Ezekiel
Vision of the Measuring Line
The man with the measuring line symbolizes the hope of a rebuilt Jerusalem and a restored people (v. 1). It is amazing that God chooses to accomplish His divine purpose through finite and imperfect people. When God saw Ezekiel’s open and obedient attitude he filled …
Vision of the Horns
Ezekiel’s job was to give God’s Word to the prisoners in exile. Many of the events of this book are in visions that God showed to Ezekiel. These visions were pictured to Ezekiel so that he would know what to tell the people He witnessed an awesome visual display. It blew hi …
Egypt and Her Allies Will Fail
Because Egypt was an international power, her fate affected the entire world. Thus God’s activity concerning her constitutes a great intervention in history. Ezekiel calls it a “day of the Lord."Unlike Ezekiel’s other prophecies against Egypt, he did not date th …
Ezekiel Reinforces the Law
At the very beginning of Israel’s history, God clearly warned the people about the consequences of disobedience (Duet. 28:15). When the people disobeyed, God let them experience many devastating consequences, to remind them of the seriousness of their sins. The second gen …
The Healing Waters
As the vision continues, the prophet sees a stream of water which flows from beneath the south side of the threshold or platform on which the temple is built. The stream of water flows in an easterly direction, south of the altar, and passes under the outside wall of the in …
Judgment on Gog
This latter part of this chapter is a repetition of the former; the dream is doubled, for the thing is certain and to be very carefully regarded (vv. 14-23). God brings His people into danger and distress that he may have the honor of bringing about their deliverance, and …
A False Proverb Refuted
The people of Judah believed they were being punished for the sins of their ancestors and not their own. This proverb that the children were suffering for the sins of their fathers had been circulating in Jerusalem and Babylon (vv. 1-2). While there are cumulative effects …
Consecrating the Altar
The substance of the prophet’s vision now returns to a description of parts of the temple area and regulations concerning the temple’s future use. At the very heart of the temple was its altar; the prophet first describes the altar, and then indicates the procedures by whic …
Pagan Practices in the Temple
As the Lord took hold of Ezekiel and showed him unusual and symbolic visions, it was his responsibility to relay God’s word to the people to whom he ministered-and this was surely no easy task! Some scholars believe the “image of jealousy” related to the Adon …
Two Harlot Sisters
To illustrate the nation’s unfaithfulness, the Lord used an allegory in which He compared Samaria and Jerusalem to two promiscuous sisters named Oholah and Oholibah (vv. 1-21). The sisters had been prostitutes from their youth in Egypt (vv. 1-4). Though belonging to the L …