The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

with the dated utterances. 7KH \HDUV DUH GDWHG IURP NLQJ -HKRLDFKLQ·V FDSWLYL ty 8 , and the visions took place in eight different years. Repetitious phrases. Ezekiel repeats certain distinctive phrases through the book: such as, ´WKH ZRUG RI WKH /25' FDPH WR PH µ DQG ´ glory of the LORD. µ ´7KH VRQ RI PDQ , µ DGGUHVVHG to Ezekiel, appears ninety times. In the visionary sections the prophet is very cautious in describing the objects he sees, so he uses ´WKH OLNHQHVV RIµ DQG ´WKH DSSHDUDQFH RIµ frequently, apparently realizing that in the visionary realm things can take on imaginary shapes and sizes for better communication. ´7KH\ VKDOO NQRZ WKDW , DP *RGµ RFFXUV seventy times in the book. 9 When reading through the section that specifically speaks of judgment on seven surrounding nations (25-32), Ezekiel employs this phrase with monotonous regularity, at least once for each nation, but four times for Sidon and nine times for Egypt. +DOOH\·V %LEOH +DQGERRN comments about this: (]HNLHO·V PLVVLRQ VHHPV WR KDYH EHHQ WR H[SODLQ WKH DFWLRQ RI *RG LQ FDXVLQJ RU SHUPLWWLQJ ,VUDHO·V captivity. It was because of the unspeakable abominations of which they had been guilty; abominations for which other nations had been blotted out. But for Israel it was punitive. By their punishment they would come to KNOW THAT GOD IS GOD. They did. The Babylonian Captivity CURED the Jews of Idolatry. Up to that time they just would be Idolaters. From that day to this, whatever other sins the Jews have been guilty of, they have not been Idolaters. 10

(]HNLHO·V (QDFWHG 3URSKHFLHV Note: Ezekiel Was a Sign: 4:3; 12:11; 24:24, 27 (33:30)

# 1

Reference

The Action

Symbolism Confinement

3:24

Confined in house

3:26

Struck dumb

Cannot bring rebuke

2

4:1-3

Coming siege of Jerusalem

3

Sign of Siege: portrayed a miniature city Sign of Discomfort: lay in discomfort Sign of Defiled Bread: ate defiled food Sign of Razor and Hair: shaved and cut hair

4:4-8

Bear iniquity of Israel and Judah

4

4:9-17

Famine in Jerusalem; Israel among the nations Desolation and destruction of Jerusalem and people Witnesses of coming destruction

5

5:1-17

6

6:1-14

Prophesied to mountains of Israel: ³FODS«VWDPS«DQG VD\´ Sign of the Removed Baggage: portrayed an escaping exile Sign of the Anxious Eater: ate with trembling and anxiety Sign of the Groaning Prophet:

7

12:1-16

=HGHNLDK¶V DWWHPSWHG HVFDSH

8

123:17-20

Waste and devastation

9

21:6-7

Bad news coming

10

8 %D[WHU S ³«ZKHUHYHU (]HNLHO JLYHV WKH GDWH RI KLV YLVLRQV RU SURSKHFLHV ZKLFK KH GRHV WLPHV KH UHFNRQV IURP WKDW RXWVWDQGLQJ WUDJLF \HDU RI KLV OLIH ZKHQ KLV H[LOH VWDUWHG LQ %DE\ORQLD ´ 9 29 times (in connection with Jerusalem), 24 times (judgments on Gentile nations), 17 times (the coming restoration). 10 +DOOH\¶V %LEOH +DQGERRN p 324.

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