The Book of Ezekiel

[Dallas]

I am reading the book of Ezekiel, and throughout my reading I want to talk about it so I can study it, and if I don't understand something I have help. I'm doing this because a friend of mine asked if we could discuss this book, and I said I'll read it so we can talk. So, here I am . I plan to update per chapter, verses, etc... So if you guys wouldn't mind helping me that would be great!

I also plan to do a summary of what I am thinking of the chapter. If it has prophecy or not, what it means to me, etc...

(4/18) Chapter 1: At first, this chapter confused me. But, after thinking about it, it started to make sense. I'm not at full understanding of it yet, so here's what I got out of it. Ezekiel had this vision of a four headed creature. I don't understand the meaning of the creature so if you can help . But, at the end God came and showed His presence to Ezekiel, and Ezekiel humbled himself in submission and bowed down. What does Chapter one mean? That God and His majesty protects us all the time? Or is the creature a prophecy of something bad to come?

(4/20) Chapter 2: This chapter was easy for me to understand. Yet, it confused me with Son of Man. I'll give the verses because there is one time where "Son of Man" is not capatalized. Eze 2:1 And Eze 2:8. Who is he referring to in each verse? Jesus in the first, and man in the second?

(4/25) Chapter 3: When God made Ezekiel eat the Roll and go "speak unto the house of Israel." What does that mean.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Dallas,

I'm curious. Why have you and your friend chosen to study Ezekiel?

Ezekiel had this vision of a four headed creature. I don't understand the meaning of the creature so if you can help .

These creatures re-appear in Eze 10 and in Revelation 4, and they appear to be associated with the throne of God. They appear to be cherubim, angels. In Ezekiel, they first show up in the windstorm (Eze 1:4). The windstorm itself - black cloud, flashing thunder, bright light - speaks of God's judgement. This same dark cloud covered Mt Sinai when Moses went up there and was present at Jesus' crucifixion. It is God the Father coming in judgement.

FL

[Dallas]

Dallas,

I'm curious. Why have you and your friend chosen to study Ezekiel?

FL

He posted on my wall and said he liked the direction I was heading in. He mentioned if I knew anything about Ezekiel because he wanted to talk about it. That's how it came about And thanks for your help.

[PaulSacramento]

There are different types of Angels ( Messenger's of God):
The Cherabim and Seraphims, the archangles and the "rank and file" angels.
We need to understand that what Ezekiel wrote is what his mind was able to comprehend and he could convey to others in his understanding to their ability to reconcile what he was telling them.

[Dallas]

Ch 2 is up! This is how I will get people to help is bumping the post

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Ezekiel 2 recounts the commissioning of Ezekiel as prophet of God. ''Son of man'' refers to Ezekiel both times. Eze 2:1 has the ''son'' in ''Son of man...'' capitalized because it is the beginning of the speaker's sentence. The speaker is God.

Notice that the scroll in Eze 2:9-10 (and into Eze 3:1-3) is similar to the scroll in Rev 10:9-11.

FL

[Dallas]

Ch.3 UP 4 should be later today. Hopefully

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

(4/25) Chapter 3: When God made Ezekiel eat the Roll and go "speak unto the house of Israel." What does that mean.

The ''Roll'' is a scroll. In synagogues, the Scriptures are on scrolls which are rolled and unrolled to find the book that will be read. Consider Luke 4:16-21.

The scroll in Eze 3:1 is the message to Israel that God is entrusting Ezekiel with, it is the word of God. It tasted sweet (Eze 3:3) because the word of God is good. Compare Revelation 10:9 where the scroll is also sweet to the taste. However, the message of the scoll will meet with strong resistance by Ezekiel's contemporaries, as the rest of Eze 3 makes clear. Compare the bitterness in the stomach of the scroll in Revelation 10.

+ + +

The format of your study is not easy to follow. Instead of editing your first post over and over again to add your new readings, why not just make a new post for each new chapter you study and keep this whole thing conversational?

FL

[Dallas]

The format of your study is not easy to follow. Instead of editing your first post over and over again to add your new readings, why not just make a new post for each new chapter you study and keep this whole thing conversational?

FL

I'm not that smart. That is why

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

I'm not that smart. That is why

Don't sell yourself short.

FL

[Dallas]

I'm typing this as I read it, so please bare with me. Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm reading KJV. So, is that a reason why I'm not fully understanding it?

Eze 4:1-3 is this a sign of Christ? Or is a sign of something else? I was also having trouble with the word iniquity. I looked up the definition and it said "gross injustice or wickedness." So in Eze 4:4 is it saying that how long he holds their wickedness will determine how long they have to bear it? Then in Eze 4:5 he says how long he has laid their iniquity. So does Ezekiel have to hold that for that many days? Basically, Eze 4:4-6 is confusing. In Eze 4:7 is that prophecy of the capture of Jerusalem? Okay, just to finish it off, Eze 4:9-17 went back into eating. Is that still dealing with the scroll?

Sorry, just trying to learn here.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Personally, I don't like the KJV. If I were you - a young man - I would go for The Message paraphrase. here is Eze 4:1-3 from The Message:

''Now, son of man, take a brick and place it before you. Draw a picture of the city of Jerusalem on it. Them make a model of a military siege against the brick: Build siege walls, construct a ramp, set up army camps, lay in battering rams against it. Then get an iron skillet and place it upright between you and the city - an iron wall. Face the model: The city shall be under siege and you shall be the besieger. This is a sign to the family of Israel.''

Does this make Eze 4:1-3 clearer?

FL

[Dallas]

Personally, I don't like the KJV. If I were you - a young man - I would go for The Message paraphrase. here is Eze 4:1-3 from The Message:

''Now, son of man, take a brick and place it before you. Draw a picture of the city of Jerusalem on it. Them make a model of a military siege against the brick: Build siege walls, construct a ramp, set up army camps, lay in battering rams against it. Then get an iron skillet and place it upright between you and the city - an iron wall. Face the model: The city shall be under siege and you shall be the besieger. This is a sign to the family of Israel.''

Does this make Eze 4:1-3 clearer?

FL

A lot more clearer thank you . My only problem might be do they take words out. Especially Jesus's words.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

A lot more clearer thank you . My only problem might be do they take words out. Especially Jesus's words.

All translations have shortcomings, including The Message, and the KJV. The translation you enjoy reading and understand clearly is the better translation.

FL

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Eze 4:1-3 is this a sign of Christ? Or is a sign of something else?

Ezekiel 4:1-8 is what I would call multivalent that is, it does several things simultaneously: it is a illustrated prophecy of what is about to happen to Jerusalem; it describes an atonement for the sins of Israel (and the house of Judah) to be acted out by the prophet; and it is God's judgement for Israel's sinful conduct.

in Eze 4:4 is it saying that how long he holds their wickedness will determine how long they have to bear it?

Yes. However, God's mercy can be seen in this atonement because for every year of Israel's sin, Ezekiel only had to atone during one day: 390 years of sin = 390 days of atonement/40 years of sin = 40 years of atonement. Do you see God's mercy here?

In Eze 4:7 is that prophecy of the capture of Jerusalem? Okay, just to finish it off, Eze 4:9-17 went back into eating. Is that still dealing with the scroll?

Eze 4:7 is more a description of the actual siege of Jerusalem: hemmed in all around, the people in the city were essentially ''tied up'', Eze 4:8.

Eze 4:9-17 went back into eating. Is that still dealing with the scroll?

No. The scroll is what Ezekiel was to prophecy: that is, what you are now reading in the Book of Ezekiel. You are reading the scroll. The eating described in Eze 4:9-17 describes the rationed food during the siege, and the humiliating conditions during that time. Remember: this part of Ezekiel is an illustrated prophecy. Ezekiel had to act it out while his contemporaries looked on in horror and wonder.

FL