In ezekiels visions, hes transported back to jerusalem, which is the real geographical center of the book. Face east before face west behind face north left face south right. Yahweh brought ezekiel out in his spirit to a valley of dry bones 37. But as the bones in the valley of ezekiels vision only needed the quickening process described in the narrative to become a living army, so the jews only needed the interposition of god on their behalf to become again an independent nation. In fact, according to avodat hakodesh 2 this is exactly what transpired in ezekiels vision. If there is no softening his language, at least it appears that the grandeur of ezekiels vision of. Ezekiels vision of a new temple in passing, it is interesting to note that the hebrews did not use the poles of the compass. English translations of ezekiels vision often break down at the point where the prophet describes eyes. Ezekiels temple vision what might have been if israel. Aug 10, 2017 ezekiels vision concludes with fire coming down from heaven, destroying gog and magog, thus relieving gods people from any evil threat. Ezekiels prophetic ministry covered a span of years from about 593585571 bc see ez.
Much like the visible presence of god marked his blessing on solomons temple 2 chronicles 7, so ezekiels vision reminds the people that real blessing is not found merely in the temple alone but in the presence of the god who consecrates the temple. Everythingthat is everything we seeis a result of gods creative word. His messages were accompanied by visions, signs, and actedout parables, some of which are strange to the point of being bizarre. They say, our bones are dried up and our hope is gone. A series of studies in the old testament book of ezekiel st albans. Introduction to ezekiel 1496 ezekiels message was unrelenting.
Of all the books in the ot, only psalms, jeremiah, and genesis are longer. In ezekiel 4048 ezekiel sees a detailed vision of a grand and glorious temple. On the day of judgment, what the world holds to be valuable will be abominable. Blakes transformations of ezekiels cherubim vision in jerusalem. Ezekiel 37 is a famous passage that records ezekiels vision of the valley of dry bones. God then began to explain to ezekiel what this vision meant. If we study the whole of scripture, though, we can be clear that the thirtieth year means the thirtieth year of ezekiels life. Known as mirkevet yechezkel, the chariot of ezekiel, the reading speaks of the revelation to ezekiel in which he saw the entire gamut of divine beings in what he describes as a chariot. It is impossible to interpret any part of this description in a literal way, as it is only an allegory for metaphysical concepts. Ehrlich ezekiels vision, bernard picart, 1693 1783. Blakes transformations of ezekiels cherubim vision in jerusalem david sten herrstrom blakean illustrated quarterly, volume 15, issue 2, fall 1981, pp. Let us now consider these four points in more detail.
Ezekiels temple visionwhat might have been if israel was ashamed but ezra, malachi and haggai tell us they greatly sinned ezekiel was born around the year 622 bc and began his ministry at the age of 30, or about 592 bc. Gods glory appeared as a bright light, in the form of four fiery living creatures. No consensus exist among proponents as to what these symbols signify. The following vision, though not from the bible, has so far been proven true by the unfolding of history. Dry bones and the resurrection of the dead ezekiel 37. And their appearance and their workmanship was like a wheel inside of a wheel. These wheels were associated with the four living creatures ezekiel 1. To understand the sequence of events in this last jubilee, it is necessary first to explain the meaning of the four cherubim or cherubs of ezekiel.
It is really difficult to understand the meaning of the thirtieth year. Blakes transformations of ezekiels cherubim vision in. The vision of ezekiel for an informed reading of ezekiel 1. This orientation is important to the relevance of the form. Ezekiel 10 lets return to ezekiels vision of the movement of gods glory out of his temple last week in chapter 9 the lords glory moved out of the holy of holies to the threshold of the temple at the same time, ezekiel saw a vision of the coming judgment for the people in jerusalem. Stop pointing the finger outward and point it inward. Ezekiel s vision of god above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire. Ezekiels vision of gods chariot became the biblical text most important to jewish mysticism. On the fifth day of the month it was the fifth year of king jehoiachins exile. The story of the prophet encountering god spawned merkavah mysticism, aptly named for the merkavah or chariot on which ezekiel rode to the heavens.
For example, when one faces east, they would use the word before. As we learned in the preceding chapter, ezekiel was in babylon, living among his fellow exiles in a community by the river chebar evidently a navigable, manmade canal that branched off from the river euphrates and later rejoined it. A depiction of ezekiels astonishing, glorious, magnificent, vision of god as described in the bible at ezekiel chapter 1 and 10. The angel makes sure to point out that ezekiel has been brought to this future scene so that he may. For a discussion of ancient near eastern parallels, see l. This vision took place while israel was in babylonian captivity so sometime between 586 b. It reveals how god is manifested, how god moves, and how god administrates his government through the four living creatures. The vision was like a marvelous moving picture acted out before the eyes of ezekiels spirit to show him how close the allwise lord was to him all the time. Again, i believe the reason for this new vision is to deal with the why question. Ezekiels visions because in her analysis they lack a symbolic element and do not display the. Apr 12, 2017 the vision of the valley of dry bones. For a moment he glimpses a humanlike figure seated on a throne. On the fifth of the monthit was the fifth year of the exile of king jehoiachin the word of the lord came to ezekiel the priest, the son of buzi, by the kebar river in the land of the babylonians.
We will see that all of the nations will worship there, that the offerings and sacrifices will resume not all and that it will be open only on the sabbath and new moons. The elders were involved in idolworship in the temple. The book of ezekiel concludes with a vision of a restored. There are only two old testament scriptures that directly reference this strange heavenly vision of a wheel within a wheel observed by the prophet ezekiel. He sees a river flowing out of the temple, bringing supernatural. It reminds us that jesus died and rose again from the dead, bringing us all. Three prophets of israel spoke when they were out of the land. The vision of ezekiel for an informed reading of ezekiel. If we study the whole of scripture, though, we can be clear that the thirtieth year means the thirtieth year of ezekiel s life. A final interpretation proposes that ezekiels temple is symbolic of either a spiritual ideal or a spiritual reality. Pdf against the background of a disenfranchised and hopeless exilic israel.
An enlarged view of the temple is shown on page 2, box 7. Michael heiser the nephilim, joshuas wars, ancient aliens, zecharia sitchin, and ezekiels wheels duration. Get out the sword of the spirit the word of god and take down your strong enemy in jesus name. The temple in ezekiels vision is given a very detailed description. Ezekiels vision came out of the north and this orientation is important to the relevance of the form. The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was the color of beryl, and the four of them had the same likeness. Ezekiel man of visions english cb bible for children. Ezekiels vision session summary in this session, we encounter a scene from ezekiel that is full of both despair and hope. Spirit warriors spells get out of debt, win money, gamblers advantage. This text is actually the primary source in the tanach for the mystical element of torah, known in the jewish vernacular as kabbalah.
This sovereign god resolved that he would be known and acknowledged. Ezekiels first vision four living creatures accompany a prophetic message from god ezekiel 1. Although archaeology has discovered figures and art of creatures that combine lions with eagles and so forth in the palaces and temples of other ancient near eastern peoples, other nations did not combine all four of the aforementioned creatures like we see in ezekiels vision. The metaphysics of ezekiel a wondrous vision and most strange greater hekalot, c. Then came the third level on which stood the most important building the temple as designated by the letter b. As ezekiel s cherubim vision became the paradig m in blake s mind not only for the clarit y and unity of vision but for the shap e and metho d of his epi c prophecy, its demoni c parody in the form of ezekiel s covering cherub also became important. In ancient near eastern sculpture very similar images of parthuman, partanimal creatures serve as throne and sky bearers. Ezekiel was 50 years old when he had his final vision. They were allowing the hopelessness that they saw to dictate their vision of reality. Ezekiels all about locationso much so that theres a series of chapters 4042 that do little more than describe the precise measurements of every single area in the future rebuilt temple. Ezekiels vision of death and afterlife institute for biblical research. The first section of ezekiel, which is all of chapter one, presents a vision of the appearance of the glory of the lord. Apr 11, 20 what does god look like according to the bible.
Jan 30, 2018 information about the stars was laid out on mesopotamian astrolabes, clay tablets whose concentric circles could well correspond to the wheels within wheels imagery. Does everything in the vision point to the new covenant in christ jesus. Yahweh chose israel, out of all the other nations of the earth to become his personal possession and his holy covenant people. That means ezekiel is still acting out his demonstration of the destruction of judah by laying for certain periods of time on his left side and right side all day. Ezekiels vision of god above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire. Followers of this type of mysticism sought to recreate similar experiences and ascend into gods realm. Ezekiels first vision four living creatures accompany a. Pdf generated using haiola and xelatex on 18 apr 2020 from source files dated 28.
Ezekiels opening vision describes god in all his greatness and glory ezekiel 1. The word glory refers to gods visible manifestation. The great significance of this call of ezekiel and its remarkable vision of gods glory lies in the fact that it came in babylon, the land of israels captivity, far from the honored precincts of the holy land, and at a time when the fortunes of the chosen people were at a low ebb indeed. Ezekiel s vision of a new temple the outer court was the first level, and the second level was called the inner court. The lord brought his prophet to a valley full of dry bones to show him the hopelessness of life in exile, but also the power of god to raise the dead and restore his people.
Ezekiels vision of a new temple bible student archives. Session 31 ezekiel 40 the holy place of solomons temple ezekiels temple the mercy seat. Most of his fellow prophets make no attempt to describe their mystical experience, only ezekiel describes his mystical ascent in. Ezekiels vision of the dry bones orthodox church in. Ezekiels vision of the four wheels dramatically illustrates the omnipresence and omniscience of god. Ezekiel 1 ezekiels inaugural vision in my bible gateway. From the first chapter, which graphically describes the overwhelming invasion of the divine presence into ezekiel s world, to the last phrase of ezekiel s vision the lord is there the book sounds and echoes god s sovereignty. This again points to the uniqueness of the lord of israel. If you understand johns visions in revelation, ezekiels prophecies are easier to understand, since they parallel coming events. Chapters contain ezekiels heavenly vision and divine call to ministry.
We will see that all of the nations will worship there, that the offerings and sacrifices will resume not all and that it will be open only on the sabbath and. Ezekiel the prophet lived among the jewish exiles in babylon. First is the date, with the year, the month, and the day. The prophet ezekiels vision of god and the four cherubim.
Ezekiels uncompromising message is matched by language that often seems hard and sometimes offensive. Ezekiels all about locationso much so that theres a series of chapters 4042 that do little more than describe the precise measurements of every single area. Ezekiel is one of those books that was included in the bible to keep us humble. Ezekiels strange vision of clouds and fires, light and lightning, creatures with four faces, wheels within wheels, and a thronechariot is a prelude to his ultimate vision. In our churches we read ezekiels description of this vision during holy week. This lengthy vision has been the subject of much speculation and various interpretations through the years.
Ezekiels prophecy of the temple by randall price one of the most crucial texts for the futurist interpretation of prophecy concerning israel is the vision of the prophet ezekiel in chapters 4048. On that day i swore to them that i would bring them out of the land of. Ezekiel s vision of the valley of dry bones images ezekiel 37 so i prophesied as i had been commanded. What do you think this vision is intended to represent to ezekiel. Jul 16, 2017 michael heiser the nephilim, joshua s wars, ancient aliens, zecharia sitchin, and ezekiel s wheels duration. Most take this to mean ezekiels age at the time of the vision but it could have alternative. Jesus is the fulfiller of the promises laid out in the book.
Going in and out around the angelics he sees burning coals of fire, one of the densest. Ezekiel 1 new international version niv ezekiels inaugural vision. Ezekiels vision of the valley of dry bones images ezekiel 37 so i prophesied as i had been commanded. Ezekiels inaugural vision in my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while i was among the exiles by the kebar river, the heavens were opened and i saw visions of god.