Objective

In this study, we will see how Ezekiel was an extraordinary prophet with a powerful message from God, delivering warnings of judgment while promising hope and restoration.

Key Verse

Ezekiel 3:17: Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

Introduction

Ezekiel lived during one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history. When Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, he carried away thousands of God’s people to Babylon, including this young priest named Ezekiel. This happened about six hundred years before the birth of Christ. Far from his homeland, living beside the Kebar River among fellow exiles, Ezekiel received an extraordinary calling from God.

God transformed this priest into a prophet, giving him visions that would both terrify and comfort His people. Ezekiel’s ministry was marked by unusual signs and dramatic prophecies. His wife died as a sign that Jerusalem would not be spared from God’s judgment—a heartbreaking sacrifice that demonstrated the seriousness of God’s message.

Ezekiel 24:16-18: Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners. So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.

Because Ezekiel had served as a priest, his prophecies often focused on themes close to his heart—the temple, the priesthood, sacrifices, and the glory of God. His book reveals a clear structure that takes us through both judgment and hope, showing us God’s justice and His mercy working together. Throughout this prophetic journey, we will discover how Ezekiel’s ministry points us toward our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In this study, we will explore four major themes that run through Ezekiel’s prophecy:

• The calling of Ezekiel as God’s watchman
• Prophecies of judgment against Judah
• Prophecies of judgment against the nations
• Prophecies of restoration and hope for Israel

The Calling of Ezekiel

Ezekiel began his prophetic ministry during Israel’s exile in Babylon. The people felt abandoned and hopeless, far from their promised land. They hung their harps on the willow trees and wept when they remembered Zion.

Ezekiel 1:1-3: 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. On the fifth of the month—it 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. There the hand of the Lord was on him.

Psalm 137:1-4: By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

Into this scene of despair, God broke through with a magnificent vision of His glory. What Ezekiel witnessed was so extraordinary that many of the same elements appear again in the book of Revelation. He saw four living creatures around God’s throne and a rainbow surrounding the divine presence.

Ezekiel 1:4-5: I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human.

Ezekiel 1:28: Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

God equipped Ezekiel with everything he needed for his challenging ministry. The Lord gave him a vision of divine glory to sustain him, the Holy Spirit to empower him, and God’s Word to guide him.

Ezekiel 2:1-2: He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

Ezekiel 3:1-3: And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

God appointed Ezekiel as a watchman—a sentinel whose job was to see danger coming and warn the people. This calling carried both great responsibility and great comfort. Ezekiel was responsible to deliver God’s message faithfully, but he was not responsible for how people responded to it.

Ezekiel 3:17-18: Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.

Ezekiel 2:7: You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.

This calling reminds us of how Christ calls us to share His message of salvation. Like Ezekiel, we are responsible to be faithful messengers, trusting that God’s Word will accomplish His purposes.

Isaiah 55:11: So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

(Notebook Moment: Imagine witnessing God’s glory like Ezekiel did—the brilliant light, the living creatures, the rainbow around the throne. How would such a vision change the way you approach each day? What message is God calling you to share faithfully as a watchman in your world?)

Prophecies of Judgment Against Judah

Ezekiel delivered God’s message of judgment against Israel through prophecies, dramatic signs, and powerful parables. These sobering messages fill chapters 4 through 24 of his book.

God renewed Ezekiel’s vision of His glory, creating a stark contrast between divine holiness and human sinfulness. The prophet was taken in vision to Jerusalem, where he witnessed the shocking idolatry taking place even within the temple itself.

Ezekiel 8:1-4: In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there. I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.

Ezekiel 8:11-12: In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.'”

Ezekiel delivered strong condemnations against the false prophets, corrupt elders, and unfaithful priests. These spiritual leaders had failed in their most basic responsibility—remaining faithful to God’s Word.

Ezekiel 13:1-5: The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.'”

The leaders were supposed to be shepherds caring for God’s flock, but instead they had become selfish and cruel.

Ezekiel 34:1-6: The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.'”

These judgments reveal God’s perfect holiness and His hatred of sin. Yet even in His anger, God was preparing the way for Christ, who would come as the perfect Shepherd and the true High Priest.

Prophecies of Judgment Against the Nations

Like Isaiah and Jeremiah before him, Ezekiel pronounced God’s judgment against the surrounding nations. In chapters 25 through 32, he speaks against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt.

The prophecy against Tyre in chapter 28 contains particularly important teaching about the fall of Lucifer, the angel who became Satan. While this passage begins by addressing the king of Tyre, it moves beyond any human ruler to describe the original rebellion in heaven.

Ezekiel 28:13-17: You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, 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. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.

Isaiah 14:12-15: How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

These prophecies remind us that God judges all nations for their pride and rebellion against Him. Yet through Christ, God has opened the door of salvation to people from every nation on earth.

(Notebook Moment: Consider the description of Lucifer’s fall—how pride in his beauty and wisdom led to his downfall. Where do you see pride creeping into your own life? What does this passage teach you about the importance of humility before God?)

Prophecies of Restoration and Hope

After declaring judgment, Ezekiel’s message turns to hope and restoration. God promises to give His people new hearts and to restore them to their land. These prophecies find their ultimate fulfillment in the work of Christ.

Ezekiel 36:26-28: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

God promises to do this work not because Israel deserves it, but for the sake of His holy name.

Ezekiel 36:22-23: Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.’

God gave Ezekiel a remarkable vision of a valley filled with dry bones. This vision speaks of how God would restore Israel as a nation, but it also points to the spiritual resurrection that comes through faith in Christ.

Ezekiel 37:1-6: The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'”

Ezekiel 37:9-10: Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Ezekiel also prophesies about future battles when nations from the north will attack Israel. Many Bible students believe these prophecies describe the final conflicts mentioned in the book of Revelation.

The concluding chapters of Ezekiel describe God’s ultimate restoration of His people—a new temple, new worship, and a renewed land. These promises find their greatest fulfillment in Christ, who builds a spiritual temple in the hearts of believers and brings eternal restoration.

(Notebook Moment: Picture that valley of dry bones slowly coming to life—first the rattling as bones come together, then flesh appearing, finally breath entering to create a vast army. How does this vision give you hope for areas in your life that feel spiritually dead? What kind of new heart is God offering you through Christ?)

What Ezekiel Teaches About Christ

Throughout his prophecy, Ezekiel points us toward Jesus Christ in remarkable ways. Most notably, Ezekiel uses the phrase “son of man” about ninety times to describe himself. This is the same title that Jesus chose for Himself during His earthly ministry, making Ezekiel a clear picture of our Savior.

We see other connections between Ezekiel and Christ. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Ezekiel to empower his ministry, just as the Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism.

Ezekiel 11:5: Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.”

Luke 4:18-19: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

God presents Himself through Ezekiel as a Shepherd who searches for His scattered flock. This beautiful image finds its perfect fulfillment in Christ, the Good Shepherd.

Ezekiel 34:11-16: For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

John 10:11-16: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Conclusion

Ezekiel stands as one of the most remarkable prophets God ever sent to His people. Called to perform dramatic signs and deliver difficult messages, he remained faithful to his calling as God’s watchman. Through visions of divine glory, warnings of judgment, and promises of restoration, Ezekiel demonstrated both the severity and the kindness of God.

His ministry shows us that God equips those He calls. Even in exile, far from the temple and the familiar rhythms of worship, God was present with His servant. The same Spirit who empowered Ezekiel’s ministry empowers us today to be faithful witnesses in our own generation.

As we study Ezekiel’s prophecy, we see God’s heart for both holiness and mercy. Judgment comes because God is perfectly holy and cannot ignore sin. But restoration follows for those who turn to Him in repentance. All of these themes—the glory of God, the calling to be watchmen, the promise of new hearts, and the vision of a Good Shepherd—find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Let Ezekiel’s message challenge and encourage you today. God calls you to be a faithful watchman in your world, sharing His truth with those around you. Trust in Christ’s work to replace your heart of stone with a heart of flesh, filled with His Spirit. The same God who restored scattered Israel invites you to experience His glory and live for the honor of His name. In Christ, every promise of restoration becomes yours.

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