Ezekiel is not the central figure in the Book of Ezekiel. He is the author. The central figure in the Book of Ezekiel is God. The book opens with a unique vision of the glory of the Lord. A key phrase "you shall know that I am the Lord" recurs about 60 times throughout the book.
Ezekiel was written to announce judgment on Judah. It was the people's last chance to repent. It also foretells of the coming deliverance of God’s nation from captivity in Babylon. The Book of Ezekiel reveals the events before, during, and after the Babylonian captivity.
Four major themes are clearly seen throughout the Book of Ezekiel.
1. Warning of judgment to come on unrepented Jerusalem
2. Promise of judgment to come on other nations
3. Hope for Israel's future
4. Measurement for a new temple and restored land
Ezekiel is like no other prophetic book in two ways:
1. His account is in chronological order, and he pinpoints times.
2. His book is full of personal experiences, visions, parables, and a lot of illustrations where God uses the prophet as object lessons for the people.
In chapters 1-3, God commissions his servant Ezekiel. He receives visions, and his message is to confront God’s sinful nation.
In Chapters 4-24, Ezekiel delivered the message of doom to the captives because of the failure of God’s people to repent. Ezekiel tells how God will punish them. He tells the exiles that God will destroy Jerusalem. All this happens before the fall of Jerusalem.
From Chapters 25-32, Ezekiel condemns judgment upon seven particular nations who mocked the God of Israel because of the captivity.These nations are Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt.
Chapters 33-39 describe when the exiles would return home.
Chapters 40-48 describe the future temple and restored land.
Keywords include "visions, likeness, and appearance."
A key phrase is "the glory of the Lord."
Familiar Passages from Book of Ezekiel
1. Ezekiel's calling when he sees a wheel within a wheel
2. Vision of Valley of Dry Bones
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