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All things work together….
Count it all joy……
For I know the plans…
The Lord is my shepherd…
Do not be conformed…
I can do all things…
Do not be anxious…
Seek first…
Cast all your anxiety…
Fear not, for I am with you…
Be strong and courageous…
Whoever dwells in the shelter…
The book of Ezekiel contains mature content, so if you’re reading with little ones, please use discretion! Need some more tips on reading hard topics with young kids? Read our article Should I Read Sensitive Bible Passages with My Kids? here.
Read this 4-minute introduction to help you find your bearings in the Bible story, and be inspired to read Ezekiel!
This overview video illustrates for us the literary design of the book of Ezekiel using creative animations.
Book of Ezekiel Summary: A Complete Animated Overview (Part 1) is copyright 2016 by BibleProject and is available for viewing at www.bibleproject.com.
This overview video illustrates for us the literary design of the book of Ezekiel using creative animations.
Book of Ezekiel Summary: A Complete Animated Overview (Part 2) is copyright 2016 by BibleProject and is available for viewing at www.bibleproject.com.
This compelling dramatization of the book of Ezekiel introduces us to the main theme of the book and how it points to Jesus through spoken word poetry.
This video was originally published by Spoken Gospel on their YouTube Channel.
This video is part of the series, The Gospel One Chapter at a Time, where Paul David Tripp summarizes each book of the Bible and shows how it points us to Jesus.
This video was originally published by Paul Tripp Ministries, Inc. on their YouTube Channel.
Here are several reasons why Ezekiel is such a great book to read.
This video was originally published by College Church on their YouTube Channel.
The book has always been named for its author, Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:3; 24:24), who is nowhere else mentioned in Scripture. His name means “strengthened by God,” which, indeed, he was for the prophetic ministry to which God called him (Ezekiel 3:8, 9). Ezekiel uses visions, prophecies, parables, signs, and symbols to proclaim and dramatize the message of God to his exiled people.
—John MacArthur
Source: Copyright 2023, Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by permission. This Grace to You article originally appeared here at gty.org.
We have no sure knowledge of the fate of the exiles once they reached Babylon…and Ezekiel was among the exiles, a phrase which describes his social, geographical, and historical situation. Their suffering, their questioning, and quite possibly their angry complaints (cf. Ezekiel 3:14) were all shared by him. God did not send them a prophet from outside; God took one of their own number and stunned him into a costly but utterly crucial ministry among them.
—Christopher H. J. Wright
Source: Wright, Christopher H.J. The Message of Ezekiel (The Bible Speaks Today Series). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
From Bibles.net: Remember that the ultimate author of every book of the Bible is the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). He has written this book to equip you for life, to help you know the true God, and to give you hope (2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 15:4). The Holy Spirit wrote Ezekiel for your good and to lead you into joy.
The first dated message in Ezekiel is from the summer of 593 BC, four years after Nebuchadnezzar deported the first group of exiles to Babylon. The latest dated oracle is 22 years later, in April 571 BC. If Ezekiel was 30 years old when his ministry began (Ezekiel 1:1), the final vision of the book came when he was about 50.
—ESV Global Study Bible
Ezekiel is noteworthy for its precise dating. The book begins with the prophet’s first vision, which can be dated to July 31, 593 BC. This was four years into the exile of King Jehoiachin, who had been deported to Babylon along with the leaders of Israel for his rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:10–16). It also seems that this first vision comes in Ezekiel’s thirtieth year, the year he would have begun his duty as priest. In exile, God calls him to an even higher ministry. The final vision comes 20 years later, on April 28, 573 BC. In the interim, Zedekiah, the puppet king installed by Nebuchadnezzar, rebels and precipitates the siege and fall of Jerusalem 18 months later to Babylon’s army in 586 BC.
—Michael Lawrence
Source: Content adapted from Ezekiel: A 12-Week Study by Andrew David Naselli. This article first appeared on Crossway.org; used with permission.
The Near East at the Time of Ezekiel
c. 593 BC
Ezekiel recorded his visions and prophecies while living near Babylon, where he had been exiled years earlier. By Ezekiel’s time, the Babylonian Empire had conquered almost all of the area along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It would eventually conquer even the land of Egypt, where many other Judeans had fled.
As birthday treats go, Ezekiel’s thirtieth birthday[1] experience is unsurpassed. He was spending it by the riverside, a location chosen perhaps for prayer and ritual cleansing.[2] He may have gone alone, or with his wife, but before it was over he had a visionary experience of the glory of God himself—an experience that left him stunned and shattered for the whole of the following week (Ezekiel 3:15).
According to Numbers 4, Levites were eligible for their sacred work between the ages of thirty and fifty. Ezekiel would have grown up for twenty-five years in Jerusalem and known the workings of the temple and its priesthood intimately. He had probably trained for the day when he would enter that holy service himself—perhaps on his thirtieth birthday. Now that birthday had come, but where was he? Not in the temple in Zion, but on the other side of the world. Not in the focal point of the holiness of Yahweh’s presence among his people in his own land, but in an unclean land, surrounded by idolatry and polytheism, mocked by his captors…And yet, by the end of this day when he should have become a priest, Ezekiel had been called (if that is not too weak a word for the awesome experience) to be a prophet.
1. It is most likely that the expression In the thirtieth year refers to the prophet’s own age, though several alternative reference points have been suggested, e.g. thirty years since the discovery of the book of the law in the temple in 622. Cf. Allen 28, pp. 20-21.
2. Cf. Lydia in Acts 16:13.
—Christopher H. J. Wright
Source: Wright, Christopher H.J. The Message of Ezekiel (The Bible Speaks Today Series). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
Unless otherwise indicated, this content is adapted from the ESV Global Study Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2012 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Ezekiel by Daniel Block
In these hour-long messages, Dr. Daniel Block draws from 15 years of studying Ezekiel to help us learn what it has to say, and what it means for our lives. Dr. Block preached these messages in a class at College Church in Wheaton. He wants you to know that Ezekiel is in your Bible for your good, and it is God’s Word for you.
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As you read through Ezekiel, you might come across words and ideas that are foreign to you. Here are a few definitions you will want to know! Note that this dictionary was created for the New International Version (NIV) Bible.
A place where sacrifices were made to worship God. An altar could be a pile of dirt or stones, or a raised platform of wood, marble, metal, or other materials. The bronze or brazen altar was used for burnt offerings in the tabernacle’s courtyard. It was a large box, eight feet square and four-and-a-half feet high, made of wood covered with bronze. A much larger altar replaced it when Solomon built the temple. The altar of incense (also called the golden altar) was smaller, covered with gold, and placed just in front of the veil to the Holy of Holies. Every day, both morning and evening, incense was burned here, symbolizing the prayers of the people.
A powerful and aggressive nation, the most powerful Middle Eastern empire from the tenth century BC through most of the seventh century. Nineveh was the capital city. Assyria conquered Israel and took its inhabitants captive.
The capital city and the country that was one of the major political and cultural centers of the ancient world. The city of Babylon was located at the junction of the Euphrates River and major east-west caravan routes. For nearly 1,000 years, until the rise of Assyria in the ninth century BC, Babylon dominated much of the Middle East. Near the end of the seventh century BC, Babylon regained its independence and for nearly 100 years asserted its influence throughout the region and was a constant threat to the kingdom of Judah, finally resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of Judah’s leading citizens. Babylon was captured by the Persians in 539 BC and then continued to decline, until it was destroyed by the Greek army under Alexander the Great.
A sacrifice, or gift, to God that was burned on an altar. The offering was a perfect animal, such as a goat, sheep, lamb, or ram. Burnt offerings were always given for cleansing, or atonement, for sins.
The country of Babylon. The term is also used of the southern region of Babylonia. The Chaldeans overthrew the Assyrians in the late seventh century BC and established the regime that brought Babylon to its greatest power.
Heavenly beings described as having multiple wings and both human and animal form. They are presented in Scripture as directly serving God. Carved representations of cherubim were placed on the ark of the covenant, and they were embroidered on the tabernacle’s curtains. Solomon’s Temple contained huge figures of cherubim.
An agreement. In the ancient Near East, sometimes covenants were made between two people or groups of people. Both sides decided what the agreement would be. However, in the Bible, the word usually refers to agreements between God and people, when God decides what will be done and the people agree to live by the covenant. The old covenant of law set standards of behavior in order to please God. The new covenant of grace presents God’s forgiveness based on faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
An order or law given by a king or ruler. A decree was often read in a public place so that many people would hear the new law.
The perfect garden God created, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in which Adam and Eve lived before they sinned.
(1) In the Old Testament, an older man in a family, tribe, or town. (2) Also in the Old Testament, a member of a group of older men in a town. The town elders made major decisions for the town. (3) In the first four books of the New Testament, the Sanhedrin—the group of men who governed the Jewish people in Jesus’ time. (4) In the Early Church, the church leaders.
Someone who has been made to leave his or her country and live somewhere else. The Jews were exiles in Babylon for 70 years.
Pure; set apart; belonging to God. God is holy. He is perfect and without sin. Jesus is holy too. He is without sin and dedicated to doing what God wants. Because Jesus died to take the punishment for sin and then rose again, people who believe in him have the power to be holy too. God helps them to become more and more pure and loving, like Jesus.
A statue or other image of a god that is made by people and then worshiped as if it had the power of God. Idols are often made of wood, stone, or metal. Sometimes the Bible calls anything that takes the place of God in a person’s life an idol. God tells us not to worship idols but, rather, to worship only him.
A mixture of spices held together with thick, sticky juice that comes from trees and plants. Incense is burned to make a sweet smell. In the tabernacle and temple, incense was burned on a small golden altar to worship God.
The most important city of Bible times. Jerusalem was the capital of the united kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah. The temple was built in Jerusalem, so many people traveled to the city to worship God. In 587 BC, Jerusalem was captured and mostly destroyed by Babylonian armies. The city was rebuilt when the Jews returned after 70 years of exile in Babylon. Jesus taught in the city of Jerusalem, was crucified outside the city wall, was buried near the city, and then rose again. The first Christian church began in Jerusalem after the Holy Spirit came to the believers there.
A title given to the rulers of ancient Egypt. Pharaoh was the top official of Egypt just as the president is the top official of the United States today.
Among the Jews, a man who offered prayers and sacrifices to God for the people. Priests led the public worship services at the tabernacle and later at the temple. Often the priests also taught the Law of God to the people. The priests of Israel were all descendants of Aaron’s family. All Christians are also priests (see 1 Peter 2:9). We are to help others learn about and worship God.
A message from God that a prophet spoke or wrote to people. Some prophecies told about what God would do in the future.
A short, wise saying. The Bible book of Proverbs is made up of many wise sayings.
Thinking and doing what is correct (or right) and holy. God is righteous because he does only what is perfect and holy. A person who has accepted Jesus as Savior is looked at by God as being free from the guilt of sin, so God sees that person as being righteous. People who are members of God’s family show their love for him by doing what is correct and holy, living in righteous ways.
The weekly day of rest and worship that God set apart for all people. In the Old Testament, it is the seventh day of the week (Saturday); and today for many Jews and some Christians Saturday is still observed as the Sabbath. For Jews, Sabbath starts at sundown on Friday and lasts until sunset on Saturday. Because Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday, most Christians set aside Sunday as the day of rest and worship (see Acts 20:7).
A holy place; a place where God is worshiped. In the Bible, sanctuary usually refers to the tabernacle or to the temple.
Surrounding a city or town by an army so that nothing can go in or out. The purpose of a siege is to make the city or town surrender.
Having authority and power over everything. God is sovereign.
The permanent place in Jerusalem where the Jews worshiped God. The first temple was built by King Solomon and the people by following the instructions God had given Solomon’s father, King David. The temple was a very beautiful place. It was destroyed and rebuilt twice. In AD 64, the temple was destroyed again but was not rebuilt.
Something seen during a trance or dream. A vision was a way God showed someone a truth that would otherwise not be known. Sometimes people were asleep when God gave them visions (see Ezekiel 8:1-4; Acts 10:9-29).
Very great anger.
Dictionary Source
This content is from What the Bible Is All About, written by Henrietta Mears. Copyright © 1953, 2011 by Gospel Light. Copyright assigned to Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
We have found answers to some tough questions that we anticipate may arise as you read Ezekiel. We know we can’t answer every question you will have; therefore, we have written this article, so you know how to find answers for your kids: How Do I Answer Tough Questions About the Bible?
The following insights are from pastors and scholars who have spent significant time studying the book of Ezekiel.
At first his [Ezekiel’s] message is an uncompromising and unrelenting pronouncement of judgment on Israel and vindication of God’s justice. But once judgment falls, Ezekiel’s message turns, just as relentlessly, into a message of hope for the restoration of God’s people. Although the people’s sin drove him from their midst as they broke their covenant with him, God will not abandon his people. He will overcome all their enemies and their sin and lead them like a shepherd to safe pastures. Not only will he make a new covenant with them; he will also make them new, and so will dwell with them forever.
But the message of Ezekiel is not only for exiled Israelites. For all who have put their faith in God and his Messiah, Jesus Christ, the answer to the question, “Where is God?” is clear: Despite our circumstances, despite our sin, God is with his people. He always has been, and he always will be.
—Michael Lawrence
Source: Content adapted from Ezekiel: A 12-Week Study by Michael Lawrence. This article first appeared on Crossway.org; used with permission.
“The glory of the Lord” seems to be the key phrase in the book of Ezekiel. It occurs over and over again in the first 11 chapters. Then it does not occur again until chapter 43. In the Old Testament, “the glory of the Lord” refers to the light that shone between the cherubim in the Holy of Holies—it was evidence of the presence of God. Ezekiel opens with this heavenly glory in a vision (see Ezekiel 1). The book ends with earthly glory (see Ezekiel 40–48). Ezekiel’s visions given in between tell how “the glory of the Lord” was forced from the temple at Jerusalem by the idolatry of the people.
—Henrietta Mears
Source: This content is from What the Bible Is All About, written by Henrietta Mears. Copyright © 1953, 2011 by Gospel Light. Copyright assigned to Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The book is essentially chronological in its arrangement, with some material (e.g., chapters 25–32) topically grouped. It is organized around the climactic event of Jerusalem’s fall. Prior to that catastrophe, Ezekiel’s message is one of unrelenting judgment, first for Israel and then for the nations. After word comes of Jerusalem’s fall, Ezekiel’s mouth is again opened and his message turns to hope of future restoration for God’s people.
—Michael Lawrence
Source: Content adapted from Ezekiel: A 12-Week Study by Michael Lawrence. This article first appeared on Crossway.org; used with permission.
Like the other major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel), Ezekiel stands at a climactic moment in Israel’s history as the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28:15–68 are finally brought to bear. For centuries, God has patiently borne his people’s treachery, idolatry, and sin, but his patience has finally come to an end. While Isaiah stood at the beginning of this period, and Daniel at the end, Ezekiel and Jeremiah prophesy at the white-hot center of Jerusalem’s fall. Jeremiah is in Jerusalem, amid the crashing tumult, with all the confusion and passion we would expect. Already in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel hears and observes events from afar, like distant thunder.
—Michael Lawrence
Source: Content adapted from Ezekiel: A 12-Week Study by Michael Lawrence. This article first appeared on Crossway.org; used with permission.
While God’s Word does not give us all the details about our future home with him, Scripture is hardly silent when it comes to his eternal kingdom. In fact, the Bible contains many descriptions of heaven.
However, some of those descriptions are cast in apocalyptic or prophetic language filled with symbolism and mystery. Such complex imagery can be confusing, even for seasoned biblical scholars. Some want to treat the verses like riddles or treasure maps that unlock deeper meaning and hidden truths about what we can expect in heaven. Others look to allegorize the imagery, leading down infinite rabbit trails of subjective interpretation. But that’s not why the writers of Scripture—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—described their heavenly visions the way they did.
It’s crucial to remember that apocalyptic symbolism in Scripture always means that something of great consequence is under discussion. Don’t make the error of thinking symbolic language means the thing described is unreal. The Bible asserts that heaven is a real place. And the descriptions of heaven, even the most apocalyptic ones, describe a real place.
—John MacArthur
Source: Copyright 2023, Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by permission. This Grace to You article originally appeared here at gty.org.
It is perhaps some relief that a book which for so many people is somewhat inaccessible, because of the tone and intensity of its language and imagery, at least has a structure which is easy to grasp. It is a structure which reflects not only the chronological career of the prophet himself with its two major phases, but also the core theological truth of biblical faith: judgment precedes grace. As it was for Israel in exile, so it is for us and all people: we have to hear and accept the bad news about the reality of our sin and the terribleness of God’s just reaction to it, before we can respond with joy and gratitude to the good news of God’s incredible mercy, grace, and purposes for ourselves and for his world.
—Christopher H. J. Wright
Source: Wright, Christopher H. J. The Message of Ezekiel (The Bible Speaks Today Series). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
Where is God when your world falls apart, when God’s promises seem impossibly far off, when the enemy seems to have the upper hand, and it feels as if God does not see and does not care? Ezekiel knew from bitter experience the reality and pain of those questions. But we study him not because he could give voice to our questions. We study him because he gave voice to God’s answer. Hope is found not in our circumstances, our feelings, or our efforts, but in the confidence that God is with his people, for what Ezekiel prophesied, Jesus Christ fulfilled—“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 ESV).
—Michael Lawrence
Source: Content adapted from Ezekiel: A 12-Week Study by Michael Lawrence. This article first appeared on Crossway.org; used with permission.
Discover music inspired by the message and content of the book of Ezekiel.