Search The Scriptures -- Ezekiel

Study 1 – Ezekiel 1

1.      A VISION OF FOUR LIVING CREATURES

They all had four wings
Their legs were straight and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot.
They all sparkled like burnished bronze.
Under their wings they had human hands.
Their wings touched one another

Their faces:
Human (Front Side)

Lion (Right Side)

Ox (Left Side)

Eagle (Back Side)

Their wings:

Two wings above them
Two wings touching the wings of the others

Two wings covering their bodies

When they stood still they let down their wings

Their movement: always forward and always led by the Spirit

They were as bright as fire and their movements were as random and back and forth as lightning.

There was a wheel beside each one of the creatures.
The wheel were full of eyes and were gleaming.
The wheels always followed the living creatures.
The wheels did not turn

There was a throne above them with one that had the likeness of a man seated upon it. Above his waist appeared to be gleaming metal and below his waist appeared like fire. There was brightness all around the one seated upon the throne.

2.      The glory of God moves according to the Spirit of God. He goes where He wills, when He wills. There is no planning out God’s next movements. They are as random and as powerful as lightning.

Study 2 – Ezekiel 2:1-3:21

1.      Ezekiel was sent to his own people. There was no need for language school! There was no need to be trained in cross-cultural communication! The theme of his message was to be one that called for repentance. He was to proclaim a message that people were not going to be overjoyed to hear.

2.      Ezekiel needed to be willing to take in the word of God. He was not to refuse to “eat his broccoli.” What God had for Ezekiel to proclaim was best for everyone involved. The word of God in the mouth of the prophet is always sweet.

3.      The blood of the lost and the salvation of the flock are directly tied to the men and women of God that are placed among them. The prophets of God bear a tremendous responsibility. The ministry is not a popularity contest. The man/woman of God must play to an “Audience of One!” Whether the prophet is proclaiming God’s Word to the unrighteous or the righteous makes no difference. The unrighteous may change their ways and come to Christ or they can continue down their path to destruction. The same is true for the righteous. The job of the prophet is to be faithful to the proclamation of the message. The outcome is not his/her responsibility.

Study 3 – Ezekiel 3:22 – 5:17

1.      In this passage Ezekiel:
Shut himself up inside of his house
Made a clay model that represented the siege of Jerusalem
Lay on his left side for 390 days and for 40 days on his right side
Shaved off all of his hair and weighed it on a scale to divide it up into thirds

Being tied up in his own home and the clay model represented the siege of Jerusalem.
Laying on his die and shaving off his hair represented the exile.

2.      Jerusalem was going to be under siege and its inhabitants carried away due to her idolatry. While God would use foreign armies to see this plan through He makes it very clear through Ezekiel that He is the force behind the destruction. The foreign armies are merely instruments in the hands of God to perform His perfect will.

God can no more tolerate the hypocritical ‘christian’ than He could the idolatry and hypocrisy of His ‘chosen people.’