Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Ezekiel.
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Basics
- Ezekiel was the son of a priest who lived as an exile in Babylon.
- Ezekiel was 25 years old at the time of the exile (assuming the thirty years of Ezek 1:1 refers to his age).
- He was 30 years old when he begin his prophetic ministry in the 5th year of Jehoiachin’s exile (592 BC).
- His ministry dates from 592-570 BC, during the first phase of the Babylonian captivity.
- He lived in his own house in exile, at Tel Abib on the Great Canal (Ezek 3:15). If the river Kebar can be identified with Babylonian naru kabari, his house was located between Babylon and Nippur, in one of the Jewish colonies that the Babylonians had transplanted from Judah.
- Ezekiel means “God strengthens” or the “strength of God.”
Structure
- 1:1-3:27 – Ezekiel sees the glory and receives the call
- 4:1-24:27 – Judgments against Judah; Fate of Judah Before the siege (593 BC – 588 BC)
- 25:1-32:32 – Judgments against Nations; Foes of Judah during the siege (587-586 BC)
- 33:1-39:29 – Restoration of Israel; Future of Judah after the siege (586-571 BC)
- 40:1-48:35 – Visions of the Temple
Timeline of the Exile
- 722 BC – Northern kingdom taken into captivity in Assyria
- 612 BC – Babylonians and Medes conquer Assyria
- 605 BC – Babylonians battle Egyptians at Carchemish; Nebuchadnezzar becomes king of Babylon; The Babylonians invade Judah; First wave of deportation of Jews to Babylon; Daniel is taken captive and begins to prophesy
- 601 BC – Babylonians battle Egypt, both sides suffer losses; Judah decides to realign itself with Egypt
- 597 BC -Jehoachin becomes king of Judah; Babylonians capture Jerusalem; Second wave of deportation to Babylon from Judah; Ezekiel is taken captive to Babylon; Zedekiah becomes king of Judah
- 593 BC -Ezekiel begins to prophesy
- 586 BC -The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the Temple; Jerusalem’s walls and gates are burned with fire; Third wave of Jews deported to Babylon and the Babylonian Exile begins
Time line of Ezekiel from BibleHub
- 593 BC – Ezekiels’ first vision
- 593 BC – Ezekiel’s Prophecy at Chebar, Ezekiel 1
- 593 BC – Ezekiel’s Calling and Instruction, Ezekiel 2
- 593 BC – Ezekiel Eats the Scroll, Ezekiel 3
- 593 BC – Ezekiel Foretells Siege of Jerusalem, Ezekiel 4-5
- 593 BC – Ezekiel’s Vision of the End, Ezekiel 6-7
- 592 BC – Ezekiel’s First Temple Vision, Ezekiel 8-19
- 591 BC – Ezekiel Sees God Refuse the Elders, Ezekiel 20
- 591 BC – Ezekiel Prophesies against Jerusalem, Ezekiel 21-22
- 591 BC – Ezekiel Prophesies against two Sisters, Ezekiel 23
- 588 BC – Siege of Jerusalem Begins, Ezekiel 24
- 587 BC – God’s Vengeance on Ammon and Edom, Ezekiel 25
- 586 BC – Fall of Jerusalem/Temple destroyed
- 586 BC – Ezekiel Pronounces Judgment on Tyre, Ezekiel 26-28
- 586 BC – Ezekiel Prophesies against Egypt, Ezekiel 29-32
- 586 BC – Ezekiel the Watchman, Ezekiel 33
- 585 BC – Ezekiel Explains Jerusalem’s Fall, Ezekiel 33:21
- 585 BC – Ezekiel Foresees Reproof and Restoration, Ezekiel 34-36
- 585 BC – Ezekiel Sees Resurrection of Dry Bones, Ezekiel 37
- 585 BC – Ezekiel Sees Future battle, Ezekiel 38
- 585 BC -Ezekiel Sees God’s judgment upon Gog, Ezekiel 39
- 573 BC – Ezekiel’s Second Temple Vision, Ezekiel 40-48
Dated Messages in Ezekiel
- Eze 1:1-3 – June/July 593 BC; Call to prophetic of his ministry
- Eze 8:1 – Aug/Sept 592 BC; The vision of temple abominations
- Eze 20:1 – July/Aug 591 BC; Response to the elders’ inquiry
- Eze 24:1 – Dec/Jan 589/588 BC; Jerusalem’s judgment
- Eze 26:1 – March/April 587/586; Judgment on Tyre
- Eze 29:1 – Dec/Jan 588/587; Judgment on Egypt
- Eze 29:17 – April 571; Judgment on Egypt (the latest date in Ezekiel)
- Eze 30:20 – March/April 587; Pharaoh’s defeat
- Eze 31:1 – June 21 587; Pharaoh’s final defeat
- Eze 32:1 – March 3 585; Lament over Pharaoh
- Eze 32:17 – April 585; Funeral dirge for Pharaoh & description of Sheol
- Eze 33:21 – Dec/Jan 586/585: Jerusalem’s fall
- Eze 40:1 – April 28 573: Temple vision
Genre: Understanding Prophecy
Background
Introduction to the Exile and Return
Chart: Bible History at a glance
Chart: Kings of Israel & Judah
Blue Letter Bible: Old Testament Timeline
Biblehub: Timeline of Ezekiel
Jensen’s Survey of the Old Testament
Timeline of the Babylonian Captivity
Ray Stedman: Overview: Ezekiel: Wheels, Bones, and Restoration
John MacArthur: Ezekiel Introduction
ESV: The Global Message of Ezekiel
James van Dine: Analysis of Ezekiel
David Malick: An Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel
JVernon McGee: Ezekiel – Notes and Outlines
William Orr: Key to Ezekiel
Charles Swindoll: Book of Ezekiel Overview
Maps from Holman Bible Atlas
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (1)
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (2)
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (3)
Conflicts between Israel and Aram-Damascus
The Golden Ages of the 9th & 8th centuries BCE
Phoenician Trade and Civilization
Trade Routes throughout the Middle East
Israel & Judah in the days of Jeroboam II and Uzziah
The Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III
Fall of Samaria and Deportation of Israelites
The Fall of the Kingdom of Israel
Assyrian Districts after the Fall of Samaria
Prophets of the 8th Century BCE
Judah Alone amid International Powers
Hezekiah’s Preparation for Revolt
Sennacherib’s Campaign against Judah
Assyria in the 7th century BCE
The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Districts of Judah under King Josiah
Nebuchadnezzar’s Campaigns against Judah
The Persian Period
World Powers of the 6th century BCE
The Conquests of Cyrus the Great
The Return of the Jewish Exiles to Judah
ESV Study Bible Maps
Key Words
- Son of man, covenant, vision (s), glory, Spirit (spirit), know that I am the Lord, iniquity, rebelled (rebellious), wrath, heart, harlot (harlotries, adultery, adulteries, adulteress).
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary: Ezekiel, Theology of
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Ezekiel
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica: Ezekiel
Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature: Ezekiel
The Jewish Encyclopedia: Ezekiel
McClintock and Strong: Ezekiel ; Ezekiel, Book Of
Fausset Bible Dictionary: Ezekiel
Holman Bible Dictionary: Ezekiel
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary: Ezekiel
Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible: Ezekiel
Hitchcock’s Bible names: Ezekiel means strength of God
Commentaries & Study Bibles
Ezekiel – The Top Five Commentaries – Ligonier – Keith Mathison
Best Commentaries on Ezekiel – Tim Challies
Commentary Reviews: Ezekiel
Biblehub Commentaries: Ezekiel
Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: Ezekiel
Matthew Henry: Ezekiel
Albert Barnes Notes: Ezekiel
Reformation Study Bible Notes: Ezekiel
Geneva Study Bible: Ezekiel
Precept Austin Commentaries & Sermons: Ezekiel
Try to find the works of Dr. Erika Moore on Ezekiel. She is working on an Ezekiel commentary (not yet published as I post this). If you have a chance to hear her speak in person, take it — especially if she is speaking on Ezekiel.
Erika Moore Chapel Sermon on Ezekiel 33
What Exactly did Ezekiel See? – Video lecture
Articles
Rethinking Ezekiel’s Invasion By Gog — J. Paul Tanner
Beyond The Grave: Ezekiel’s Vision Of Death And Afterlife – Daniel I. Block
Rosh- An Ancient Land Known to Ezekiel- James Price
Diglossia, Revelation and Ezekiel’s Inaugural Rite (Ezekiel 1-3) – Daniel Fredericks.
A Vision of God in Ezekiel 1:1-20 – Mark Dever
Commentary on the Vision of Ezekiel, Introductory to His Prophecy – Professor Havernick (Nov, 1848)
Beyond The Grave: Ezekiel’s Vision Of Death And Afterlife — Daniel I. Block
The Prophet Of The Spirit: The Use Of Rwh (Ruwach)̣ In The Book Of Ezekiel — Daniel I. Block
Ezekiel’s Vision of Israel’s Restoration—Part 1 (Ezekiel 37) — Merrill F. Unger
Ezekiel’s Vision of Israel’s Restoration—Part 2 (Ezekiel 37) — Merrill F. Unger.
Ezekiel’s Vision of Israel’s Restoration—Part 3 — Merrill F. Unger
Ezekiel’s Prophecy of the Temple – Randall Price
Ezekiel 26:1-14- A Proof Text For Inerrancy or Fallibility of The Old Testament? – Paul Ferguson
GotQuestions.org
Book of Ezekiel – Bible Survey
What are the Major Prophets and Minor Prophets?
What should we learn from the life of Ezekiel?
What were the wheels in Ezekiel 1?
What does the Bible mean when it says that we will receive a new heart?
Is the king of Tyre prophecy in Ezekiel 28 referring to Satan?
What is the meaning of the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37?
What does the Bible mean when it refers to the four winds?
Will there be animal sacrifices during the millennial kingdom?
How, why, and when did Satan fall from heaven?
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