Ezekiel

The Book of Ezekiel: The Glory of the Lord

In Ezekiel, the setting shifts to Babylon. While Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem, Ezekiel was among the first wave of exiles. His book is famous for its “street theater” (symbolic acts) and strange, spectacular visions that demonstrate God’s presence can be found even in a foreign land.

Ezekiel: Book Overview

Total Chapters: 48
Total Verses: 1,273
Author: The Prophet Ezekiel (a priest)
Date Written: Approximately 593–571 BC

NIV Chapter Pericopes (Sections)

The Prophet’s Call and Warnings to Jerusalem (Chapters 1–24)

Chapter 1: Ezekiel’s Vision of God’s Glory (The Wheels and Creatures)
Chapter 2: Ezekiel’s Call to Prophesy
Chapter 3: Ezekiel’s Commission; The Watchman for Israel
Chapter 4: Symbolic Acts: The Siege of Jerusalem Dramatized
Chapter 5: Symbolic Acts: Ezekiel’s Hair
Chapter 6: A Prophecy Against the Mountains of Israel
Chapter 7: The End Has Come
Chapter 8: Idolatry in the Temple
Chapter 9: Judgment on the Idolaters
Chapter 10: God’s Glory Departs From the Temple
Chapter 11: Judgment on Evil Leaders; Promise of Restoration
Chapter 12: The Exile Symbolized
Chapter 13: False Prophets Condemned
Chapter 14: Idolaters Condemned
Chapter 15: Jerusalem as a Useless Vine
Chapter 16: An Allegory of Unfaithful Jerusalem
Chapter 17: Two Eagles and a Vine
Chapter 18: The One Who Sins Is the One Who Will Die
Chapter 19: A Lament for Israel’s Princes
Chapter 20: Rebellious Israel; Judgment and Restoration
Chapter 21: The Sword of the Lord
Chapter 22: The Sins of Jerusalem
Chapter 23: Two Adulterous Sisters
Chapter 24: The Cooking Pot; The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife

Prophecies Against Foreign Nations (Chapters 25–32)

Chapter 25: Prophecy Against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia
Chapter 26: A Prophecy Against Tyre
Chapter 27: A Lament for Tyre
Chapter 28: A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre; A Prophecy Against Sidon
Chapter 29: A Prophecy Against Egypt
Chapter 30: A Lament for Egypt
Chapter 31: A Cedar in Lebanon
Chapter 32: A Lament for Pharaoh

The Future Restoration of Israel (Chapters 33–48)

Chapter 33: Ezekiel a Watchman; Jerusalem’s Fall Explained
Chapter 34: The Shepherd of Israel
Chapter 35: A Prophecy Against Edom
Chapter 36: Hope for the Mountains of Israel; A New Heart and Spirit
Chapter 37: The Valley of Dry Bones; One Nation With One King
Chapter 38: A Prophecy Against Gog
Chapter 39: The Defeat of Gog
Chapter 40: The New Temple Area; The East Gate to the Outer Court
Chapter 41: The Temple Sanctuary
Chapter 42: Rooms for the Priests
Chapter 43: The Glory Returns to the Temple
Chapter 44: The Prince, the Levites, the Priests
Chapter 45: Division of the Land; Offerings and Holy Days
Chapter 46: Manner of Worship
Chapter 47: The River From the Temple; The Boundaries of the Land
Chapter 48: The Division of the Land (The Twelve Tribes)

While Isaiah spoke of a future King and Jeremiah spoke of a New Covenant, Ezekiel was the prophet of the Presence of God. A priest exiled to Babylon, his ministry is a wild, psychedelic journey filled with strange visions, symbolic street theater, and the promise that God’s Spirit can breathe life into even the driest bones.

Ezekiel’s message was for the exiles living by the Chebar Canal in Babylon. They felt that because the Temple in Jerusalem was far away (and eventually destroyed), God had abandoned them. Ezekiel’s task was to show them that God’s glory isn’t tied to a building—it follows His people wherever they go.

The book is famously structured around three major visions of God’s “Glory”:

The Commission: God on the move (Chapters 1–3).
The Departure: The Glory leaves the Temple (Chapters 8–11).
The Restoration: The Glory returns to a new Temple (Chapters 40–48).

I. Wheels Within Wheels (Chapters 1–3)

Ezekiel’s call begins with a terrifying vision of a “storm cloud” from the north.

The Divine Chariot: He sees four living creatures and massive, sparkling wheels covered in eyes. Above them is a throne of sapphire with a figure that looks like a man, glowing like burning metal.
God is Mobile: This vision taught the exiles a vital lesson: God is not “stuck” in Jerusalem. He has a “throne-chariot” and can be with His people in the heart of Babylon.
The Watchman: God appoints Ezekiel as a “watchman,” responsible for warning the people. If he doesn’t speak, their blood is on his hands; if he does, he is innocent regardless of their response (Ezek. 3).

II. Sign Acts and the Departure (Chapters 4–24)

Ezekiel didn’t just preach; he performed “performance art” to get the people’s attention.

The Brick and the Hair: He laid on his side for over a year to represent the siege of Jerusalem and shaved his head to represent the fate of its citizens (Ezek. 4–5).
The Temple Horrors: In a vision, Ezekiel is transported to Jerusalem and sees elders worshipping idols inside the Temple.
The Glory Departs: Because of this corruption, Ezekiel watches as the “Glory of the Lord” lifts up from the Temple, moves to the city gate, and finally leaves the city entirely (Ezek. 10–11).

III. The Valley of Dry Bones (Chapters 25–39)

After the news reaches Babylon that Jerusalem has finally fallen, Ezekiel’s message shifts from judgment to hope.

A Heart of Flesh: God promises to gather His people and give them a “new heart” and a “new spirit,” replacing their “heart of stone” (Ezek. 36).
Dry Bones: In his most famous vision, Ezekiel is set down in a valley full of skeletons. As he prophesies, the bones come together, flesh grows, and God’s “Breath” (Ruach) enters them, turning a graveyard into a living army (Ezek. 37).
Gog and Magog: A symbolic battle showing that even the ultimate forces of evil cannot defeat the people whom God has restored (Ezek. 38–39).

IV. The New Temple and the River of Life (Chapters 40–48)

The book ends with a massive, detailed blueprint for a new Temple.

The Return of the Glory: Ezekiel sees the same throne-chariot from Chapter 1 returning to the new Temple. God has come back to dwell with His people.
The Healing River: A small trickle of water flows from the Temple threshold. As it flows, it becomes a deep river that makes the Dead Sea fresh and brings life to everything it touches (Ezek. 47).
The City’s New Name: The book ends with the name of the city: “The Lord is There” (Yahweh Shammah).