At the crucial moment when victory appears near for the invaders, Yahweh will intervene and completely destroy all of their forces. The last eight chapters of Ezekiel contain a description of the restored state as envisioned by the prophet.
The Temple will be built outside the main part of Jerusalem, constructed in such a manner that will make it possible to keep out those persons and objects that might contaminate the holy place in which Yahweh will dwell. At this point in the text, Ezekiel introduces a distinction between priests and Levites in order that only qualified persons should enter the Temple, even for the purpose of keeping it clean.
The highest official no longer will be the king but rather the high priest, thus indicating that political affairs shall always be made subordinate to religious considerations.
Ezekiel has often been called the father of Judaism. His influence on the future development of Israel's religion was, at least for several centuries, greater than that of any of the other prophets.
His conception of holiness, which stands in sharp contrast to Isaiah's, became dominant in the period that followed his people's return from Babylonian exile. For Ezekiel, holiness was a quality present in both things and people. Holy objects would be profaned whenever anything common or unclean was brought into direct contact with them, a belief that led to a sharp distinction between the secular and the holy and gave new meanings to such items as the observance of dietary laws, payment of tithes, and observance of the Sabbath.
Violation of any of these rules would constitute a profanation of that which was holy or sacred. This interpretation of rules and regulations pertaining only to the Israelite religion served to strengthen the spirit of nationalism and thus to increase the antagonism that already existed between Jews and non-Jews. Ezekiel's conception of the final triumph of the Israelite people over all of their enemies and the complete destruction of foreign nations contributed much toward the development of the religious doctrines that played such prominent roles in the religion of post-exilic Judaism.
The idea that the whole human race is divided into two classes, known as the righteous and the wicked, and that the righteous can be identified as the ones who live in strict conformity with all of Yahweh's laws, while the wicked are those who do not obey these laws, is derived from Ezekiel's teachings. Although this position was not accepted by all of the post-exilic Jews some parts of the Old Testament were written for the specific purpose of refuting it , nevertheless this doctrine appealed to a large number of people and served to characterize in a general way the attitude of late Judaism.
Ezekiel's plans for rebuilding the Temple and reorganizing the state were carried out to a considerable extent when the exiles returned to their own land. The high priest, rather than a king, assumed the greatest responsibility in political and religious affairs.
The use of servants and foreign slaves to do menial tasks in the Temple was discontinued; only those people who belonged to the tribe of Levi were permitted to enter the Temple for this purpose. In earlier times, the entire tribe was regarded as having been set apart for the priesthood, but now only a select group within this tribe was allowed to officiate in the Temple's services.
The spirit of Ezekiel's work determined to a very great extent the character of the religious life of the people during the centuries that followed his teachings.
His influence is notable in the code of laws known as the Holiness Code, found in Leviticus, Chapters 17—26, and in the lengthy and detailed set of laws known as the Priests Code, now regarded as one of the four main narratives included in the Pentateuch — the first five books of the Old Testament.
Previous Jeremiah. Next Deutero-Isaiah. Removing book from your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title. Are you sure you want to remove bookConfirmation and any corresponding bookmarks? My Preferences My Reading List. Old Testament of the Bible. Summary and Analysis Ezekiel. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
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. Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For five years he languished in despair. Instead, He is a universal God who commands and controls persons and nations.
The book of Ezekiel takes its title from the priest of the same name, son to a man named Buzi. Like many priests of Israel, Ezekiel was married. Ezekiel lived among the Jewish exiles in Babylon at a settlement along the river Chebar called Tel-abib Ezekiel , less than one hundred miles south of Babylon.
The invading Babylonians brought about ten thousand Jews to the village in BC, including Ezekiel and the last king of Judah, Jehoiachin 2 Kings — However, like all the prophets, he also provided his people, now without a land of their own, some hope for the future — The book of Ezekiel pronounces judgment on both Israel and surrounding nations, but it also provides a vision of the future millennial kingdom that complements and adds to the vision of other Old and New Testament texts. They had lived for so long in sin and rebellion, confident in their own strength and that of the neighboring nations, that they needed God to remind them of His holy nature and their humble identity in a most dramatic way.
After centuries of warnings, prophetic messages, and invasions, God decided that more significant action was required—He had to remove the people from their promised land.
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