This lecture focuses on the promises of restoration - new king, new temple, new heart, new covenant, etc. - in the latter part of Ezekiel. This is the fifth of five lectures given on the Bible and Culture course at Schloss Mittersill, Austria (a course run jointly by Schloss Mittersill and IFES).
12. • ‘I will rescue my flock’ (10)
• ‘I myself will search for my sheep’ (11)
• ‘I will look after my sheep’ (11,12)
• ‘I will bring them . . . gather them’ (13)
10
14. ‘I will pasture them . . . tend them . . .
make them lie down’ (13–15)
11
15. ‘I will pasture them . . . tend them . . .
make them lie down’ (13–15)
‘I will search for the lost and bring back
the strays. I will bind up the injured and
strengthen the weak . . . ’ (16)
11
16. ‘I will pasture them . . . tend them . . .
make them lie down’ (13–15)
‘I will search for the lost and bring back
the strays. I will bind up the injured and
strengthen the weak . . . ’ (16)
I will be with them (30)
11
17. I will save my flock, and they will no
longer be plundered. I will judge between
one sheep and another. I will place over
them one shepherd, my servant David,
and he will tend them; he will tend them
and be their shepherd. I the LORD will
be their God, and my servant David will
be prince among them. I the LORD have
spoken.
Ezekiel 34:22–24
12
29. It is not for your sake . . . that I am going
to do these things, but for the sake of my
holy name, which you have profaned.
Ezekiel 36:22
18
30. I will show the holiness of my great
name . . . the name you have profaned
among the nations. Then all the nations
will know that I am the LORD, declares
the Sovereign LORD, when I am proved
holy through you before their eyes.
Ezekiel 36:23
19
32. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and
you will be clean; I will cleanse you form
all your impurities and from all your
idols. 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.
Ezekiel 36:25–26
21
33. I will put my Spirit in you and move you
to follow my decrees and be careful to
keep my laws.You will be my people, and
I will be your God.
Ezekiel 36:27–28
22
45. I will make a covenant of peace with
them; it will be an everlasting
covenant. . . . My dwelling place will be
with them; I will be their God, and they
will be my people. Then the nations will
know that I the LORD make Israel holy,
when my sanctuary is among them for
ever.
37:26–28
34
46. ‘The time is coming,’ declares the LORD,
‘when I will make a new covenant with
the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah. It will not be like the covenant I
made with their forefathers when I took
them by the hand to lead them out of
Egypt, because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,’
declares the LORD. . . .
35
47. . . . This is the covenant I will make with
the house of Israel after that time,’
declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in
their minds and write it on their hearts. I
will be their God, and they will be my
people.’
Jeremiah 31:31-33
36
59. Above all else, this complex divine
speech expresses Yahweh’s determination
once and for all to reveal to the nations
his holiness, and to his own people his
covenant loyalty.
Daniel Block
48
67. Dates in Ezekiel
1:2 31 July 593 30:20 March 587
8:1 17 September 592 31:1 May 587
20:1 14 August 591 32:1 February 585
24:1 15 January 588 32:17 March 585
26:1 587 33:21 8 January 585
29:1 December 588 40:1
573
29:17 571
56
68. Dates in Ezekiel
1:2 31 July 593 30:20 March 587
8:1 17 September 592 31:1 May 587
20:1 14 August 591 32:1 February 585
24:1 15 January 588 32:17 March 585
26:1 587 33:21 8 January 585
29:1 December 588 40:1
573
29:17 571
56
69. Ezekiel 40–48
40:1 – 42:20 Description of the temple
43:1–12 God’s glory returns
43:13 – 46:24 Restoration of religious life
47:1 – 48:35 A renewed land
57
71. This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Although I have scattered you in the
countries of the world, I will be a
sanctuary for you during your time in
exile.
Ezekiel 11:16
59
90. Preaching from the prophets can have a
great contemporary application if we
recognize repentance as the condition for
experiencing God’s favor.
Walt Kaiser
Toward an Exegetical Theology (Baker Books, 1981), p. 195
75
101. Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among
people. They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be their
God. He will wipe every tear from their
eyes. There will be no more death or
mourning or crying or pain, for the old
order of things has passed away. He was
seated on the throne said, ‘I am making
everything new!’
Revelation 21:3
82
Notas do Editor
What are the key themes?
Deuteronomy 4:25–31
Is Isaiah26:19 a ref to national or individual resurrection?
Deuteronomy 4:25–31
Is Isaiah26:19 a ref to national or individual resurrection?
Deuteronomy 4:25–31
Is Isaiah26:19 a ref to national or individual resurrection?
Why this first after turning point? Because the bad leadership of kings is what has led to this situation. Now God will take over.
Ezekiel 34
Shepherd imagery used of God: Genesis 48:15; 49:24; Psalm 23:1
Merging of God and David
John 10:11
Note: these are corporate, not individual
Life or death in promised land: Lev 26:1–39; Deut 4:15–40; 28 – 32 (note 30:11–20)
Note: these are corporate, not individual
Life or death in promised land: Lev 26:1–39; Deut 4:15–40; 28 – 32 (note 30:11–20)
Note: these are corporate, not individual
Life or death in promised land: Lev 26:1–39; Deut 4:15–40; 28 – 32 (note 30:11–20)
Note: these are corporate, not individual
Life or death in promised land: Lev 26:1–39; Deut 4:15–40; 28 – 32 (note 30:11–20)
Note: these are corporate, not individual
Life or death in promised land: Lev 26:1–39; Deut 4:15–40; 28 – 32 (note 30:11–20)
Note: these are corporate, not individual
Life or death in promised land: Lev 26:1–39; Deut 4:15–40; 28 – 32 (note 30:11–20)
Prophecy against Edom, descendants of Esau = typifies Israel’s enemies
Isaiah 34
covenant blessings
cf. Ezekiel 6
God’s motive for restoration is not to do with their virtue
Repentance is response (16:53ff; 20:43;36:31; 39:26 – all after God rescued/restored
Cf 20:44
Ezekiel doesn’t talk about God’s love for us (except ‘compassion’ in 39:25)
Ezekiel 36
Metaphor for forgiveness, and for transformation
Hearts have become like stone, unable to function properly: make right choices and respond to God (cf Jeremiah)
Water (v. 25) and Spirit (v. 27) - background to John 3
God plans to change human nature to re-establish ‘marriage’ – covenant of intimacy, exclusive and permanent commitment (‘everlasting covenant’ appears in 16:60 and 37:26)
allusions to earlier covenants
‘live in the land’ Ezekiel 36:28a; 37:25
Abraham never possessed the land - looked to heavenly one Hebrews 11:9–10
keep laws Ezekiel 36:27b; 37:24
law was limited because repeated sacrifices. Hebrews 10:11
David as king; one shepherd. Ezekiel 37:24–25
David rotted; Christ overcame death Psalm 16:10–11; Acts 2:24–33
Ezekiel 16:60; 37:26
Isaiah 65:17-25; Ezekiel 37
Question for exiles was not so much ‘Can these bones live again?’, but ‘does God want them to?’
Specific language used by Ezekiel suggests expectation of bodily resurrection too (Robertson)
Modern Israel not fulfilment of this prophecy because no resurrection and no affirmation of Jesus as consummation of covenant4
New creation!
Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 52:9-10; Isaiah 60:1-3; Ezekiel 37:26-28; Zechariah 8:20-23
Implication of other nations in Judah/Israel reunification because Israel became ‘Not my people’. Paul says this refers to Gentiles too. Romans 9:23–25
Restoration involves final victory over all opposing powers
2 major kinds of interpretation: secular nations threatening new Jewish state, or idealised enemy opposed to God throughout ages
Daniel appalled and exhausted Dan 8:27
Key to understanding symbol may be lost to us - must not be too dogmatic about what they eman
Symbolism is not rational argument, so logical analysis is not the way to unlock them.
We need to imagine the picture the prophet sees
Interpret scripture with scripture. How does the book shed light on the symbol? Does something else in Scripture clarify it? But symbols may not mean same thing in 2 contexts (cooking pot in Ezekiel). Historical context