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.