Ezekiel Study Guide - The Kingdom of God as overarching ...

1 Ezekiel Study Guide John Hepp, Jr., Why Study Ezekiel ? Some students simply find this book fascinating. The prophet describes massive visions of God s spiritual forces in action behind the scenes and blueprints for the future. He engages in startling symbolic activities to teach God s people. He illustrates lasting principles in sweeping surveys of past, present, and future. But our Study must not miss the aspect in which the book is unique. Only Ezekiel saw God s glory depart as He closed His for-mer Kingdom over Israel. Only he described in detail a future reinstatement of a Kingdom core (that is, a temple and parts closely related to it). Surely God designed this book to give us divine perspective about God s earthly Kingdom the whole bible talks about.

2 Why use this Study Guide ? It may help you focus on what Ezekiel says, the first step in under-standing any bible book. For each chapter it provides key questions for you to answer and answers to check yours. It also suggests probable meanings by its outline, introductions to ques-tions, frequent notes, and appendixes. Its approach is premillennial, which interprets literally (that is, normally) whenever possible. Especially important to help interpret Ezekiel 40-48 is Appendix B. Contents Instructions .. 2 Historical Background for Ezekiel .. 2 Chart A: Three Deportations from Judah to Babylonia By King Nebuchadnezzar .. 3 Outline of Ezekiel .. 3 Study Questions (by outline parts and subparts, chapters).

3 4 Chart B: Ezekiel 17: An Allegory about Eagles & Cedars .. 11 Chart C: Ezekiel 18:1 20: The Chain of Inherited Guilt Can Be Broken.. 12 Answers (by chapters) .. 27 Appendix A: Gog and His Invasion, Ezekiel 38 39 .. 38 Appendix B: Ezekiel 40 48 and New Testament Teaching .. 41 1 Instructions How to Use This Guide . Skip nothing. Follow instructions as you go along. Read all the notes. Read each bible paragraph or section as directed and answer the questions, then check your answers against those provided. My titles and observations also suggest interpretations. Each page header usually indicates whatever chapter of Ezekiel begins to be studied on that page. bible Versions and Terms.

4 Except as noted, everything here is based on the New American Standard bible , 1971. NIV stands for New International Version, 1984. KJV is King James Version. The LORD (with ORD as small capital letters) stands for Yahweh, the name of the true God. For the use of Messiah (= Christ) as the title for the ultimate Ruler, see Appendix B. Historical Background for Ezekiel A Crucial Year. The prophet Ezekiel ministered before and after the decisive events of 586 That year saw the end of God s Kingdom on earth, which had begun at the Exodus. The beginning of the Kingdom was clearly marked in Scriptures, such as Psalm 114:1 2: When Israel went forth from became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion.

5 Just as clearly was its destruction foreseen, as early as Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. The Fall of the Northern Tribes (Israel). The process of destruction began right after Saul, David, and Solomon had reigned over all the tribes. In 931 God s Kingdom broke into two parts: the ten tribes of Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Later, Isaiah and other prophets predicted the downfall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria. That happened and many went into exile by 722 However, Judah, including Jerusalem with God s temple and the throne of David, survived about 136 years more. The Fall of Judah and the Kingdom . Prophets like Habakkuk and Jeremiah predicted that God would finish bringing His Kingdom to an end by means of revived Babylon.

6 That country began to rule the world in 605 In the same year its king Nebuchadnezzar took the first group of Jews captive from Jerusalem to Babylonia. Daniel was one of them. The final doom for Judah had begun. A much larger group of exiles, Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin among them, went to Babylonia in 597 The end took place in 586 , when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. To see the main deportations listed, Study Chart A, which follows. Ezekiel and Jeremiah. The prophet Ezekiel began his ministry in Babylonia in 593 , a few years before the end. His main subject for years was the breakup of God s Kingdom , which he was experiencing in person. The prophet Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem until 586 , during all the terrible judgments ending that era.

7 Most of what he wrote in his books of Jeremiah and Lamentations dealt with it. No one can properly appreciate such books without understanding God s Kingdom . We must pay close attention to God s reasons for terminating it, also the many predictions of its future restoration. 2 Ezekiel Study Guide Outline of Ezekiel CHART A Three Deportations from Judah to Babylonia Ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar These completed the breakup of the LORD s earthly Kingdom . Date & Reference Davidic King in Jerusalem Who Were Taken into Exile Comments 605 Daniel 1 Jehoiakim Mostly Daniel and other gifted youth, espe-cially of royal and noble families chosen to be trained in order to help make Babylon great. Also taken: vessels from the LORD s temple.

8 597 2 Kings 24:14 16 Jehoiachin About 10,000 including King Jehoiachin, Ezekiel , warriors, and many craftsmen to help in Babylonian building projects. Jehoiachin was the last Davidic generation to rule. 586 2 Kings 25:4 21 Zedekiah King Zedekiah and nearly all the Jews remaining (many died in and after the long siege, Ezek. 24:1 2). Also destroyed: God s capital city and temple. Outline of Ezekiel I. Ezekiel s Ministry to Israel until the Kingdom Ended (chs. 1 24) (that is, until the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple in 586 ) A. Ezekiel s Inaugural Vision (chs. 1 3) B. Prophecies of Full Destruction for Judah and Jerusalem (chs. 4 7) C. A Vision of the End of the Lord s Earthly Kingdom (chs.)

9 8 11) D. The Futility of False Optimism (chs. 12 19) E. The History of Judah s Corruption (chs. 20 24) II. Ezekiel s Oracles against Nearby Nations (chs. 25 32) A. The Nearest Nations (ch. 25) B. Tyre (chs. 26 28) C. Egypt (chs. 29 32) III. Ezekiel s Ministry of Comfort Pointing to a Restored Kingdom (chs. 33 48) A. Aspects Preparing for a Restored Kingdom (chs. 33-39) B. Description of a Restored Kingdom (chs. 40-48) 1. Detailed Plans for the Temple and Its Inauguration (chs. 40 43) 2. Aspects of the Worship to Be Done in the Temple (chs. 44 46) 3. The Life-giving River that Will Flow from the Temple (47:1 12) 4. Divisions of the Land with respect to the Temple (47:13 48:35) 3 Ezekiel Study Guide Chapter 1 Study QUESTIONS Part I.

10 Ezekiel s Ministry to Israel until the Kingdom Ended (chs. 1 24) (that is, until the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple in 586 ) A. Ezekiel s Inaugural Vision (chs. 1 3) Chapter 1 Read 1:1 3, the introduction to Ezekiel s first recorded vision. After you read all three verses, answer the questions. As always, check your answers in the Answers section (pp. 27ff). 1. a. Where was Ezekiel when he saw this first vision? NOTE: Ezekiel 3:15 shows that the prophet lived at Tel-abib in Babylonia. In Hebrew this name was spelled the same as modern Tel Aviv (meaning hill of grain ) in Israel. However, the NIV says the meaning of Ezekiel s city was dif-ferent: mound of the flood [that is, of destruction].