THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

EZEKIEL.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE.
A  1:1-12:26. The Desolation.
 B  13:1-23. Prophets and Prophetesses.
  C D  14:1-11. Elders.
     E  14:12-15:8. The Land and City. [Judgments.]
      F  16:1-63. Jerusalem. [Deserted infant.]
       G  17:1-24. Babylonian War. [Parable.]
        H  18:1-32. The People. Proverb. [Sour grapes.]
         F  19:1-14. The Princes of Israel.
  C D  20:1-44. Elders.
     E  20:45-22:31. The Land and City. [Judgments.]
      F  23:1-49. Jerusalem. [Two sisters.]
       G  24:1-32:32. Babylonian War. [Parable.]
        H  33:1-22. The People. Sign. [Watchman.]
         F  33:23-33. The inhabitant of the wastes.
 B  34:1-31. Shepherds and Flocks.
A  35:1-48:35. The Restoration.

  For the Canonical order and place of the Prophets.
  For the The Chronological Order of the Prophets.
  For the The Inter-relation of the Prophetic Books.
  For the The Formulae of Prophetic Utterance.
  For the Chronological order of Ezekiel's prophecy, see below.
  For the The References to the Pentateuch by the Prophets.
  For the The Millennial "Sanctuary" and "Oblation" of Ezekiel 40-48 (with Diagram).

  The Canonical order of Ezekiel's prophecies is logical, but not strictly chronological. Latter utterances and visions are recorded in their logical connections rather than in their historical sequence. This latter is noted, so that we may make no mistake. When this fact is observed, and the records discriminated, the meaning becomes perfectly clear. See the table below.

  They may be set out as follows:-

THE DATED YEARS IN EZEKIEL.

  These are 13 in number, and cover a period of 21 years [a period of 3 sevens]: viz. from 484-3 to 463-2 B.C.

  Arranged chronologically, the 7th stands in the center, with 6 on either side.

  Reckoning the 3 in the 11th year as one year, and the 3 in the 12th year as one year, we have nine several years: viz. the 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th [seven]: then, after a break of 13 years, we have 2: viz. the 25th and 27th.


                    Year of the    Month.               Day.     Chapters.       B.C.
                    Captivity of
                    Jehoiachin.

All these prophecies    5th       4th Thammuz [July]    5th         1:1,2        484
were uttered before     5th       4th Thammuz   "      12th         3:16         484
the fall of             6th       6th Elul [Sept.]      5th         8:1          483
Jerusalem.              7th       5th Ab [Aug.]        10th         20:1         482
    "                   9th       10th Tebeth [Jan.]   10th         24:1         480
    "                  10th       10th Tebeth   "      12th         29:1         479
    "                  11th        1st Abib, or Nisan  1st          26:1         478
    "                                   [April]
" 11th 1st Abib, or Nisan 7th 30:20 " " 11th 3rd Sevan [June] 1st 31:1 " These prophecies 12th 12th Adar [March] 1st 32:1 477 were uttered at 12th 12th Adar " 15th 32:17 " at and after 12th 10th Tebeth [Jan.] 5th 33:21 " the fall of 25th 1st Abib, or Nisan 10th 40:1 465 Jerusalem. 27th 1st Abib, [April] 1st 29:17 463

  The 30th year of 1:1,2 cannot be in succession to the 27th year of Ch. 29:17-21, because the visions of ch. 1 and 10 had already been seen, and the one recorded in ch. 10 is said to have been similar to that already seen in ch. 1. Moreover, if it be in succession to the 27th year, why is it brought into the very beginning of the book without any reason being assigned, or hint given?

  The 30th year of 1:1 cannot have anything to do with Ezekiel's age, or with the commencement of his service as a priest; for this is to misread Num. 4:3, which states that "all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle", were taken after the end of the 29th year, "from thirty years old and upward, even until fifty years". Moreover, this 30 years rule was abrogated by Divine direction to David in 1 Chron. 23:24-27 [cp. 2 Chron. 31:17], and changed to "twenty years old and upward".

  The 30th year cannot be fitted into any sequence of dates commencing with the 5th year of Jehoiachin's captivity [1:2], which, in 33:21 and 40:1, he speaks of "our captivity".

  It must therefore be a cross-date to some unnamed terminus a quo, 30 years before the 5th year of the Captivity. This fixes it as being that epoch-making year 513 B.C., which was the year of Josiah's great Passover, and the finding of the Book of the Law in the 18th year of King Josiah. From 513 B.C. to 484 B.C. is exactly 29 complete years.

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

EZEKIEL.

1:1-12:28. THE DESOLATION.
A  A  1:1-3:27. 1st Vision [by Chebar].
    B  4:1-7:27. Signs.
   A  8:1-11:24. 2nd Vision [at Jerusalem].
    B  12:1-28. Signs.

1:1-3:27. FIRST VISION (AT CHEBAR).
A  C  1:1-28-. The Cherubim.
    D  1:-28. Prostration of Ezekiel.
     E  2:1,2. Raised by the Spirit.
      F  2:3-3:9. Mission of Ezekiel.
   C  3:10-23-. The Cherubim.
    D  3:-23. Prostration of Ezekiel.
     E  3:24-. Raised by the Spirit.
      F  3:-24-27. Mission of Ezekiel.

1:1-28-. THE CHERUBIM [FIRST].
C  G  1-3. Visions of God.
    H  a  4. The cloud.
        b  5-21. The living creatures.
    H  a  22. The firmament.
        b  23-28-. The living creatures.
   G  -28-. Gory of Yehovah.

(In Heb. Yeheze'el = yehazzek-'el = El is strong, or El strengthens [cp. Isra-el, Gen. 32:28]. Of the 4 greater prophets, Ezekiel and Daniel [who prophesied in Babylonia] are compounded with "El"; while Isaiah and Jeremiah [who prophesied in the land] are compounded with "Yah". Ezekiel was a priest [1:3], carried away 11 years before the destruction of the city and temple [1:2; 33:21. 2 Kings 24:14]. He dwelt in his own house [8:1. Cp. Jer. 29:5]. He was married; and his wife died in the year the siege of Jerusalem began.)

4th Thammuz [our Aug. 23rd], 484 B.C.
Ezekiel 1)

1 And (this is a link in the prophetic chain. Cp. 1 Pet. 1:10-12. 2 Pet. 1:21. Ezekiel had doubtless received and seen the letter sent by Jeremiah [Jer. 29:1-32]) it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month (dates in Ezekiel are always of the month, not of the week), as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar (= span of time. Now Khabour. Probably the same as Chebor or Habor [2 Kings 17:6; 18:11. 1 Chron. 5:26], falling into the Euphrates about 45 miles north of Babylon [Near were Saddam Husein was found in a cave]. On the Inscription it is called nar Kabari = great river, or "Grand Canal", cut between the Tigris and the Euphrates. In ch. 3;15, it is not the same "Chebar" as in 1:1, but the Chebar to which Ezekiel was sent ["go, get you", 3:4]. The Chebar of 1:1 was were he dwelt; that of 3:15where he was sent), that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions from God (Elohim).
2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year (cp. 2 Kings 24:12,15) of king Jehoiachin's captivity, (Also called Jeconiah, and Coniah. Cp. 2 Kings 24:17-20; 25:1-21)
3 The word of the LORD (Yahaveh) came in very deed (or in reality) to Ezekiel the priest (and called, as Jeremiah was, to the office of prophet as well), the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD became there upon him. (Cp. Elijah [1 Kings 18:46]; Elisha [2 Kings 3:15]; Daniel [Dan. 10:10,18]; and John [Rev. 1:17].)

4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind (Heb. ruach = spirit, but it came to be rendered "storm or whirlwind". Note the 3 Symbols of Yehovah's glory, Storm, Cloud, Fire. Cp. Neh. 1:3. Rev. 4:6) came out of the north (see Ps. 75:6, and Isa. 14:13), a great cloud, and a fire taking hold on itself (flashing continuously. Human and finite language is unable to find words to express infinite realities. It may mean spontaneous ignition.: i.e. without the application of external fire. Cp. Ex. 9:24), and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber (= highly polished bronze), out of (or in) the midst of the fire. (Ezekiel did the best he could describing God's spaceship considering the highest form of transportation he had ever seen was an ox cart.)

5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures (these are "the Cherubim". The zoa of Rev. 4:6). And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
7 And their feet were straight (i.e. unjointed) feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man (the standard for tribe of Reuben), and the face of a lion (the standard for tribe of Judah), on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox (the standard for tribe of Dan) on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle (the standard for tribe of Ephraim).
11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were spread out from above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And they went every one straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of the lamp (or torch): it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire kept going forth lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned (or, kept running and returning) as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
18 As for their rings, they were so high (in the sense of sublimity) that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. 19 And when the living ones went (cp. v.21,22; 9:3; 10:15,20. The four were one), the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Wheresoever the spirit was to go, they went, there was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 And the likeness of the expanse (as in Gen. 1:6) upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched out over their heads upward.

23 And under the firmament were their wings level, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the noise of the Almighty (Shaddai), the noise of tumult, as the noise of an host (articulate speech not mentioned till v.28): when they stood, they let down their wings.
25 And there was a noise from the expanse that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. (Cp. Dan. 7:13)
27 And I saw as the color of highly polished bronze, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain (cp. Gen. 9:16. The only allusion to it in O.T. after Genesis. In N.T. cp. Rev. 4:3; 10:1), so was the appearance of the brightness round about.

This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

And when I saw it, I fell upon my face (cp. Num. 14:5; 16:4,22,45), and I heard a voice of One that spoke.

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