Ezekiel – All the Equipment You’ll Need

Scripture: Chapters 1-3

Key Verse: “You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are
rebellious.” (2:7)

Overview: God assigned Ezekiel to take a message of judgment and restoration to people who did not
want to hear God’s Word. God prepared Ezekiel for this most difficult task in three steps:

1. He allowed the prophet to see God as He is

2. He imparted His word to him
3. He defined His expectations for Ezekiel

Outline:

1) The Wonder of God (1:1-28)

2) Ezekiel’s commission (2:1-3:3)
3) Ezekiel’s Instructions (3:4-27)

Detail:

1) The Wonder of God (1:1-28) (Ezekiel’s vision)

a) Other unusual visions of God as revealed in the Scriptures
i) Abraham:
(1) Genesis 12. His response: “So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him” (v 4)
(2) Genesis 15. His response: “horror and great darkness fell upon him” (v 12)
(3) Genesis 17. His response: “Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his
house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of
Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as
God had said to him” (v 23)
(4) Genesis 18, His response: He interceded on behalf of Sodom
(5) Genesis 22. His response: He obeyed
ii) Jacob:
(1) Ladder vision at Bethel (28:10-22). His response: “And he was afraid and said, “How
awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of
heaven!”” (v 17) (Jacob names location Bethel – “And he called the name of that
place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.”)
(2) Wrestles with God at Peniel (Genesis 32:22-31) (Jacob names location Peniel –
“So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my
life is preserved.””) Peniel means “Face of God”

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iii) Moses:
(1) Exodus 3 – the burning bush. His response: “And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look
upon God” (v 6)
(2) At Sinai (Exodus 19:16-end of chapter): “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning,
that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of
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the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses
brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the
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mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in
[a]
fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
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And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke,
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and God answered him by voice. Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of
the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
(3) Exodus 24:9-11: “Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders
10
of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work
11
of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the
children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.” … 15-18,
16
“Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. Now the glory of
the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He
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called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a
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consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. So Moses went
into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain
forty days and forty nights.”
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(4) Exodus 33:21-23, “And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover
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you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back;
but My face shall not be seen.””
(5) Exodus 34: 29-35, “Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two
tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that
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Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron
and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid
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to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation
32
returned to him; and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the children of Israel came near,
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and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
34
And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But whenever
Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out;
35
and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded.
And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone,
then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.”
iv) Elijah. I Kings 19:11,12, “Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the
LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the
mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the
wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and
after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small
voice.”

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v) Daniel:
(1) Vision of 4 beasts & the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9-14, “I watched till thrones were
put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And
the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a
burning fire; 10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand
thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The
court was seated, And the books were opened. 11 “I watched then because of the
sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was
slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the
beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season
and a time. 13 “ I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of
Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they
brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a
kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is
an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which
shall not be destroyed.”)
(2) 8:15-18, “Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the
meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16
And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel,
make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he
came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that
the vision refers to the time of the end.” 18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a
deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.”
(3) Vision of the glorious man: 10:4-11, “Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first
month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and
looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of
Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like
torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his
words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men
who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they
fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no
strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no
strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I
was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. 10 Suddenly, a hand
touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11
And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak
to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this
word to me, I stood trembling.

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vi) Isaiah (Isaiah 6 … eg 1,2, ‘In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a
throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood
seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his
feet, and with two he flew.”)
vii) Amos 7, (Fire (4, “Behold, the Lord GOD called for conflict by fire, and it consumed the
great deep and devoured the territory”) and plumb line (7, “Behold, the Lord stood on a
wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand.”))
viii) Jeremiah 1:4-10, v 9 “the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth”
ix) Transfiguration:
(1) Matthew 17:1,2, “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led
them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His
face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.”
(2) Also Mark 9
x) Paul: 2 Cor 12:1-4, “It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and
revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the
body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was
caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the
body I do not know, God knows— 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard
inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
xi) John. Revelation 1:12-19, “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having
turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like
the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a
golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a
flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the
sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a
sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And
when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do
not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I
am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
b) A whirlwind (1:4, “Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great
cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its
midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire”)
i) From the North. God’s wrath upon Judah issued from the North (Jeremiah 1:14, “Out
of the north calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land”)
ii) Wind, cloud and fire all all symbols of God’s glory (Psalm 18:8-13; Hab 3; Jeremiah
4:11-13)

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iii) NASB, “and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.”
(1) “electrum” in the Greek OT and Vulgate
(2) Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, with trace amounts of copper
and other metals
c) The Four living Creatures (Cherubim) (1:5-14)
i) Emphasis on “living” … they are not “beasts”
ii) Cf Ezekiel 10:15,20 = cherubim
iii) Cherubim relate to the Holiness of God
iv) 7: “Their legs were straight” … ready to move in any direction
v) 9: “Their wings touched one another” …. Perfect unity of action
vi) 12: “each one went straight forward” …. The principles of God’s sovereignty go on without
deviation!
d) The Four Wheels (1:15-21)
i) 16: “The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all
four had the same likeness”
ii) Connote a revolution of time? Feinberg, “nothing is stationary in God’s universe; all is in
motion and progressing”
iii) 18: Eyes on the rims, “and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them.”
(1) Speak of God’s omniscience!
e) The Expanse (1:22-25)
i) “The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of
an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads.”
f) The Throne (1:26-28)
i) 9 times in the text “likeness”. Ezekiel did not see God Himself but certain likenesses
and appearances conveyed the character and attributes of the majestic and
sovereign God!
ii) 26: the man on the throne: “on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the
appearance of a man high above it.”
(1) An OT hint of the incarnation
(2) If God is to be portrayed in concrete form, the highest symbol man can use is the
human form
(3) When God wanted to reveal Himself supremely, He did it in the incarnate Lord
and Savior
(4) Galatians 4:4,5, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,
born[a] of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption as sons”

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g) Importance of this visions seen in its threefold repetition:

i) Ezekiel 3:22-ff, “Then the hand of the LORD was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise,
go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.” 23 So I arose and went out into the
plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River
Chebar; and I fell on my face.”
ii) 8:4-ff, “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the
plain”
iii) 43:1-ff, “Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. 2 And
behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the
sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3 It was like the appearance of
the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The
visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.”
h) What does this mean to us?
i) Just as Ezekiel was a faithful messenger …. Warning of Judgment for the unbelieving
and the comfort of blessings for the believing
ii) So today we have the privilege to call men to the truth of the gospel
iii) Must have a sense of the glory, holiness, and majesty of God if we are to urgently
herald this message to the lost!
2) Ezekiel’s commission (2:1-3:3)
a) To an unfaithful people (2:1-4)
i) 3: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has
rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.”
ii) Not easy:
(1) “to a rebellious nation”
(2) “they are impudent and stubborn children”
(3) Comment: Personal evangelism is NOT EASY!
iii) Yet God promises: “they will know that a prophet has been among them”
b) With a faithful message (2:5-3:3)
i) Not to be afraid: “do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words,”
ii) His task difficult: “briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions;”
iii) To speak truth: “You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they
refuse”
iv) Regardless of response: “You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or
whether they refuse”
v) To be unlike them: “hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house”
vi) To “eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel”
(1) To receive the message by knowledge and personal conviction
(2) To internalize truth!

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3) Ezekiel’s Instructions (3:4-27)

a) Mission to the nation of Israel (3:4-11)
i) “go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a
people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, 6 not to many
people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand.
Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7 But the house of Israel will
not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent
and hard-hearted.”
ii) As they are rebellious, be stubborn like flint!
b) Ministry to the exiles in Babylon (3:12-15)
i) To the captives: “Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar;
and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days” (15)
ii) Ezekiel assumed God’s attitude towards these people: “So the Spirit lifted me up and
took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD
was strong upon me.”
(1) We are likewise to assume God’s attitude towards the lost!
(2) He is loving God
(3) He is a wrathful God
(4) He sent His Son
(5) He sends us with the gospel
c) Ministry as a watchman (3:16-21)
i) 17: “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My
mouth, and give them warning from Me”
ii) What does a watchman do? (Answer: warns and protects)
iii) Accountable to the Lord for this ministry: “Again, when a righteous man turns from his
righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die;
because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he
has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless
if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he
shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”
d) Ministry in his house (3:22-27)
i) Empowered and directed by the Lord: “Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my
feet” (24)
ii) Confined to his house
iii) Prohibited from speaking unless (until) God gave him a message: “But when I speak
with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them” (27)

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Outline - Handout

1) The Wonder of God (1:1-28)

a) Other unusual visions of God as revealed in the Scriptures

b) A whirlwind (1:4)

c) The Four living Creatures (Cherubim) (1:5-14)

d) The Four Wheels (1:15-21)

e) The Expanse (1:22-25)

f) The Throne (1:26-28)

2) Ezekiel’s commission (2:1-3:3)

a) To an unfaithful people (2:1-4)

b) With a faithful message (2:5-3:3)

3) Ezekiel’s Instructions (3:4-27)

a) Mission to the nation of Israel (3:4-11)

b) Ministry to the exiles in Babylon (3:12-15)

c) Ministry as a watchman (3:16-21)

d) Ministry in his house (3:22-27)

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