At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Ezekiel, priest among first exile (597 BC) |
| Date | ~593-571 BC ministry |
| Audience | Judean exiles in Babylon |
| Genre | Prophecy + apocalyptic visions + symbolic actions |
| Purpose | God's glory + judgment of Judah + restoration promises |
| Chapters | 48 |
Outline
| Section | Chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Visions of God + call | 1-3 | Wheels-within-wheels theophany |
| Judgment of Judah | 4-24 | Symbolic actions + judgment oracles |
| Judgment of nations | 25-32 | Oracles against neighboring nations |
| Restoration promises | 33-48 | Good Shepherd; dry bones; new temple |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| God's glory | Visions of throne + departure from temple + return |
| God's holiness + justice | Strict judgment of sin |
| Individual responsibility | Eze.18, each person accountable for own sin |
| New heart + new spirit | Eze.36.25-27, foundation of New Covenant texts |
| Dry bones to life | Eze.37, Israel's restoration |
| Good Shepherd | Eze.34, Davidic Shepherd-King |
| New temple | Eze.40-48, eschatological vision |
Key passages
- Eze.1, vision of God's throne
- Eze.18, individual responsibility
- Eze.34, God + David as shepherds
- Eze.36.25-27, new heart + new spirit (foundational for New Covenant)
- Eze.37, dry bones vision
- Eze.40-48, new temple vision
NT use
- Jhn.10, Christ as Good Shepherd (Eze.34)
- Heb.8-10, New Covenant connection (Eze.36 alongside Jer.31)
- Rev. uses Ezekiel imagery extensively (throne; New Jerusalem; eating scroll)