1. Seeking Spiritual Renewal
Revelation: God is still on the Throne
(Ezekiel:1-3)

2. Road Map for Ezekiel Historical and autobiographical Theological
Set against the back drop of historical events following the deportation of King Jehoiachin in 597 BC.
Theological
Vision, call and commission of Ezekiel as a prophet (1:1-3:27).
Fall of Jerusalem linked to the past and present sins of God’s people (4:1-24:27).
Fall of Jerusalem prophesied and God’s sovereignty over the nations (25:1-32:32)
Israel’s restoration and promise of God’s glory returning (33:1- 48:35)

3. Ezekiel: The Man
Ezekiel was a priest called to be a prophet when he was 30 in July 593 BC.
Ezekiel is an exile by the Kebar River, south of Babylon.
Ezekiel saw ‘visions of God’ (Ezekiel 1:1).

4. Ezekiel – ‘God Strengthens’
Revelation – ‘I saw visions of God’ (1:1), ‘The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel’ (1:3)
Resourced - ‘The hand of the Lord was upon him’ (1:3)
Renewed - ‘As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me’ (2:1)

5. The Vision Principles of Interpretation
The indescribable God is pictured symbolically
Continuity with the past and the present
Familiar things relate spiritual truth
Major ideas not minutiae

6. The Throne of God Approaches (1:4-28)
Windstorm – Judgement of God
(1:4-5) Holiness of God (Light and Fire)
Cherubim - Four Living Creatures
(1:5-14) Four Faces:
Man – height of creation
Lion – greatest of untamed creatures
Ox - strongest of domestic creatures
Eagle – greatest of birds
Awesome – moved with the Spirit

7. The Throne of God Approaches (1:4-28)
Wheels – intersecting wheels – moved in all directions
(1:15-24) full of eyes – all seeing
Throne - Above the living creatures
(1:25-28) ‘On the throne was a figure like that of a man’ – Pre-existent Jesus.
Rainbow – In his wrath God remembers mercy.
Glory of God – Fall face down.

9. Reflections
God is still on the throne, even though the people are in exile.
God is sovereign over Jerusalem and Judah (4:1-24:27)
God is sovereign over the nations (25:1-32:32)
God is holy, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.
God’s glory will leave Jerusalem but will return (Ezekiel 10).

10. God Calls Ezekiel
To his people – rebellious, obstinate, stubborn, source of persecution (2:3-8).
To be bold - do not be afraid of the people (2:6)
To be faithful – do not rebel against God’s Word (2:7-8).
To receive God’s Word – immerse yourself in the word and speak it to people (3:1-4).

11. Ezekiel’s Responsibility
Speak even if the people do not listen (3:10).
Ezekiel mourned and wept for 7 days (3:15).
Role of Watchman (3:16-21)
Responsibility to warn people of coming danger.
Watchman unfaithful people perish
Watchman faithful people do not listen
Watchman faithful people listen and repent
To wait until God told him to speak (3:22-27)
God is the ‘Sovereign Lord’ (Jehovah Adonai) (3:27)

12. Reflections Renewal God answers prayer. God reveals his glory.
God calls and strengthens his people.
God commands his people to immerse themselves in Scripture, warn others, and, leave the response to them.
God wants bold but compassionate hearts.
God is looking for faithful proclamation today.