The Prophet
Ezekiel
The Call
 Ezekiel was called to prophecy by an image of four
angels in a large cloud surrounded by flames and flashes
of lightening. The Lord then called out to Ezekiel and said,
“Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a
rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and
their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very
day” (Ezekiel 2:3).
 Ezekiel was overwhelmed by this encounter and sat
stunned for seven days (Harper Collins Bible Dictionary).
 After seven days, the Lord spoke to Ezekiel and named
him to be a “watchman in the service of God”(Harper
Collins Bible Dictionary).
 God wanted to ensure that Ezekiel would deliver the
message to the Israelites of the impending doom that
threatened the city of Jerusalem (Biblecentre.org).
Mission
 Ezekiel was determined to challenge the words and
prophecies of other prophets of his time and speak
out against the false hopes of the people
(Biblecentre.org).
 Ezekiel had ministered to the sinful and the hopeless
and wanted to bring people to repentance for their
sins (Gotquestions.org).
 He stressed the importance of individual
responsibility and wanted to inform the Israelites of
the actions they can do to seek repentance, such
as keeping the Sabbath Holy (Britannica Online
Encyclopedia).
 His main task was “to warn his people to act in
accordance to the Word of God” (Harper Collins
Bible Dictionary).
Message
 Ezekiel’s message mainly focused on the
approaching destruction of the Israelite’s city
(Bible.org).
 By the use of “divinely commanded actions”
and grim words, Ezekiel delivered the message
that ultimately, there was no hope for Jerusalem
(Biblecentre.org).
 Ezekiel had originally received prophetic
messages concerning the destruction of
Jerusalem, however after the devastation hit, his
ministry changed and he began to speak words
of hope and restoration (Biblecentre.org).
Message cont’d
“After the fall of Jerusalem and his period of silence,
Ezekiel now addressed himself more pointedly to the
Exiles and sought to direct their hopes for the
restoration of their nation. His theme changed from
the harsh judgment of God to the promise of the
future” (Britannica Online Encyclopedia).
 Overall, it is clear that Ezekiel truly cared for the well-
being of his people. He was very adamant about
making sure they were never lied to and received
the knowledge of the truth. When they were
suffering, Ezekiel lent a shoulder and spoke of a
bright future, and it was because of Ezekiel’s
messages and prophecies that the Israelites were
able to survive the Babylonian Exile
(Biblecentre.org).
Biography and Historical Context
Ezekiel was raised in Jerusalem by his father Buzi,
who was a Zadokite priest. 2 At age 30 , Ezekiel
was called to become a priest, 7 He is now
classified as being the only prophet who also
served as a priest. 6 This could’ve been because he
came from a religious family and followed after his
father’s duty.3 During Ezekiel’s call, his wife died
but could not mourn.3 This is based on the
tradition at the time under Babylonian Rule. 3
Fun Fact
Ezekiel’s name is translated as
“Strong is God” or “Whom God
makes strong” 12
Biography and Historical Context
About Ezekiel
At age 25, in July 592 B.C., Ezekiel felt he was
destined to leave his home and begin to portray his
mission11 after he received a scroll showing the word of
God in which he was to teach the people. 11 The words
written on the scroll read, “Lamentation and Wailing
Woe!” 7He believed in a society that was just and
sinless.2 This said, it was his goal to change Jerusalem to
become a, once again, region ran by God. 3 On his
journey, he became one of the exiles and was sent to TelAbib. 3 Once arrived, he began to preach to the Jews
warning them of upcoming destruction of Jerusalem. 4
The Valley of Dry Bones
• In Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel has a vision of a valley of
bones.
• Before his very eyes, the bones are drawn
together, filled out with flesh and skin and
restored to life.
• Message: Restoration of Israel is possible,
even after Jerusalem has been destroyed.