The book is full of imagery, with some of the best being reserved for God. Chapter 1 introduces us to God with the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God. These visions of God along with Ezekiel's bizarre behavior have led some to label Ezekiel as neurotic, paranoid, psychotic, or schizophrenic. However, his visions rang true and his behavior was not nearly as bizarre as the behavior of those he was warning. The vision of God's glory found in chapter 1 re-appears often through Ezekiel's life and prophesies.

God's glory appears:

• with the message of muteness of the prophet except to speak the message of God.
  3:23-27
• in Jerusalem, at the temple in connection with the uncovering of corruption. Ezekiel remained mute from August 593 until December 585 when he learned of the capture of Jerusalem and God released Ezekiel's voice (33:21-22).
  8:4
• as it raises from God's dwelling place in the Holy of holies and moves to the threshold of the temple in connection with a marking of Jerusalem for judgment.
  9:3
• as it leaves the temple and stands over the East Gate of Jerusalem.
  10:1-22
• as it leaves Jerusalem and stands over the Mount of Olives and then departs with Ezekiel to Chaldea when it disappears (the vision indicates God's abandonment of Jerusalem).
  11:22-23
• as it returns from the east to the new temple to be built in Jerusalem, marking the return of God.
  43:1-5

Besides the image of God's glory, there are images of sieges, of an outcast vine, of divine love, of sexual promiscuity, of a cooking pot, of shepherds, of dry bones that gain flesh and live, of a new temple, and of future blessings. Jesus undoubtedly has in mind Ezekiel 34 when He spoke of being the Good Shepherd in John 10. The book gives us visions of God and visions of Satan, visions of destruction and visions of hope, extended imagery of patience and stupidity, and promises of a new covenant and a new time of peace.

Date:  593-570 B.C. The Divisions

I.  The Visions of God  1-3

1. The appearence of the likeness of the LORD's glory  1
2. The commissioning  2-3:15
3. You are a watchman  3:16-27

1. The 430 day seige, with 8 ounces of fouud and 2/3rds quart of water each day (apparently in his courtyard 3:24-25)  4
2. The hair (1/3, 1/3, 1/3 and a little)  5
3. "Pound your fists and stamp your feet" - Israel's idolatry shall make them desolate  6
4. "An end", "a disaster", "a day", "violence," "destruction comes, they will seek peace but find none, disaster will come upon disaster"  7

5. The hole in the wall  8
6. Six men, a marker, and the battle-axes  9
7. The glory of the LORD departs from the temple  10
8. The wicked men and the cauldron  11

9. Dig through the wall and take your belongings  12
10. Foxes and untempered mortar--the false prophets  13
11. Noah, Daniel and Job could not deliver them  14
12. The Vine Branch  15
13. Jerusalem, the harlot  16
14. The great eagles and the vine  17
15. The soul that sins shall die  18
16. Lions and vine--the princes  19

17. Rebellious Israel  20
18. The sword of God, Babylon  21
19. The sins of Jerusalem  22
20. The two sisters  23

21. The cooking pot and the seige begins  24

III.  Judgment on the nations  25-32

1. Ammon  25:1-7
2. Moab  25:8-11
3. Edom  25:12-14
4. Philistia  25:15-17

5. Tyre  26-28:19
6. Sidon  28:20-26

7. Egypt  29-32

1. The River is Mine  29:1-16

2. The Coming captivity of Egypt  29:17-30:19

3. Against Pharoah  30:20-26

4. The cutting of the great tree of Egypt  31

5. Capturing the lion of Egypt  32:1-16

6. Consigned to the Pit  32:17-32

1. The Watchman and the Fall of Jerusalem  33
2. The shepherds and Shepherd  34
3. Judgment on Seir  35
4. Israel shall receive a new heart and spirit  36
5. Dry bones  37:1-14
6. Two sticks  37:15-28
7. Battle of Gog and Magog  38-39

8. A New Temple  40-47:12

1. The measurements  40-42
2. The return of the LORD's glory and the altar  43
3. The temple is holy  44-45:17
4. Celebrations and worship  45:18-46:24
5. The waters and trees  47:1-12

9. The Division of the Land  47:13-48:35

Notes:
Dates are taken from W.S. Lasor in the International Standard Bible Encylopedia, as he derived them from tables prepared by R. A. Parker and W. H. Dubberstein, Babylonian Chronology 626 B.C. - A.D. 75 [1956]

Key Idea:
You shall know that I am the LORD. The phrases: "And you shall know that I am the LORD," "and they shall know that I am the LORD" or closely related phrases are found 94 times in the Old Testament, 72 of which are in Ezekiel (6:7, 10, 13, 14; 7:4, 9, 27; 11:10, 12; 12:15, 16, 20; 13:9, 14, 21, 23; 14:8; 15:7; 16:62; 17:21, 24; 20:12, 20, 26, 38, 42, 44; 21:10; 22:16, 22; 23:49; 24:24, 27; 25:5, 7, 11, 17; 26:6; 28:22, 23, 24, 26; 29:6, 9, 16, 21; 30:8, 19, 25, 26; 32:15; 33:29; 34:27, 30; 35:4, 9, 12, 15; 36:11, 23, 36, 38; 37:6, 13, 14, 28; 38:23; 39:6, 7, 22, 28).

60 times we have the phrase "the word of the LORD" - more than any other book. Like Jeremiah's "thus says the LORD," the emphasis is on the source of the prophetic message.

Like Isaiah, the holiness of God is emphasized, with the word "holy" found 47 times referencing the sacred. 14 times the Holy Spirit is mentioned (2:2; 3:12, 14, 24; 8:3; 11:1-2, 5, 24(2); 36:27; 37:1, 14; 39:29; 43:5).

93 times God addresses Ezekiel as the "son of man," pointing to the Son of Man who was to come.

Key Passage:  Ezekiel 18:32; 34:30-31

Key Lesson:  Know God

Do you know Him?