Ezekiel

Purpose & theme

Ezekiel is the great prophet of the glory of God. A priest carried into Babylonian exile, Ezekiel received his call by the Chebar canal in a staggering vision of the LORD enthroned above a chariot of living creatures and wheels, an unforgettable picture that God’s glory is not confined to Jerusalem but reigns even over the land of exile. From that vision flows the book’s central concern: that God’s people, and the nations, “shall know that I am the LORD,” a refrain that sounds more than sixty times. Through vivid visions, dramatic sign-acts, allegories, and oracles, Ezekiel proclaims the holiness and sovereignty of God, the justice of His judgment on a rebellious people, and the certainty of His salvation.

The book falls into a clear before-and-after. Before Jerusalem’s fall, Ezekiel announces relentless judgment on Judah for its idolatry and covenant-breaking, and in a wrenching vision he sees the glory of God depart from the defiled temple. After the fall, his message turns to hope and restoration: God will gather His scattered flock and shepherd them through “my servant David,” give His people a new heart and a new spirit, breathe life into a valley of dry bones, and finally return His glory to dwell forever in a new temple, in a city named “The LORD Is There.” Ezekiel thus moves from glory departing to glory returning, holding together the severity and the astonishing grace of God.