Ezekiel
 part 2
Prophetic genre:
commissioning narrative
Prophetic genre:
    vision
• ‘the hand of the Lord was on him’ (1:3)

• vision of the glory of YHWH

• vision followed by Ezekiel falling face down
  and receiving God’s instructions
2. Vision 2: Further
    instructions

      3:12–21
• ‘the strong hand of the Lord was on me’ (3:14)

• vision of the glory of YHWH (3:12–13)

• vision followed by Ezekiel being
  overwhelmed and receiving God’s instructions
3. Vision 3: More
   instructions

     3:22–27
• ‘the hand of the Lord was on me’ (3:22)

• vision of the glory of YHWH (3:23)

• vision followed by Ezekiel falling face down
  and receiving God’s instructions
Expect a difficult audience
Don’t be afraid of hostility
Go against the flow
Speak my words
God has work for you to do
a watchman in exile?
‘Give them warning from
        me’ (3:17)
Prophetic genre:
symbolic action
4. Symbolic action 1:
 siege of Jerusalem

        4:1–17
‘‘   Read Ezekiel; seems to have been using
     an illegal substance. I wouldn't let him
     prophesy in my church.
                    Mike Pilavachi on Twitter
What does all the symbolism in Ezekiel 4:1–5:4
represent?

How do you think would people have




                                       ?
reacted?

What point is Ezekiel making?
5. Symbolic action 2:
 exile and judgment

        5:1–17
What theological perspectives does Ezekiel
give in these chapters?




                                       ?
• Judah is more wicked than other nations

• God is expressing his anger

• His people are to be a warning to others

• He wants his people to know that he is doing
  this to them

• He wants to destroy them
6. Oracle against the
 mountains of Israel

       6:1–14
7. Oracle about coming
    disaster on Israel

        7:1–27
B
2nd collection of oracles
     of judgment

        8:1 – 13:23
1. Idolatry in the temple

         8:1–18
• Stage 1: the glory of God is in the temple
2. Slaughter in Jerusalem

         9:1–11
• Stage 2: the glory of God moves from the
  Most Holy Place to the temple threshold
3. Burning of Jerusalem

        10:1–22
• Stage 3: the glory of God rises into the air the
  temple threshold
4. Judgement on
authorities in Jerusalem

        11:1–25
• Stage 4: the glory of God leaves the city and
  stands over the mountain to the east
God is offended by idolatry at
 the heart of his people (8)
God avenges his glory (9)
Jerusalem residents are
   complacent (11)
God’s glory moves out from the
       centre of worship
. . . and towards the exiles (10–
               11)
5. Symbolic action
 predicting exile

      12:1–16
6. Symbolic action
coming devastation

      12:17–20
7. Oracle about false
       visions

     12:12 – 13:23

Bible+culture 2012 ezekiel 2 - chapters 3-13