T he only good news that we ought to know and remember is that Jesus Christ had already won the war against sin and death. He has made it possible for us to join Him in the afterlife. All we need now to do is accept Him as He is. God is alive today and it may be sometimes be difficult to see this. The world and its demonic nature has still made it look like that only worldly things matter and that the ultimate goal of each one is to achieve their own personal happiness. This is the biggest lie of all, that we should do all to make us happy. Individual happiness at the expense of someone else is the biggest deception of all. The truth is, our lives are never really about us. It is ultimately about God and about others. It is about how you can provide and give joy even at our own expense. This is the model of ultimate and genuine love that Jesus shown us at the cross. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s frie...
### Historical Background and Origin of the Book of Ezekiel
The Book of Ezekiel is part of the Major Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Ezekiel, a priest and son of Buzi, who was among the Jewish exiles taken to Babylon following the first Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC under King Nebuchadnezzar. This was a tragic period in Israel's history, marked by the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the Babylonian Exile, where many Jews were deported from Judah to Babylon. Ezekiel lived and prophesied among these exiles, beginning his ministry around 593 BC (the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile) and continuing until at least 571 BC, spanning about 22 years.
The book was likely composed during this exile, with dates provided in the text itself (e.g., Ezekiel 1:1-3 specifies the timing of his first vision). Traditionally, Ezekiel himself is considered the author, as the text is written in the first person and presents him as the direct recipient of divine visions and messages. His priestly background influences the book's emphasis on temple rituals, purity, and God's holiness. The book was probably compiled in Babylon, reflecting the socio-political context of displacement, where Ezekiel addressed a community grappling with loss, sin, and hope for restoration. It entered the Jewish canon early, and by the time of the Septuagint translation (around the 3rd-2nd century BC), it was recognized as scripture.
### Detailed Summary of the Book of Ezekiel
The Book of Ezekiel consists of 48 chapters and is structured around prophetic visions, oracles, and symbolic acts delivered by Ezekiel to the exiled Israelites. It emphasizes themes of God's glory (appearing over 20 times, e.g., Ezekiel 1:28, 3:23, 10:4), judgment for sin, the consequences of idolatry and rebellion, and ultimate restoration. The book can be divided into three main sections: judgment on Judah and Jerusalem (Chapters 1-24), oracles against foreign nations (Chapters 25-32), and visions of hope and restoration (Chapters 33-48).
#### Part 1: Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem (Chapters 1-24)
This section opens with Ezekiel's call to prophecy in 593 BC. He experiences a dramatic vision of God's throne chariot (the "merkabah"), featuring four living creatures with multiple faces (human, lion, ox, eagle), wheels within wheels full of eyes, and a radiant figure on a throne. This sets the tone for God's transcendence and mobility—even in exile, God's presence isn't confined to Jerusalem. A notable verse here is Ezekiel 1:28: "Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord."
Ezekiel is commissioned as a "watchman" and "son of man" (a title used over 90 times, emphasizing his humanity). He performs symbolic acts, like eating a scroll symbolizing God's words (Ezekiel 3:1-3) or lying on his side for 430 days to represent the years of Israel's and Judah's sin (Ezekiel 4). Chapters 8-11 depict a vision of abominations in the Jerusalem Temple, leading to God's glory departing from it—a profound symbol of divine abandonment before the city's fall.
Chapters 12-24 contain oracles of doom, including parables like the unfaithful wife (Ezekiel 16 and 23, portraying Jerusalem's idolatry as adultery) and the vine and eagles (Ezekiel 17, critiquing alliances with Egypt and Babylon). A key quote is Ezekiel 18:4: "For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die," emphasizing individual responsibility over collective punishment. Ezekiel's wife dies as a sign of Jerusalem's impending loss (Ezekiel 24:15-27), underscoring the prophet's personal suffering.
#### Part 2: Oracles Against the Nations (Chapters 25-32)
Shifting focus, Ezekiel pronounces judgments on surrounding nations for their roles in Israel's downfall or for gloating over it. This includes Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt. The extended oracle against Tyre (Chapters 26-28) describes its fall like a shipwreck, with a lament for its king: "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god"' (Ezekiel 28:2). Egypt receives multiple prophecies of defeat by Babylon (e.g., Ezekiel 29-32), symbolizing the humbling of arrogant powers.
#### Part 3: Restoration and Hope (Chapters 33-48)
After news of Jerusalem's fall reaches the exiles (Ezekiel 33:21), the tone turns to renewal. Ezekiel reaffirms his watchman role and explains God's justice: "But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed... they will surely live; they will not die" (Ezekiel 18:21, echoed in Chapter 33).
Chapters 34-37 focus on restoration: God as the true shepherd (Ezekiel 34), judgment on Edom (35), and Israel's renewal. A famous promise is Ezekiel 36:26: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." The vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14) symbolizes resurrection: "Then he said to me: 'Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel... I will put breath in you, and you will come to life.'" This represents national revival and the reunification of Israel and Judah under a Davidic king (Ezekiel 37:15-28).
The book culminates in visions of a future temple (Chapters 40-48), detailing its architecture, rituals, and the return of God's glory (Ezekiel 43:1-5). It ends with a river flowing from the temple, bringing life (Ezekiel 47:1-12, echoing Eden and Revelation), and the division of land among tribes, with the city named "The Lord Is There" (Ezekiel 48:35).
Overall, Ezekiel's message is one of hope amid despair: God judges sin but promises renewal, exile is punishment but not the end, and His presence will return.