatry
    • Proclamation of salvation for a small portion of the people
    • Renewed announcement of severe punishments because of pagan abominations
  • Ezekiel chapter 7
  • Ezekiel chapter 8
    • III. The Vision of the Idolatry in Jerusalem and of God’s Judgment on the City (Chapters 8-11)
  • Ezekiel chapter 9
  • Ezekiel chapter 10
  • Ezekiel chapter 11
  • Ezekiel chapter 12
    • IV. Second Series of Prophecies of Threat and Rebuke Against Jerusalem and Judah (Chapters 12-19)
      • To Those Who Denied the Value of Prophecy Altogether
      • To Those Who Claimed That Ezekiel’s Prophecy Referred to the Distant Future
  • Ezekiel chapter 13
  • Ezekiel chapter 14
    • God’s Judgment on Every Idolater Who Consults a Prophet
    • God’s Judgment on Every Idolater Who Consults a Prophet
  • Ezekiel chapter 15
  • Ezekiel chapter 16
    • Introduction noting that Jerusalem originated from paganism
    • God’s acts of love toward Israel in the early days up to their entry into Canaan
    • Israel’s ingratitude (transgressions in religious and political matters)
    • God’s Judgment of Punishment on the Adulteress and Child-Murderer: It Is Precisely the Nations Whose Gods Israel Served That Are to Destroy It
    • Jerusalem’s Guilt Is Greater Than That of Samaria and Sodom and Demands the Harshest Punishment
    • Jerusalem’s Merciful Readmission into Fellowship with Samaria and Sodom
    • A Comforting Outlook for the Future
  • Ezekiel chapter 17
  • Ezekiel chapter 18
    • The righteous shall live
    • The wicked son of a righteous father shall die
    • The righteous son of a wicked father shall live
  • Ezekiel chapter 19
  • Ezekiel chapter 20
    • V. Third series of prophecies of doom and words of punishment against Jerusalem and Judah (Chapters 20-24)
      • Idolatry in Egypt
      • Disobedience to the Law During the Wilderness Journey
      • Disobedience of the Second Generation in the Wilderness
      • High Place Worship in the Land of Canaan
      • The Present Generation, Like Their Fathers, Is Rejected by God
      • The Former Purification of the Exiles
      • The Acceptable Worship of the Converts in the Land of Israel
  • Ezekiel chapter 21
  • Ezekiel chapter 22
  • Ezekiel chapter 23
  • Ezekiel chapter 24
    • Announcement of the sudden death of his beloved wife and the prohibition of lamentation and mourning customs for her
    • The death of his wife; Ezekiel’s explanatory messages to the community of exiles
  • Ezekiel chapter 25
    • B. Second Main Section: Prophecies of doom against the pagan neighboring nations (Chapters 25-32)
  • Ezekiel chapter 26
    • The city’s guilt and God’s threat
    • The city will be besieged and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar
    • Description of the impact of this destruction on the nations
    • God has decreed the complete destruction of the city
  • Ezekiel chapter 27
    • Tyre as a proud, magnificent ship; the city’s glory, especially as a global marketplace
    • The sudden sinking of the ship; the impact of this event on the nations
  • Ezekiel chapter 28
    • God’s judgment on the prince’s arrogance
    • Lament over the death of this prince
  • Ezekiel chapter 29
    • Announcement of the destruction of Pharaoh, the great crocodile
    • The desolation of Egypt
    • Egypt’s future restoration
    • Addendum: Egypt designated as compensation for Nebuchadnezzar’s fruitless siege of Tyre
  • Ezekiel chapter 30
  • Ezekiel chapter 31
    • The Unparalleled Splendor of the Cedar
    • The Sudden Fall of the Cedar and God’s Purpose in It
    • The Effect and Significance of This Fall
  • Ezekiel chapter 32
    • Figurative Portion: The Disgraceful Destruction of the Great Crocodile
    • Actual Prophecy: The Destruction of Egypt by the King of Babylon
    • The Pharaoh Condemned to Wretchedness; His Reception by the Inhabitants of the Underworld
    • The Pharaoh in the Underworld Amid the Wretched (the Uncircumcised and Those Slain by the Sword)
    • The Pharaoh Cast into the Underworld by God
  • Ezekiel chapter 33
    • C. Third Main Section: Book of Consolation or Discourses on the Restoration of Jerusalem (Chapters 33-48)
    • I. Preparations for the Time of Salvation (Chapters 33-39)
      • The significance of the watchman’s office for the watchman and for the inhabitants of the land
      • Ezekiel’s sermon on repentance at God’s command and his proclamation of divine grace and justice for repentant sinners
      • The turning point for Ezekiel (upon receiving news of the conquest of Jerusalem) marked by the loosening of his tongue
      • Exposition of the facts
      • Threat of judgment
  • Ezekiel chapter 34
    • He gathers his sheep and cares for them lovingly
    • He separates the flock and protects the weak animals from the violent ones
    • He appoints his servant David (that is, a descendant of David as the Messiah) as his representative and makes a covenant of peace with them
  • Ezekiel chapter 35
  • Ezekiel chapter 36
    • The mountainous land of Israel, mocked by its enemies, is promised the removal of its unlawful occupiers
    • Promise of new blessings and glorious development for the mountainous land of Israel
    • The reasons that lead God to act in this way
    • The gradual unfolding of God’s plan, by grace
    • The acknowledgment of God’s greatness even by the Gentiles
  • Ezekiel chapter 37
    • The vision granted to the prophet concerning the revival of the dry bones
    • Interpretation of this remarkable event as a symbol
    • The symbolic act to be performed by the prophet
    • The interpretation of the symbolic act
    • The glorious future of the united people
  • Ezekiel chapter 38
  • Ezekiel chapter 39
  • Ezekiel chapter 40
    • II. Prophetic visions of the order of the new (messianic) Kingdom of God (Chapters 40-48)
      • The outer surrounding wall and the outer east gate
      • The Outer Courtyard
      • The Outer North Gate and the Outer South Gate
      • The sacrificial altars at the Inner East Gate
      • The two priests‘ chambers at the Inner North and South Gates
      • Size and layout of the Inner Courtyard
  • Ezekiel chapter 41
    • The Temple Hall and the Most Holy Place
    • The three-story side wing and the rear building
    • The Overall Dimensions of the Temple
    • The (Interior) Furnishings of the Temple
  • Ezekiel chapter 42
    • The Northern Priestly Chambers
    • The Southern Priestly Chambers
    • The Purpose of the Priestly Chambers
    • Completion of the Survey of the Entire Holy Precinct
  • Ezekiel chapter 43
    • God’s Entry into the Newly Built Temple and Its Consecration
    • The Altar of Burnt Offering and Its Consecration
    • The Dedication of the Altar
  • Ezekiel chapter 44
    • The Outer East Gate of the Temple Precinct and Its Designation for the Prince
    • Exclusion of the Gentiles from Temple Service and Exclusion of the Levites from the Priesthood
    • Instructions for the Rightful Priests (i.e., the Sons of Zadok)
    • Conduct of the Priests in Cases of Death
    • Inheritance, Property, and Income of the Priests
  • Ezekiel chapter 45
    • Allocation of a sacred precinct to the priests and Levites, and of a portion of land to the city and the prince
    • The prince’s duty to administer justice and ensure fairness
    • The taxes to be paid to the prince and the sacrifices he must offer
    • The festivals and sacrifices
  • Ezekiel chapter 46
    • Regulations for the Celebration of the Sabbath and the New Moon
    • Regulations Concerning the Prince’s and the People’s Entry into and Exit from the Temple Precinct
    • Miscellaneous Sacrificial Regulations
    • Subsequent Decree Concerning the Prince’s Landholdings
    • The Sacrificial Kitchens of the Priests and the People in the Temple Precinct
  • Ezekiel chapter 47
    • Treatment of Foreigners in the Distribution
  • Ezekiel chapter 48
    • The Seven Tribes North of the Holy Consecration Precinct
    • The Holy Consecration Precinct
    • The Five Tribes South of the Holy Consecration Precinct