Ezekiel

―Prophet of the Exile. Prophet of Hope‖

(An Introduction)

A History of Events―Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…‖

―For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to Adonai his God, as the heart of David his father had

been.‖ (1 Kings 11:4)

―Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of

Ammon.‖ (1 Kings 11:7)

―So Adonai said to Solomon, ‗Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the

kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.‘‖ (1 Kings 11:11)

―However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.‖

(1 Kings 11:13)

A History of Events

―The Divided Kingdom‖

931 B.C.E - Nation of Yisrael is divided between:

1. R‘chav‘am/רחבעם (Rehoboam-―A people has

enlarged‖), is King Shlomo‘s son who takes control

of the southern kingdom of Y‘hudah.

2. Yarav‘am/ Jeroboam–―The people will)ירבעם

contend‖), the son of King Shlomo‘s servant N‘vat,

takes control of the northern kingdom of Yisrael.

―There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.‖ (1 Kings 14:30)

Northern Kingdom

931 B.C.E – 722 B.C.E: 19 kings preside over the

people during this time period, and all of them do what

is, ―evil in the sight of Adonai.‖ Prophets that minister

to the northern kingdom include…

Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha, Iddo the Seer, Jonah, Amos,

and Hosea among others.

722 B.C.E :10 northern tribes taken into captivity by Assyria

due to idolatrous abominations.

Southern Kingdom

Y‘hudah/ יהודה escapes punishment due to the influence of a

righteous man known as עיהו Yesha‘yahu/יש

(Isaiah – ―Adonai has saved‖); however, the prophet declares

that Y‘hudah‘s time of judgment will eventually come.

715 B.C.E –Begins a time of spiritual revival in the southern

kingdom under the reign of King חזקיה/Chizki‘yah

(715-686 B.C.E)

(Hezekiah- ―Adonai is my strength‖)

―He did right in the sight of Adonai, according to all that his father David had done…. He

trusted in Adonai, the God of Yisrael; so that after him there was none like him among

all the kings of Y‘hudah, nor among those who were before him.‖

(1 Kings 18:3,5)

The Coming ―Confusion‖

―Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‗Hear the word of Adonai.

Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and

all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be

carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says Adonai. And

some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will

be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become

eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.‖

(2 Kings 20:16-18)

Bavel/בבל (Babylon) -“Confusion (by mixing)‖

―M‘nasheh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in

Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. He did evil

in the eyes of Adonai, following the detestable practices of the nations that

Adonai had driven out before the children of Yisrael He rebuilt the high

places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal

and made an asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed

down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the

Temple of Adonai, of which Adonai had said, ‗In Jerusalem I will put My

Name.‘ In both courts of the Temple of Adonai, he built altars to all the

starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and

divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the

eyes of Adonai, provoking him to anger.‖ (2 Kings 21:1-6)

M‘nasheh/מנשה (Manasseh – ―Causing to forget‖). For 57 years, (697-642 B.C.E.)

M‘nasheh and his son Amon/ אמון - ―Master workman‖ (642-640 B.C.E.) profaned

HaShem and turned the hearts of the people towards wickedness and idolatry.

Restoring the Calm….Before the Storm

Yoshi‘yahu/יאשיהו (Josiah – ―Whom Adonai heals‖), the

righteous son of Amon, becomes king. (640-609 B.C.E.)

After a scroll of the Torah is found (2 Kings 22), Josiah is

moved to fully obey it. He purifies the Temple and cleanses the

land from the abomination of M‘nasheh and his father Amon

A national t‘shuvah (repentance) takes place, but it eventually

proves insincere…and too late. The corruption of the previous

reigns lingers in the hearts of the people. Josiah is killed in 609

by Pharaoh Neco‘s advancing Egyptian army.

Josiah‘s sons….Evil in the sight of Adonai

ואחז Yeho‘achaz/יה (Jehoahaz - ―Adonai has seized‖)

Josiah‘s 2‘nd son - 609 B.C.E . Dies in Egypt after rebelling against Pharaoh Neco.

Yeho‘yakim/יהויקים ( Jehoiakim - ―Adonai raises up‖)

Josiah‘s firstborn – 609-598. A reluctant vassel of Nebuchadnezzar. Dies in the

Babylonian attack of 598 after rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar.

Yeho‘yachin/יהויכין (Jehoiachin – ―Adonai establishes‖) Jehoiakim‘s son – 597, taken

captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar after 3 months as king. This is the second of

three exiles, during which Ezekiel was taken.

Matan‘yah/מתניה (Mattaniah – ―Gift of Adonai‖) Josiah‘s youngest son – 597-586,

renamed ―הו – Tzidki‘yahu (Zedekiah/צדקי ―Adonai is righteous‖) by Nebuchadnezzar, is

placed as a vassal king over Y‘hudah. His sons are killed, and he is blinded and taken

into exile after rebelling against Babylon.

The International Scene

Assyria, who was the dominant nation for more than

250 years, was in the midst of decline.

Neo-Babylonian Empire was rising under the

leadership of Nebopolassar.

In 612 B.C.E, Nebopolassar and his army defeated the

Assyrians; and Nineveh, their capital, was sacked. The

remnants of the Assyrian army under Ashuruballit II

retreated toward Haran. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt

marched to his aid in 609 B.C.E with a very large force.

It was at Megiddo that King Josiah attempts to stop

Neco‘s advance and is killed in the process.

Continued….

After routing Josiah‘s army, Neco continued on to Haran in an effort to

support Ashuruballit II. They are routed by the Babylonian forces in that

same year. Neco retreats back to Yehudah, where he removes Jehoahaz

(pro-Babylonian king), and replaces him with Josiah‘s eldest son

Yehoiakim (pro-Egyptian).

During this time, the prophet Jeremiah warned the people of Y‘hudah to

submit to Babylon and not follow after the enticements of the Egyptians.

They wouldn‘t listen. In 605 B.C.E, Nebuchadnezzar—then the crowned

prince of Babylon—attacked another combined force of

Egyptians/Assyrians and defeated them in overwhelming fashion. Neither

power would ever again rise to international significance.

Nebuchadnezzar continues south to Y‘hudah in 598 B.C.E and invades.

In 597 B.C.E, Ezekiel is exiled and it is in the midst of the next 11 years

of Yehuda‘s turmoil that he would minister to those dispersed to Babylon.

The 3 Exiles

605 B.C.E – Many leading men and

intellectuals are taken. These include Daniel

and his friends.

597 B.C.E – A second

remnant is taken, including

King Jehoiachin and his entire

family. Ezekiel is part of this

exile.

586 B.C.E - Jerusalem and the temple are

destroyed after a 2 year siege. The Bulk of the

people are taken to Babylon, with only a few

allowed to stay.

70 Years?

―This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.‖ (Jer. 25:11)

―Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia. to fulfill the word of Adonai by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Shabbatot

All the days of its desolation it kept Shabbat until seventy years were complete.‖

(2 Chron. 36:20-21)

sh’mitah/שמיטה “Release”Lev. 25:1-7 describes the Shabbat for the Land. Anything that grew that seventh year was to be

given to the various classes of non-Jews and the slaves. According to 2 Chron. , for 490 years the Land was not allowed to lie fallow and the needy would struggle as a result. The southern kingdom was exiled for breaking Adonai‘s Torah, the Covenant inaugurated by blood at Mt. Sinai. The time of their punishment would be based on their desecration of

the ―sh‘mitah‖ commandment.

Ezekiel

―Prophet of Hope‖

Yechezk’el/יחזקאל

“Adonai Strengthens” Comes from root words….

- Chazak/חזק To be strong, to prevail

*El/אל - Mighty One, God-like one

*“El” is the shortened form of איל/a’yil – “Ram”

Ezekiel: Prophet and Priest

As Priest….

Ezekiel son of Buzi begins prophetic ministry at age 30 (Eze.

1:1). He is around 26 when he is exiled in 597 B.C.E.

• Priests entered into service at the age of 30.

―…from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who

enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.‖

(Num. 4:3)

• Yeshua, our ―Cohen Gadol‖ began his ministry and

redemptive work at age 30.

As Prophet….

• Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel was called to minister as a ―נביא/navi‖ (Prophet)

amongst the people. He was a prophet to the exiled. ―Navi‖ comes from

the primitive root ―נבא/navah‖ – To cause to bubble up, and to pour forth

words abundantly.‖ Prophecy ―נבואה/N‘vu‘ah” both reveals (prediction)

and declares (instructs/teaches). From the root ―navah‖ comes:

1. To sing holy songs – 1 Sam. 10, 1 Sam. 19:20-24, 1 Chron. 25:3

2. To rebuke the wicked – Jer. 23:21

3. To speak by a divine power - Nibah; Same word usage applies to/נבא

―prophets are prophesying lies‖ ( שקר הנבאים נבאים/Sheker ha n‘vi‘im

nib‘im) in Jer. 14:14.

4. Predicting future events – Throughout the Word