Keith Essex
Ezekiel

Keith Essex's correlating video lecture(s) from The Master's Seminary:

• Lecture 10: Introduction to Ezekiel;
• Lecture 11: Themes, Purpose, and Structure to Ezekiel;
• Lecture 12: Interpretive Issues of Ezekiel, Part I;
• Lecture 13: Interpretive Issues of Ezekiel, Part II; and
• Lecture 14: Interpretive Issues of Ezekiel, Part III.

4. Ezekiel [MSB, 1127-9; ESVSB, 1495-1501; HSB, 1349-52; MKP, 494-5]
   1. Introduction
      1. Title: "Ezekiel" ["Strengthened by God"] (Eze 1:3; 24:24)
      2. Date: 593 BC (Eze 1:2) to 571 BC (Eze 29:17) [See Ezekiel's Dated Oracles in Historical Context]
         • - Tentative Dating of Prophecies [cf. MSB, 1131]
           Eze 1:2

           July 31, 593 BC (cf. Eze 3:15, 16 - Aug. 6, 593 BC)

           Eze 8:1

           Sept. 17, 592 BC

           Eze 20:1

           Aug. 14, 591 BC

           Eze 24:1

           Jan. 15, 588 BC

           Eze 26:1

           587/6 BC

           Eze 29:1

           Jan. 5, 587 BC

           Eze 29:17

           Apr. 26, 571 BC

           Eze 30:20

           Apr. 29, 587 BC

           Eze 31:1

           June 21, 587 BC

           Eze 32:1

           Mar. 3, 585 BC

           Eze 32:17

           Mar. 17, 585 BC

           Eze 33:21

           Jan. 9, 585 BC

           Eze 40:1

           Apr. 28, 573 BC
      3. The First Recipients of these Prophecies: The Exiles in Babylon (Eze 1:3; 3:15; see 2 Kgs 24:8-16)
   2. Major Themes [see NIDOTTE, 4:615-34]
      1. The God of Glory (Eze 1:28; 3:12, 23; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18, 19; 11:22, 23; 39:21; 43:2, 4, 5; 44:4)
      2. "They will know that I am Yahweh [or, Lord God]" (73x)
         1. Israel through God's Judgment (Eze 5:13; 6:7, 10, 13, 14; 7:4, 9, 27; 11:10, 12; 12:15, 16, 20; 13:3, 14, 21, 23; 14:8; 15:5; 17:21; 20:26; 22:22; 23:49; 24:24, 27; 33:29)
         2. Israel through God's Restoration (Eze 16:62; 20:38, 42, 44; 29:21; 34:27, 30; 36:11, 38; 37:6, 13, 14; 39:22, 28)
         3. The Nations through God's Hand (Eze 21:5; 25:5, 7, 11, 17; 26:6; 28:22; 29:6, 9; 30:19, 25, 26; 32:15; 35:4, 9, 12, 15; 36:23; 37:28; 38:16, 23; 39:6, 7, 23)
      3. "Son of Man" (93x – Eze 2:1, 3, 6, 8; 3:1, 3, 4, 10, 17, 25; 4:1, 16; 5:1; 6:2; 7:2; 8:5, 6, 8, 12, 15, 17; 11:2, 4, 15; 12:2, 3, 9, 18, 22, 27; 13:2, 17; 14:3, 13; 15:2; 16:2; 17:2; 20:3, 4, 27, 46; 21:2, 6, 9, 12, 14, 9, 28; 22:2, 18, 24; 23:2, 36; 24:2, 16, 25; 25:2; 26:2; 27:2; 28:2, 12, 21; 29:2, 18; 30:2, 21; 31:2; 32:2, 18; 33:2, 7, 10, 12, 24, 30; 34:2; 35:2; 36:1, 17; 37:3, 9, 11, 16; 38:2, 14; 39:1, 17; 40:4; 43:7, 10, 18; 44:5; 47:6)
      4. The House of Israel (83x – Eze 3:1, 4, 5, 7, 17; 4:3, 4, 5; 5:4; 6:11; 8:6, 10, 11, 12; 9:9; 11:5, 15; 12:6, 9, 10, 24, 27; 13:5, 9; 14:4, 5, 6, 7, 11; 17:2; 18:6, 15, 25, 29, 30, 31; 20:5, 13, 27, 30, 31, 39, 40, 44; 22:18; 24:21; 28:24, 25; 29:6, 16, 21; 33:7, 10, 11, 20; 34:30; 35:15; 36:10, 17, 21, 22, 32, 37; 37:11, 16; 39:12, 22, 23, 25, 29; 40:4; 43:7, 10; 44:6, 12, 22; 45:6, 8, 17) /
         The House of Judah (Eze 4:6; 8:17; 9:9; 25:3, 12)
      5. The Temple (Eze 5:11; 8:1-11:25; 23:38, 39; 24:21; 25:3; 37:26, 28; 40:1-46:24; 47:12; 48:21)
         1. Priest(s) (Eze 1:3; 7:26; 22:26; 40:45, 46; 42:13, 14; 43:19, 24, 27; 44:15, 21, 22, 30, 31; 45:4, 19; 46:2, 19, 20; 48:10, 11, 13)
         2. Holiness
            ("To be holy; to sanctify" [qadash] Eze 7:24; 20:12, 20, 41; 28:22, 25, 27; 36:23; 37:28; 38:16, 23; 39:27; 44:19, 24; 46:20; 48:11;
            "Holy, holiness" [qadesh] Eze 20:39, 40; 22:8, 26; 28:14; 36:20, 21, 22, 38; 39:7, 25; 41:4, 21, 23; 42:13, 14, 20; 43:7, 8, 12; 44:8, 13, 19, 27; 45:1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7; 46:19; 48:10, 12, 14, 18, 21;
            "Holy Place, sanctuary" [miqdash] Eze 5:11; 8:6; 9:6; 11:16; 21:2; 23:38, 39; 24:21; 25:3; 28:18; 37:26, 28; 43:21; 44:1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16; 45:3, 4, 18; 47:12; 48:8, 10, 21;
            "Holy one" [qodosh] Eze 39:7; 42:13)
         3. Profane
            ("To profane" [halal] Eze 7:21, 22, 24; 13:19; 20:9, 13, 14, 16, 21, 22, 24, 39; 22:8, 26; 23:38, 39; 24:21; 25:3; 28:7, 9, 16, 18; 36:20, 21, 22, 23; 44:7;
            "the profane" [hol] Eze 22:26; 42:20; Eze 44:23; 48:15 {cf. Lev. 10:10})
         4. Defile
            (To be unclean [tame'] Eze 4:14; 5:11; 9:7; 14:11; 18:6, 11, 15; 20:7, 18, 26, 30, 31, 43; 22:3, 4, 11; 23:7, 13, 17, 30, 38; 33:26; 36:17, 18; 37:23; 43:7, 8; 44:25;
            "Unclean" [tame'] Eze 4:13; 22:5, 10, 26; 44:23;
            "Uncleanness" [tum'a] Eze 22:15; 24:11, 13; 36:17, 25, 29; 39:24) /
            Cleanse (To cleanse, to purify [taher] Eze 22:24; 24:13; 36:25, 33; 37:23; 39:12, 14, 16; 43:26;
            Cleansing [tohora] Eze 44:26)
      6. Covenant (Eze 16:8, 59, 60, 61, 62; 17:13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19; 20:37; 34:25; 37:26; 44:7)
      7. The Spirit (Eze 1:12, 20; 2:2; 3:12, 14, 24; 8:3; 11:1, 5, 24; 36:27; 37:1, 14; 39:29; 43:5)
      8. Summaries of Israel's / Judah's / Jerusalem's History (Eze 16:1-52; 20:1-32; 23:1-49)
      9. Prophecies of Restoration (Eze 6:8-10; 11:14-21; 16:53-63; 17:22-24; 20:33-44; 33:21-48:35)
   3. Purpose: The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple were necessary measures for the God of glory to employ to correct His disobedient people; however, in the future, Yahweh will restore a repentant remnant of His people to the Land and will establish them there with a new temple.
   4. The Literary Structure (see outline: Ezekiel Structures: EZEKIEL; An Alternate Approach to the Structure of EZEKIEL.)
   5. Bibliography
      1. Exegetical:
         • Block, The Book of Ezekiel (NICOT). 2 vols.
      2. English Interpretation:
         • Feinberg, The Prophecy of Ezekiel.
         • Cooper, Ezekiel (NAC).
      3. Expositional:
         • Duguid, Ezekiel (NIVAC).
   6. Selected Interpretive Problems
      1. "The thirtieth year" (Eze 1:1) [MSB, 1130; ESVSB, 1502; HSB, 1353] [See Ezekiel Charts: Ezekiel 1:4 - 23:49]
      2. "Embittered in the rage of my spirit" (Eze 3:14) [MSB, 1132; ESVSB, 1505]
         1. Bitter over the nature of the message and the anticipated unresponsiveness of the People; the same attitude as Yahweh had toward Israel [Feinberg; Cooper (?); EBC]
         2. Bitter (infuriated) at Yahweh's imposition on his life and the implications of the commission for him; he shared the rebellion of the People [Block]
         3. Bitter that the Vision Had Come to an End
      3. Death and Life (Eze 3:16-21; cf. Eze 33:1-9) [MSB, 1133; ESVSB, 1505; HSB, 1357]
         1. Spiritual Death / Life [Duguid]
         2. Physical Death / Life [Block; Feinberg; EBC; BKC]
      4. The 390/40 Days (Eze 4:4-6) [MSB, 1134; ESVSB, 1506; HSB, 1358]
         1. A Reference to the Past [Block; BKC]
         2. A Reference to the Past and Present [Duguid]
         3. A Reference to the Future
            1. Symbolic
            2. Literal: 597-167 BC [Cooper; EBC]
         [See Ezekiel Charts: Ezekiel 12:1 - 19:14; Ezekiel 12:21-18:32]
      5. "I entered into a covenant with you" (Eze 16:8) [MSB, 1146; ESVSB, 1519]
         1. The Mosiac Covenant [Feinberg; Cooper; EBC (? cf. Eze 16:59)]
         2. The Patriarchal (Abrahamic) Covenant [Block]
         3. The Davidic Covenant [EBC (?)]
      6. "An Everlasting Covenant" (Eze 16:60) [MSB, 1148; ESVSB, 1521-2; HSB, 1376]
         1. The New Covenant [Block; Feinberg; Cooper]
         2. The Abrahamic Covenant [EBC]
      7. "The soul who sins will die" (Eze 18:1-32) [MSB, 1149-51; ESVSB, 1523-4]
         1. Contradicts Exod 20:4-6 and Deut 5:8-11
         2. Complimentary of Exod 20:4-6 and Deut 5:8-11 (cf. Deut 24:16) [Block; Feinberg; Cooper; Duguid; EBC; BKC]
      8. "I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live" (Eze 20:25) [MSB, 1153; ESVSB, 1527; HSB, 1380-1]
         1. The Mosaic statutes and ordinances after the golden calf
         2. The statutes and ordinances of the Gentiles [EBC; BKC]
         3. The Lord allowed the Jews to misinterpret and disobey His Law [Feinberg; Cooper]
         4. Rhetorical statement only; no connection to history [Block]
         [See Ezekiel Charts: Ezekiel 24:1 - 33:20]
      9. The King of Tyre (Eze 28:11-19) [MSB, 1165-6; ESVSB, 1542-3; HSB, 1396-7]
         1. The Literal King: Ethbaal III [Block; Duguid; EBC]
         2. The King as Symbolic of Adam
         3. The King as Symbolic of Satan [Feinberg; Cooper]
         4. A Direct Statement concerning Satan [BKC]
         [See Ezekiel Charts: Ezekiel 33:21 - 48:35; Ezekiel 33:21 - 39:29]
      10. David (Eze 34:23-24; 37:24-25) [MSB, 1175, 11180; ESVSB, 1555, 1560; HSB, 1406]
          1. Resurrected David [BKC]
          2. Messiah, the Greater David [Block; Feinberg; Cooper; Duguid; EBC]
      11. "A Covenant of Peace" (Eze 34:25; 37:26) [MSB, 1175; 1180; ESVSB, 1555; 1560; HSB, 1406] [See Ezekiel Charts: Yahweh's Restorative Actions for the Glory of His Name]
          1. The New Covenant [Block (?); Feinberg; Cooper]
          2. A Future Covenant Inaugurated when Other Covenants Fulfilled[EBC]
          3. The Noahic Covenant
      12. The Identity of Gog of the Land of Magog (Eze 38:2-3; 39:2) [MSB, 1180; ESVSB, 1560-1; HSB, 1412]
          1. The Prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal [Feinberg]
          2. The Chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal [Block; Cooper; Duguid; EBC; BKC]
      13. The Timing of Gog's Invasion of Israel (Eze 38:8-13) [MSB, 1181; ESVSB, 1561-2; HSB, 1412-3]
          1. Antiochus Epiphanes (ca. 168/7 BC)
          2. Before the Tribulation
          3. In the Middle of the Tribulation [BKC]
          4. At the End of the Tribulation [Feinberg; Cooper; EBC]
          5. After the Tribulation and Before the Millennium
          6. At the End of the Millennium [Block; Cooper; EBC]
      14. The Temple of Chapters 40-48 [MSB, 1183-4; ESVSB, 1564; HSB, 1415] [See Ezekiel 40-48 and the Exodus Narratives]
          1. Symbolic
             1. The Church [Block]
             2. The New Jerusalem [Duguid (?)]
          2. Literal (Eze 43:10-12)
             1. The Second Temple
             2. A Third Temple
             3. The Millennial Temple (cf. Isa 2:3-4; 60:13; 66:6, 20; Ezek 37:26-28) [Feinberg; Cooper; EBC; BKC]
      15. The Sacrifices (Eze 43:18-27) [MSB, 1189; ESVSB, 1521; HSB, 1420-1; see BSac 152:3 (July, 1995) 279-89; 163:4 (Oct, 2006) 405-22]
          1. Symbolic [Block; Duguid]
          2. Literal (cf. Jer. 33:15-18; Zech 14:21)
             1. Memorials (Eze 43:15-16) [Feinberg; EBC; BKC]
             2. Efficacious for Theocratic Harmony (Eze 43:20, 26; 45:15, 17, 20) [Cooper (?)]
      16. The Identity of the Prince (Eze 44:3; 45:22; 46:16-18) [MSB, 1190; ESVSB, 1572; HSB, 1424-5]
          1. The Messiah [Duguid (?)]
          2. Resurrected David [BKC]
          3. The Leader of Israel under the Messiah [Block (?); Feinberg; Cooper; EBC]
   7. Preaching Ezekiel

Used with permission by Dr. Keith Essex. Redistribution without express permission from Dr. Keith Essex is prohibited.