BIBLE SUMMARY: EZEKIEL

Book of Ezekiel Synopsis: Statistics And Summary of Main Topics.

Book of Ezekiel Chapter by Chapter Summary.

EZEKIEL TOTAL CHAPTERS: 48

EZEKIEL TOTAL VERSES: 1,273

TOTAL WORDS: 39,407

DATE WRITTEN: 592 – 570

AUTHOR: Ezekiel

EZEKIEL THEME: 

God’s Faithfulness and Mercy. Warning Against Rebellion. Messages of warning and comfort to the Jews in their captivity.

MAJOR CHARACTERS:

Ezekiel and God.

BOOK OF EZEKIEL KEY VERSES:

2:3-6: He said: ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen-for they are a rebellious house-they will know that a prophet has been among them.

18:4: For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son-both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

28:12-14: You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

33:11: Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?

48:35: And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE.

EZEKIEL SUMMARY

Book of Ezekiel known to be written by prophet Ezekiel and is placed immediately after Lamentation in OT. It is composed of 48 chapters divided almost half before and after the fall of Jerusalem. Ezekiel was given prophethood at an age thirty after he saw a majestic vision of God’s glory during his captivation in Babylon. He was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar at the age of twenty-five. He spent five years in Babylon in great distress. God called Ezekiel to serve as a guard for His people and to inform them the reasons for their misery and to renew their hope in God’s promises. Ezekiel does this but in different ways. He speaks in fables and allegories. He has extraordinary visions and dreams. He falls into trances, loses his ability to speak for a time, and engages in other strange behaviors such as tying himself to the ground for many days, shaving his head and burning the hair. He has visions of God appearing like a Man accompanying fire and angelic beings with four faces, wings, hands, and wheels that contained all-seeing eyes. Ezekiel believed that the old idea of children being punished for their father’s sins was wrong and he says that a righteous man who does what is just and right, he will surely live as in chapter 18:5-9 and that God said that He would judge people, each one according to his ways as in chapter 18:30. This book can be broadly divided into four parts chapters 1-24 as prophecies on the destruction of Jerusalem
, Chapters 25-32 as prophecies of Lord’s judgment on nearby nations
, chapter 33 as a last call for repentance to Israel and 
Chapters 34-48 as prophecies concerning the future restoration of Israel.

CHAPTER WISE SUMMARY:

Chapter#1: The Vision of the Glory of God. The time of Ezekiel’s prophecy at Chebar. His vision of four cherubims, of the four wheels and of the glory of God.
Chapter#2: The Voice of God. Ezekiel’s commission. His instruction. The role of his heavy prophecy.
Chapter#3: The Voice of God. Ezekiel eats the Scroll. God encourages him. God shows him the rule of prophecy. God shuts and opens the prophet’s mouth.
Chapter# 4: Symbolic Seige of Jerusalem. Under the type of a siege is shown the time from the defection of Jeroboam to the captivity. Provision of the siege shows the difficulty of the famine.
Chapter# 5: Fall of Jerusalem portrayed. Under the type of hair, is shown the judgment of Jerusalem for their rebellion, by famine, sword, and dispersion.
Chapter# 6: Idolatrous Worship And Idolatrous Objects. The judgment of Israel for their idolatry. A remnant shall be blessed. The righteous are exhorted to lament their abominations and calamities.
Chapter# 7: Punishment For Abominations Throughout The Land. The final desolation of Israel. The mournful repentance of them that escape. The enemies corrupt the sanctuary because of the Israelites evils. Under the type of a chain is shown the miserable captivity of all orders of men.
Chapter# 8: Ezekiel, in a vision of God at Jerusalem, is shown the image of jealousy. The chambers of imagery. The mourners for Tammuz, the worshippers toward the sun. God’s wrath for their idolatry.
Chapter#9: Six executioners and man with inkhorn. A vision, whereby is shown the preservation of some; and the destruction of the rest. God cannot be intreated for them.
Chapter#10: Fire is taken from between the wheels. The vision of coals of fire to be scattered over the city. The vision of the cherubims.
Chapter#11: Evil princes condemned. The presumption of the princes. Their sin and judgment. Ezekiel complaining, God shows him his purpose in saving a remnant; and punishing the wicked. The glory of God leaves the city. Ezekiel is returned to the captivity.
Chapter#12: Exile foretold by symbolic actions. Under the type of Ezekiels’s removing, is shown the captivity of Zedekiah. Ezekiel’s trembling shows the Jews’ desolation. The Jews’ presumptuous proverb is reproved. The speediness of the vision.
Chapter#13: Against the false prophets. The reproof of lying prophets, and their untempered mortar. Of prophetesses and their pillows.
Chapter#14: Idolaters condemned. God answers idolaters as per their own heart. They are exhorted to repent, for fear of judgments, by means of seduced prophets. God’s irrevocable sentence of famine; of noisome beasts; of the sword; and of pestilence. A remnant shall be reserved for example of others.
Chapter#15: By the unfitness of the vine branch for any work, is shown the rejection of Jerusalem.
Chapter#16: Under the simulation of a wretched infant is shown the natural state of Jerusalem. God’s extraordinary love towards her. Her monstrous whoredom. Her grievous judgment. Her sin, equal to her mother, and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria, calls for judgments. Mercy is promised her in the end.
Chapter#17: Under the parable of two eagles and a vine, is shown God’s judgment upon Jerusalem for revolting from Babylon to Egypt. God promises to plant the cedar of the Gospel.
Chapter#18: God defends his justice; and exhorts to repentance.
Chapter#19: Wail for the princes of Israel, under the parable of lion’s whelps taken in a pit; and for Jerusalem, under the parable of a wasted vine.
Chapter#20: The Lord refuses to be consulted by the elders of Israel. He shows the story of their rebellions in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in the land. God promises to gather them by the Gospel. Under the name of a forest, he shows the destruction of Jerusalem.
Chapter#21: Ezekiel prophesies against Jerusalem with a sign of sighing. The sharp and bright sword; against Jerusalem; against the kingdom; and against the Ammonites.
Chapter#22: A catalogue of sins in Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jews in consequence. God will burn them as dross in his furnace. The general corruption of prophets, priests, princes, and people.
Chapter#23: The whoredoms of Aholah and Aholibah. Aholibah to be plagued by her lovers. The prophet reproves the adulteries of them both; and shows their judgments.
Chapter#24: Parable of a boiling pot, is shown the irrevocable destruction of Jerusalem. By the sign of Ezekiel not mourning for the death of his wife, is shown the calamity of the Jews to be beyond all sorrow.
Chapter#25: God’s vengeance, for their insolence against the Jews, upon the Ammonites; upon Moab and Seir; upon Edom; and upon the Philistines.
Chapter#26: Tyrus, for insulting against Jerusalem, is threatened with destruction. The power of Nebuchadnezzar against her. The mourning and astonishment of the sea at her fall.
Chapter#27: The riches and commerce of Tyrus. The great and irrecoverable fall thereof.
Chapter#28: God’s judgment upon the prince of Tyrus for his sacrilegious pride. A lamentation of his great glory corrupted by sin. The judgment of Zidon. The restoration of Israel.
Chapter#29: The judgment of Pharoh for his treachery to Israel. The desolation of Egypt. The restoration thereof after 40 years. Egypt the reward of Nebuchadnezzar. Israel shall be restored.
Chapter#30: The Desolation of Egypt and her helpers. The arm of Babylon shall be strengthened to break the arm of Egypt.
Chapter#31: A relation unto Pharaoh, of the glory of Assyria, and the fall thereof for pride. The like destruction of Egypt.
Chapter#32: A lamentation for the fearful fall of Egypt. The sword of Babylon shall destroy it and brought it down to hell, among all the uncircumcised nations.
Chapter#33: According to the duty of a watchman in warning the people, Ezekiel is admonished of his duty. God shows the justice of his ways towards the penitent and towards revolters. He maintains his justice. On the news of the taking of Jerusalem he prophecies the desolation of the land. God’s judgment upon the mockers of the prophets.
Chapter#34: A reproof of the shepherds. God’s judgment against them. His providence over his flock. The kingdom of Christ.
Chapter#35: The judgment of mount Seir for their hatred of Israel, and insulting over their distress.
Chapter#36: Israel is comforted, both by destruction of the heathen, who spitefully used it, and by the blessings of God promised unto it. Israel was rejected for their sin, and shall be restored without their desert. The blessings of Christ unique Kingdom.
Chapter#37: Resurrection of dry bones, the dead hope of Israel is revived. By the uniting of two sticks, is shown the incorporation of Israel into Judah. The promises of Christ’s kingdom.
Chapter#38: The army, and malice of Gog. God’s judgment against him.
Chapter#39: God’s judgment upon Gog. Israel’s victory. Gog’s burial in Hamon-gog. The feast of the fowls. Israel having been plagued for their sins, shall be gathered again with eternal favor.
Chapter#40: Ezekiel brought to Israel in a vision and sees a visionary temple. The manner, time and end of the vision of the city and temple. The description of the east gate of the outer court; of the north gate; of the south gate; of the south gate of the inner court; of the east gate; and of the northern entrance. Eight tables. The chambers. The porch of the house.
Chapter#41: The sanctuary of the temple. The measures, parts, chambers, and ornaments of the temple.
Chapter#42: Description Of Rooms For The Priests. The chambers for the priests. The use thereof. The measures of the outward court.
Chapter#43: The returning of the glory of God into the temple. The sin of Israel hindered God’s presence. The prophet exhorts them to repentance, and observation of the law of the house. The measures, and the ordinances of the altar.
Chapter#44: The east gate to remain shut. The east gate assigned only to the prince. The priests reproved for polluting the sanctuary. Idolaters were incapable of the priest’s office. The sons of Zadok are accepted thereto. Ordinances for the priests.
Chapter#45: The holy contribution and the city. The portion of land for the sanctuary; for the city; and for the prince. Commands for the prince.
Chapter#46: Offerings on certain occasions. Statutes for the prince in his worship and for the people. An order for the prince’s inheritance. The courts for boiling and baking.
Chapter#47: The stream streaming from the Temple. The vision of the holy waters. The virtue of them. The borders of the land. The division of it by lot.
Chapter#48: Division of the land. The portions of the twelve tribes; of the sanctuary; of the city and suburbs; and of the prince. The portions of the twelve tribes. The dimensions and gates of the city.