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TR2ICK THROUGH THE BIBLE
EZEKIEL—THE PROPHET OF HOPE.
A. The Prophets Prepar- B Reprobation. iv.-xxiv. C. Restoration. xxv.-xlviii.
ation. i.-iii.
I. The Visions. .I. L Results of Reprobation. |. The Nations. xxv.-xxxii.
1. Fire. 1-4 iv.-xiv. i. The Doom of Four, Ammon, Moab, Edom,
11. Living Ones. 5-14 L The Four Signs. iv., v. Philistia. xxv.
ill. Wheels. 15-21 H. The Denunciations ii. The Doom of Two, Tyre and Sidon.
IV. The Likeness. 22-28 vi., vil. xxvi.-xxviii. 24
lii. The Judgment, vlli.-xiv. (Parenthesis. Restoration of Israel xxviii.
IL The Voice. 11., lii. 25, 26.)
I. The Message, ii.dii. 3 H* Reason of Reprobation ... Doom of One> Egypt xxix.-xxxii.
ii. The Equipment xv.-xix.
iii. 4-15 L The Two General Fig- ||. The Nation. xxxiii.-xxxix.
lii. The Responsibility. ures - xv -, xvi - i- The Watchman. xxxiii.
iii. 16-21 it The Riddle. xvii. ii. Shepherds false and true. xxxiv.
iv. The Commission. iii. The False Excuse, xviii. iii. The new Order. xxxv., xxxvi.
iii. 22-27 The Lament. xix. iv. The Vision of the Bones. xxxvii.
111. Righteousness of Repro- v - The last Enemy - xxxvlil., xxxix.
bation. xx.-xxiv. m. res tored Order. xl.-xlii.
1. Vindicated to Elders. L The Temple. xl.-xlii.
xx. 1-44 y Jehovah. xliii.
ii. The Song of the Sword. in. The service of the Temple, xliv.-xlvi.
45-xxi. | v Ri V g r# xlvii. 1-12
iii. The Utter Evil of the v> The La nd. xlvii. 13 . 23
City. xxil. rphe people. xlviii, 1-29
Iv. Oholah; Oholibah. xxiii. vU The city « The Lord is there.” 30-35
v. The Destruction of the
Title Page, 2, 3 City. xxiv. j
F the prophet Ezekiel personally we
know only that he was a priest and the
son of Buzi. If the expression “the
thirtieth year” in the opening verse of
the book refers to his age, which is prob
able, seeing that he was a priest, and
that thirty was the age at which they
commenced their work, he must have
been twenty-five years of age when the
O
captivity commenced. During the whole of those
years Jeremiah was exercising his ministry. This
would account for the evident influence exercised
upon Ezekiel by the teaching of Jeremiah. His
method was superlatively that of symbolism. The
book is full of visions, symbolic actions, similitudes,
parables, proverbs, allegories, and open prophecies.
He was the prophet who supremely looked through
the then existing devastation to ultimate deliver
ance. Recognizing the fact of the reprobation of
the people by Jehovah, and the righteousness there
of, he yet foretold a glorious restoration, basing his
conviction upon his conception of the character of
God. The main object of his training would seem
to have been the comfort of the exiles, and their
preservation from the idolatry by which they w y ere
surrounded. The book falls into three main parts,
the first of which describes how the word of the
Lord came expressly to him, by visions and in a
voice; the second dealing with the reprobation of
the people of God; and the last foretelling their
restoration, and indicating the methods by which
it wmuld be brought about. It may be divided thus:
the Prophet’s Preparation (i. —iii.); Reprobation
(iv. —xxiv.); Restoration (xxv. —xlviii.).
A. THE PROPHET’S PREPARATION.
The division dealing with the prophet’s prepara
tion falls into two sections —the first describing tho
visions he saw, and the second the voices he heard.
The second and third verses which are really paren
thetical may be treated as a title page. This gives
the date, states the fact that the word came ex
pressly to him, and indicates the place in which he
saw the visions and heard the voice.
The visions were inclusive visions of God. They
proceeded in four manifestations. The first was
that of a cloud swept into sight by a stormy wind,
surrounded by brightness, and continually flashing
forth in glory. The second was the appearance of
four living ones, out of the midst of this fire, who
moved in rhythmic unity. The third appearance
was that of wheels which rotated in harmony with
each other, and in co-operation with the movements
G. CAMPBELL MORGAN, Westminster Chapel, London, England.
appearing Lbery Week During 1907. (Copyright American Serial 'Rights Applied for by the Golden Age Publishing Co. All Rights Reserbed.)
EZEKIEL.
The Golden Age for December 12, 1907.
of the living ones. The last appearance was that
of a firmament over-arching the ceaseless activity
of the living ones. Above the firmament a voice
was heard, and then the likeness of a throne was
seen, and finally a Person was manifested of the
nature of fire, surrounded by a glory like that of
the rainbow. In the presence of the manifested
glory Ezekiel fell upon his face and then heard the
voice. This voice called him to listen, and then
commissioned him to deliver the message of God to
the children of Israel, charging him that he was to
speak it whether they would hear or forbear. The
commission was ratified by the symbolism of a roll
handed to him, which he was commanded to eat.
He obeyed, and found the roll in his mouth “as
honey for sweetness.” Continuing, the voice an
nounced to him what his equipment for the fulfill
ment of his mission would be, warning him of the
difficulties awaiting him, promising him that he
should be strengthened for his work; and charging
him to be loyal to the word of the Lord. In an
interval he was borne up by the Spirit, and carried
to the midst of the captives, where he sat aston
ished for seven days. The word of Jehovah then
came to him again, laying upon him his responsibil
ities anew. He was first reminded of the source
of the message and told that his first responsibility
was that of hearing, and his second that of speech.
Once again he was called into the plain where he
saw the glory of Jehovah as he had seen it by the
river. A double charge was again laid upon him,
the first part of which was that of silence, and the
second that of speech.
B. REPROBATION.
The second division of the book contains the
messages of the prophet concerning the reprobation
of the chosen nation. These fall into three parts.
In the first by symbol and speech he described the
results of reprobation; in the second he declared
its reason; and in the last he proclaimed its right
eousness.
The results of reprobation were first symbolically
set forth in four signs. These were immediately
followed by general denunciations. Finally the
coming judgment was dealt with at length, as to
its cause and its process.
Ezekiel’s first sign was that of a tile upon which
he portrayed a city around which were depicted all
the forces of a siege. His second sign consisted of
a posture. For three hundred and ninety days he
lay upon his left side and for forty days upon his
right, prophesying during the whole period against
Jerusalem. The third sign was that of the food of
which he partook during the period of three hun
dred and ninety days. The fourth was that of the
shaving of his hair from head and face. This hair
v 7 as divided into three parts—a third was burned,
a third was smitten with the sword, and a third was
scattered to the wind. This last sign was carefully
explained. The hair symbolized Jerusalem, and the
treatment of it indicated the method of the Divine
judgment against it.
These signs were followed by denunciations. The
first foretold the coming judgment of the sword
against the whole land, and the consequent scatter
ing of the people. In this process of judgment a
remnant would be spared in order that the lesson
might be learned. The prophet was charged to de
liver this message of the sword with vehemence,
and to make clear the fact that vengeance moved to
ward the purpose of making the people who had
forgotten to know Jehovah. The second dwelt with
the fact of the completeness of the judgment. Its
key-note was expressed in the words “an end.”
The prophet declared that an end was determined
upon the land and upon the people, and that it
should be accomplished by the act of God. He then
proceeded to describe that end. Its first manifesta
tion would be the paralysis of the people, so that
although the trumpet was blown to the battle, and
all was ready, yet none moved forward, being over
come by terror and grief. This paralysis would is
sue in poverty, not wholly in the absolute lack of
silver and gold, but in the awful consciousness that
these things were useless as means of deliverance
from the wrath of Jehovah. All this finally would
produce the confession of overwhelming perplexity,
and no interpreter would be found. The second de
nunciation ended, as did the first, by indicating the
purpose of the vengeance, “They shall know that I
am the Lord.”
*
The long prophecy, descriptive of the cause and
process of judgment, came to the prophet as he sat
in his own house in the presence of the elders of
Judah. In its first movement it described the idol
atry in Jerusalem which was the sin to be visited
with punishment. The prophet first saw the image
of jealousy at the entrance of the inner court of the
house of God. He then saw through a hole in the
wall all secret abominations before which the elders
of Israel were burning incense. In the third place
he was shown the depravity of the women of Israel
who were seen weeping for Tammuz. Finally in the
inner court men were seen their backs toward
the temple, worshipping the sun. On account of
this utter corruption of the people, Jehovah would
proceed in judgment.
The r next section of the judgment reveals the
fact of the Divine discrimination in judgment. A
man with an ink horn passed through the midst
and set a mark upon the foreheads of such as
mourned the abominations. These were to be
spared, "while all the rest were to be slain. The
vision appalled the prophet, and he cried out in
intercession, but he was told that the sin of Israel
and Judah was great, and therefore the punishment
was irrevocable.
The prophet then described the process of judg
ment. He was first granted a preliminary vision.
The man with the ink horn gathered coals of fire
from between the cherubim, and scattered them
over the city. Out of the midst of visions of the
glory of God, similar to those which he had seen by
the river Chebar, this fire was taken.
Again the prophet saw the princes of the people
devising iniquity; and, instructed of the Spirit, he
uttered a denunciation of them, and declared God’s
vengeance against them. One of the princes died,
as he had prophesied, and he appealed to Jehovah
in terms of intercession. This appeal was answered
by the declaration that Jehovah would protect those
scattered among the nations, that eventually they
should be restored, but that vengeance would inevi
tably fall upon such as were persistent in their sin.
Again there was granted to him a vision of the
