Ezekiel comes from the name of its (widely established) author of the same name, which means ‘God strengthens / will/has strengthen(ed)’. He was a Judean priest, and like Zechariah and Jeremiah, were the only writing prophets who were also priests.
Historically, Ezekiel started his ministry in 593 BC when he was 30 years old, it would appear he was born around 623 BC, and would have grown up during King Josiah’s reforms (his ministry was during Nebuchadnezzar’s time). Jeremiah was around 20 years before him, so it is likely that Ezekiel knew of this other prophet’s existence. There are similar themes about repentance, salvation not to those left-behind in Jerusalem but to the captive, individual retribution and repentance, long exile followed by godly leadership and restoration, a new covenant inwardly and outwardly appropriated, and condemnations of false prophets. It was probable he knew too Daniel and vice versa, for Daniel’s captivity was in 605 BC as a teenager and his birthdate is surmised to be about 620 BC, thus making both prophets’ ages similar.
Ezekiel ministered apparently only to the Jews in exile in Babylon, himself captured during Nebuchadnezzar’s second deportation of the Jews to Babylon in 597 BC. He ministered to the Jews living at Tel-abib (Tel-aviv) near the Chebar (Kebar) River (Ezekiel 3:15). Life was easy for the captives, Babylon giving them substantial freedom and a general lifestyle of luxury and excessive idolatry.
Purpose:
Ezekiel ministered to the twelve tribes. He sometimes had visions where God carried him to Jerusalem, but his concentrated efforts was towards ministering to the exiled Jews. His theme was twofold: to emphasise the sins and unholiness of the Israelites, and then to point towards the saving glory of God, and encouraging true repentance.
Structure:
Chronologically and logically organised. Probably one of the easiest books to outline in the Bible. Dates his prophecies precisely in the format month/day/year, starting from the year of Johoiachin’s (and his own) exile. Most prophecies written in chronlogical order, although the 7th and 8th one were organised thematically about Egypt. Logically ordered, it first speaks of the call and preparation of the prophet (chapters 1 to 3), then prophecies about Judah ending with the fall of Jerusalem (4 – 24), then prophecies about foreign nations (25-32) and about the coming restoration of Israel (33 – 48).
The book begins with the theme of judgment as Ezekiel receives a commission to prophecy on it, and sees God’s leaving the temple in judgment (2-3). It ends on the theme of deliverance, where Ezekiel is commissioned to deliver prophecies concerning that (33), and witnesses God returning to the temple to bless it (43: 1-5).
Style:
Autobiographical, although restrained with regards personal feelings, compared with Jeremiah.
‘Halving’ of oracles, first propounding a theme, then switching to another, and ending with a coda linking elements from the two.
Uses an earlier text or tradition, interpretation and application in light of the new situation.
Formulaic expressions – he is always referred to by God in the book as Ben Adam (son of man), stressing his own humanity. Unique probably to him and only appearing otherwise in Daniel 8:17. Likes to refer to God as ‘adonai yhwh’ (Lord Yahweh), emphasizing God’s title as divine master of the people. Israel he refers to mostly as ‘bet yisrae’l’ (house or family of Israel), emphasising the people’s solidarity.
Almost always carefully distinguishes whether it was God speaking or himself speaking with expressions like ‘The word of the Lord came to me saying’ etc.
Genre:
Ezekiel was the great mystic of the entire bible, and his one book contained so many different genres of writing that it seems impossible to analyse and interpret completely. As such it has been much of a closed book for many. He liked using dream-vision literature, which apparently was frequent in the literature of that time, presumably because the people got bored and God through Ezekiel got the message to them in this way.
Theology:
Identification of themes by major theologians vary, the common threads seem to be: God’s holiness, glory, men’s sinfulness, Israel’s moral, ethical, religious history, individual responsibility, God’s saving grace.
