God strengthens

Ezekiel simply explained

Derek Thomas

EVANGELICAL PRESS

Grange Close, Faverdale North, Darlington, DL3 0PH, England

© Evangelical Press 1993

First published 1993

Second published 2003

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data available

ISBN 085234 310 8

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Quotations marked NKJV are from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, © 1984 Thomas Nelson Inc.

To my children,

Ellen and Owen,

in anticipation that, one day,

they will grow to love Ezekiel, too.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Ezekiel’s vision, commission and message (Ezek. 1–5)

1. Meeting God (1:1–28)

2. Five commissions (2:1–3:27)

3. The siege of Jerusalem (4:1–5:17)

Prophecies of judgement (Ezek. 6–7)

4. The Day of the Lord (6:1–7:27)

Focus on covenant violation and the book of Deuteronomy

The second cycle of prophecies (Ezek. 8–19)

5. Revelations of the temple (8:1–9:11)

6. The chariot of God (10:1–11:25)

7. False prophets and prophetesses (12:1–14:23)

8. Grapes, a wayward woman and two eagles (15:1–17:24)

Focus on the nature of the covenant

9. ‘I am, Yours sincerely …’ (18:1–19:14)

The third cycle of prophecies (Ezek. 20–24)

10. Dumb idols (20:1–44)

11. The sword of the Lord and no intercessor (20:45–22:31)

12. Oholah and Oholibah: a tale of two cities (23:1–49)

13. ‘Something’s burning’ (24:1–27)

Prophecies against the nations (Ezek. 25–32)

14. How the mighty are fallen! (25:1–28:26)

15. Egypt (29:1–32:32)

The fall of Jerusalem (Ezek. 33–37)

16. Watchman and shepherds (33:1–34:31)

Focus on the land of promise

17. Mountains (35:1–36:38)

18. The valley of the dry bones (37:1–28)

Times of tribulation ahead (Ezek. 38–39)

19. Gog (38:1–39:29)

The plans for the New Jerusalem (Ezek. 40–48)

Focus on chapters 40–48

20. The Lord’s return to Jerusalem (40:1–43:27)

21. A visionary tour of the future temple and its workings (44:1–46:24)

22. The promised land (47:1–48:35)

Preface

As I remarked in the preface to my volume on Isaiah, God Delivers, this series is meant to be read by ‘the average reader’. In order to meet that requirement (which is difficult, for no two readers are quite the same), as well as produce a book of moderate length (Ezekiel has 48 chapters!), I am forced into making sacrifices. Readers who use this volume in order to explain a particular verse may well be disappointed because the comment is either brief or, possibly, non-existent. I can only beg their sympathy for the difficulty of my task.

What I have done, however, as opposed to a standard commentary, is to attempt to produce something that can be read in large doses. (I am not suggesting that commentaries are unreadable—though I could suggest one or two that are!—rather, that they are designed, I think, for consultation.) I have come across a number of folk who have used other books in this series ...