The Book of Ezekiel

A Prophet in Captivity

The Babylonians attacked Judah on three major occasions. The second was approximately 597 B.C. Ezekiel was among the group taken captive to Babylon. About five years later he was called to be a prophet to the Jews in captivity. He tried to help the people learn from their mistakes.

Watchman on the Tower

While Jeremiah cried repentance in Jerusalem, Ezekiel worked with the people in Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah tried to save the people from destruction and Ezekiel tried to help his people understand that their captivity resulted from their wickedness. Both prophets taught that there was cause for hope in the future as the people returned to the Lord. Ezekiel was to be a watchman on the tower, a calling which will be discussed in chapter 33.

Getting Ready to Study Ezekiel

If we were to choose a main theme of the book of Ezekiel, it might be that eventually all people shall know that the Lord is God. This principle, indicated by phrases such as “then will they know that I am the Lord,” appears over sixty-five times in Ezekiel.

The following outline shows six major topics in the book of Ezekiel:

1. Ezekiel’s call to be a prophet (see Ezekiel 1–3)

2. Prophecies condemning the sins of the people in the land of Israel, especially in Jerusalem (see Ezekiel 4–11, 20–24)

3. Prophecies calling the Jews in Babylon to repentance (see Ezekiel 12–19)

4. Prophecies concerning the destruction of the countries surrounding Israel who were their enemies (see Ezekiel 25–32)

5. Prophecies about the gathering of Israel and other events in preparation for the Second Coming (see Ezekiel 33–39)

6. A description of Ezekiel’s vision of a temple being built in Jerusalem at some future time (see Ezekiel 40–48)

For more information about the book of Ezekiel, see the Bible Dictionary, “Ezekiel” (pp. 668–69).

• Ezekiel 1: Ezekiel’s Vision of God’s Glory

• Ezekiel 2–3: Ezekiel’s Call to Serve

• Ezekiel 4–5: Prophecies of Jerusalem’s Destruction

• Ezekiel 6–7: Sin and Destruction

• Ezekiel 8–11: Why Jerusalem Was Conquered

• Ezekiel 12–17: Why Captivity

• Ezekiel 18: Responsibility for Sin

• Ezekiel 19–20: Leaders Who Won’t Listen

• Ezekiel 21–24: Wickedness Leads to Destruction

• Ezekiel 25–32: The Punishment of Other Nations

• Ezekiel 33: Watchment on the Tower

• Ezekiel 34: The Shepherds of Israel

• Ezekiel 35: Destruction of Edom

• Ezekiel 36: A Message of Hope

• Ezekiel 37: Two Visions of Restoration

• Ezekiel 38–39: The Battle of Gog and Magog

• Ezekiel 40–42: Ezekiel’s Vision of a Temple

• Ezekiel 43–44: The Glory of God Fills the Temple

• Ezekiel 45–46: More about the Temple

• Ezekiel 47: The Healing Waters of the Temple

• Ezekiel 48: Israel Gathers and the Lord Is with Them