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Bible #26
ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal: Ezekiel
ESV Illuminated Scripture Journals pair the entirety of individual books of the Bible with a lightly dotted blank page opposite each page of Bible text, providing space to creatively engage with and reflect on the Word of God. Hand-lettered, gold-ink illustrations by renowned artist Dana Tanamachi are interspersed throughout the blank pages, inviting readers to add their own artwork or reflections to each page. These thin, portable notebooks have unique covers stamped with gold-foil and are great for art journaling, personal Bible reading and prayer, small-group Bible study, or taking notes through a sermon series.
Single-column format Thick, opaque, cream-colored paper Lightly dotted grid on blank pages opposite each page of Bible text Gold-ink illustrations by artist Dana Tanamachi Wide margins Lay-flat binding Unique covers stamped with gold-foil Packaging: Backer O-wrap
Single-column format Thick, opaque, cream-colored paper Lightly dotted grid on blank pages opposite each page of Bible text Gold-ink illustrations by artist Dana Tanamachi Wide margins Lay-flat binding Unique covers stamped with gold-foil Packaging: Backer O-wrap
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 572
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436 people want to read
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
July 10, 2025
Every year [since 1974] I read through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. I have favorites and I have least favorites [even though I know ALL OF IT is God's Word]. Before someone goes ballistic on me tell me you'd rather read a genealogy from Deuteronomy than John 3. I love both but I have a favorite twixt those two.
Anyway- Ezekiel just seemed extra good this year [thank you Lord] and I'm glad I read the whole Word and not just my favorites.
Anyway- Ezekiel just seemed extra good this year [thank you Lord] and I'm glad I read the whole Word and not just my favorites.
October 13, 2025
Ezekiel. What a man. What a ministry.
I’ve often felt like Ezekiel suffered way more than most of the other prophets for his ministry. And there’s no doubt he lived in a hard time among a hard people.
And yet to have been picked as a prophet, he must have been one of the few people who continued to seek God and serve Him even before he was a prophet.
Sometimes his book is a little depressive, but this time around I saw a good deal of beauty in it… a good deal of reminders that God WILL make justice and He IS coming and He DOES see and care… <3
And the main reminder: “They shall know that I am The Lord.”
I’ve often felt like Ezekiel suffered way more than most of the other prophets for his ministry. And there’s no doubt he lived in a hard time among a hard people.
And yet to have been picked as a prophet, he must have been one of the few people who continued to seek God and serve Him even before he was a prophet.
Sometimes his book is a little depressive, but this time around I saw a good deal of beauty in it… a good deal of reminders that God WILL make justice and He IS coming and He DOES see and care… <3
And the main reminder: “They shall know that I am The Lord.”
November 25, 2024
What a long book!
Like all of the books in the Bible, there's plenty of great messages here. However, some may be bothered by a couple of chapters that describe Israel's unfaithfulness in luridly sexual detail, and the measurements listed of the temple towards the end of the book may be a challenge to get through. If you've never read a book of the Bible in its entirety before, you probably don't want to start with this one.
Like all of the books in the Bible, there's plenty of great messages here. However, some may be bothered by a couple of chapters that describe Israel's unfaithfulness in luridly sexual detail, and the measurements listed of the temple towards the end of the book may be a challenge to get through. If you've never read a book of the Bible in its entirety before, you probably don't want to start with this one.
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October 20, 2018While there is a good variety of topics and themes here, what really sets apart the book is the manner of expressing those ideas. Ezekiel is definitely the prophet of imagery, of the surreal and the dreamlike, of allegory and metaphors. He was one of the first exiles to Babylon and the scope of the book ranges from right before the destruction of Jerusalem all the way to the restoration, at least in prophecy.
It starts out with an elaborate and powerful vision of God's glory: God and the cherubim along with a mysterious, glistening wheel. Ezekiel was a prophet that would express himself through pageantry not only in prose but also in action. He makes a model of Jerusalem and then lies on his side for a very long period of time, but its meant to represent the long period of sins that led up to the siege of the city.
As characteristic of prophetic literature there is a condemnation of the evil conduct and nations that Ezekiel sees around him, but it's marked by specific motifs. Ezekiel is repeatedly referred to as "son of man" and in response to the fulfillment of the prophecies one is repeatedly reminded that "you shall know that I am the Lord", but this is not only after the prophecies of condemnation but also after the promise of Israel's restoration.
God is a god of justice, but also of mercy and the former after all is simply giving people their due, not carrying out gratuitous punishments. "your countrymen say 'The way of the Lord is not fair”, but it is their way that is not fair. When a virtuous man turns away from what is right and does wrong, he shall die for it, but when a wicked man turns away from wickedness and does what is right and just...he shall live."
Most characteristic of Ezekiel of course is the imagery. The faithless Jews are a vine whether being resettled by the eagle of Babylon or being thrown into the fire after not serving any more purpose. Israel is a faithless spouse or with Samaria a pair of sister harlots, and the sexual imagery brings home the point that the Jewish people in their apostasies had been prostituting themselves.
Egypt is a crocodile arrogantly ruling over the Nile even saying "the Niles are mine; it is I who made them" but Egypt will still be subject to the punishment of God.
I found particularly notable the prophecy against Tyre. It is a symbolized as a ship made up of materials from all over the world as Tyre was the crossroads of international trade. It was a nation that was incredibly wealthy decked with fitting splendor "Son of man utter a lament over the king of Tyre, saying to him...you were stamped with the seal of perfection of complete wisdom and perfect beauty". Of course the city in spite of or rather because of all its worldly success became arrogant and corrupt. "Because you have thought yourself to have the mind of a god. Therefore I will bring against you foreigners, the most barbarous of nations. They shall draw their swords against your beauteous wisdom, they shall run them through your splendid apparel". And in the end "you have become a horror, and you shall be no more". It's a story I find that will be repeated in the ancient world. I believe Tyre actually had cultural and ancestral ties to Carthage, another economic powerhouse that sent explorers and traders to the furthest edges of the known world. However it was also known for its decadence most notably for the practice of child sacrifice. It's capital was one of the most impressive cities in the world, until it was razed to the ground by the Romans.
The most mysterious of the prophecies is preached against the kingdom of Magog, an international threat that will invade Israel before being vanquished by God. For all the speculation on the identity of what nation that's meant to be, I think the point is that regardless of the gravity of the threat faced by God's faithful on Earth, they shall be preserved and saved by God in the end.
The book ends with a vision of a new temple and a new Israel and it was surprisingly meticulous. I suddenly found myself back in Exodus or Leviticus. I particularly liked the imagery of the little stream flowing out from beneath the temple before becoming a river providing life to a forest, fish, and "every sort of living creature". God's grace works wonders if we're patient enough to make it to the river.
The imagery in the book could be sublime, surreal, mysterious, or just strange, but it does testify to the human need for symbolism and ritual, for the force that such devices can sometimes give to ideas and truths.
It starts out with an elaborate and powerful vision of God's glory: God and the cherubim along with a mysterious, glistening wheel. Ezekiel was a prophet that would express himself through pageantry not only in prose but also in action. He makes a model of Jerusalem and then lies on his side for a very long period of time, but its meant to represent the long period of sins that led up to the siege of the city.
As characteristic of prophetic literature there is a condemnation of the evil conduct and nations that Ezekiel sees around him, but it's marked by specific motifs. Ezekiel is repeatedly referred to as "son of man" and in response to the fulfillment of the prophecies one is repeatedly reminded that "you shall know that I am the Lord", but this is not only after the prophecies of condemnation but also after the promise of Israel's restoration.
God is a god of justice, but also of mercy and the former after all is simply giving people their due, not carrying out gratuitous punishments. "your countrymen say 'The way of the Lord is not fair”, but it is their way that is not fair. When a virtuous man turns away from what is right and does wrong, he shall die for it, but when a wicked man turns away from wickedness and does what is right and just...he shall live."
Most characteristic of Ezekiel of course is the imagery. The faithless Jews are a vine whether being resettled by the eagle of Babylon or being thrown into the fire after not serving any more purpose. Israel is a faithless spouse or with Samaria a pair of sister harlots, and the sexual imagery brings home the point that the Jewish people in their apostasies had been prostituting themselves.
Egypt is a crocodile arrogantly ruling over the Nile even saying "the Niles are mine; it is I who made them" but Egypt will still be subject to the punishment of God.
I found particularly notable the prophecy against Tyre. It is a symbolized as a ship made up of materials from all over the world as Tyre was the crossroads of international trade. It was a nation that was incredibly wealthy decked with fitting splendor "Son of man utter a lament over the king of Tyre, saying to him...you were stamped with the seal of perfection of complete wisdom and perfect beauty". Of course the city in spite of or rather because of all its worldly success became arrogant and corrupt. "Because you have thought yourself to have the mind of a god. Therefore I will bring against you foreigners, the most barbarous of nations. They shall draw their swords against your beauteous wisdom, they shall run them through your splendid apparel". And in the end "you have become a horror, and you shall be no more". It's a story I find that will be repeated in the ancient world. I believe Tyre actually had cultural and ancestral ties to Carthage, another economic powerhouse that sent explorers and traders to the furthest edges of the known world. However it was also known for its decadence most notably for the practice of child sacrifice. It's capital was one of the most impressive cities in the world, until it was razed to the ground by the Romans.
The most mysterious of the prophecies is preached against the kingdom of Magog, an international threat that will invade Israel before being vanquished by God. For all the speculation on the identity of what nation that's meant to be, I think the point is that regardless of the gravity of the threat faced by God's faithful on Earth, they shall be preserved and saved by God in the end.
The book ends with a vision of a new temple and a new Israel and it was surprisingly meticulous. I suddenly found myself back in Exodus or Leviticus. I particularly liked the imagery of the little stream flowing out from beneath the temple before becoming a river providing life to a forest, fish, and "every sort of living creature". God's grace works wonders if we're patient enough to make it to the river.
The imagery in the book could be sublime, surreal, mysterious, or just strange, but it does testify to the human need for symbolism and ritual, for the force that such devices can sometimes give to ideas and truths.
July 21, 2025
The prophecy of Ezekiel was written after his captivity to Babylon at around 598 BC. Ezekiel would have become a priest on his 30th birthday, but God had different plans for him.
On his 30th birthday, God appeared to him in a vision. God was on His portable throne, carried by four cherubim (angels). Fun fact: two of these cherubim were used by God to guard the garden of Eden and the tree of life in Genesis 3.
God gave Ezekiel a series of visions of the fall of Jerusalem and also several parables portraying Israel and Judah as two sisters being whores together. Later, he compares Israel to Sodom and Gomorrah very unfavorably.
To balance all the negative visions of the fall of Jerusalem and Judah, God also gives wonderful visions of the resurrection of all dead Israelites from a valley of dry bones. He also prophecies the return of the ten lost tribes and Judah to Israel. He follows that up with a prophecy of a dramatic victory over an invasion of Gog and Magog and a coalition of nations.
God finishes the book with a fantastic prophecy of a new temple and Israel and Judah restored to the promised land.
I encourage Bible students to study this book using Kay Arthur's inductive study. Everyone else, just read the book or have it read out loud to you.
On his 30th birthday, God appeared to him in a vision. God was on His portable throne, carried by four cherubim (angels). Fun fact: two of these cherubim were used by God to guard the garden of Eden and the tree of life in Genesis 3.
God gave Ezekiel a series of visions of the fall of Jerusalem and also several parables portraying Israel and Judah as two sisters being whores together. Later, he compares Israel to Sodom and Gomorrah very unfavorably.
To balance all the negative visions of the fall of Jerusalem and Judah, God also gives wonderful visions of the resurrection of all dead Israelites from a valley of dry bones. He also prophecies the return of the ten lost tribes and Judah to Israel. He follows that up with a prophecy of a dramatic victory over an invasion of Gog and Magog and a coalition of nations.
God finishes the book with a fantastic prophecy of a new temple and Israel and Judah restored to the promised land.
I encourage Bible students to study this book using Kay Arthur's inductive study. Everyone else, just read the book or have it read out loud to you.
September 16, 2019
The Sovereign Lord has spoken!
July 12, 2021
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you...
...and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God." ~Ezekiel 36:26,28
...and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God." ~Ezekiel 36:26,28
September 6, 2025
I recently decided that it was time for me to finally read the entire Old Testament. I’ve been a Christian for 30+ years and have read all of the New Testament but have only read parts of the OT. I have tried many times in the past. So many times. I always get stuck once it gets into the laws.
A couple of years ago I decided to give it another try and I paired it together with BibleProject devotional in the Bible app. If you have never heard of BibleProject, check them out on YouTube. They are PHENOMENAL. https://youtube.com/@bibleproject?si=...
Being completely honest here - Ezekiel was rough to push through. It’s not a fuzzy feel-good book. There’s a lot of judgement against God’s people, against their enemies and then once you get past the judgement, there’s a bunch of specific measurements for building God’s temple.
It’s not all doom and gloom though and one of my favorite stories is in there (Ez 47 where he has a vision of a man going deeper & deeper in the water). I host a Bible Study based on this chapter called Submerge, where we strive to get past the surface of knowing ABOUT God but dive in and know him in a deeper way.
Above all my absolute favorite thing about the book of Ezekiel was the many times the Lord would say “You will be My people and I will be your God.” 🩷 Those verses were like a balm to me in between the chastisement. (Ez 36:28 / Ez 34:31/ Ez 37:27) These are a reminder to me that all He wants is a relationship with us and even though he gave Israel “rules” to help guide them, he truly wants their hearts above all. (Ez 20:25 NLT “I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.”)
A couple of years ago I decided to give it another try and I paired it together with BibleProject devotional in the Bible app. If you have never heard of BibleProject, check them out on YouTube. They are PHENOMENAL. https://youtube.com/@bibleproject?si=...
Being completely honest here - Ezekiel was rough to push through. It’s not a fuzzy feel-good book. There’s a lot of judgement against God’s people, against their enemies and then once you get past the judgement, there’s a bunch of specific measurements for building God’s temple.
It’s not all doom and gloom though and one of my favorite stories is in there (Ez 47 where he has a vision of a man going deeper & deeper in the water). I host a Bible Study based on this chapter called Submerge, where we strive to get past the surface of knowing ABOUT God but dive in and know him in a deeper way.
Above all my absolute favorite thing about the book of Ezekiel was the many times the Lord would say “You will be My people and I will be your God.” 🩷 Those verses were like a balm to me in between the chastisement. (Ez 36:28 / Ez 34:31/ Ez 37:27) These are a reminder to me that all He wants is a relationship with us and even though he gave Israel “rules” to help guide them, he truly wants their hearts above all. (Ez 20:25 NLT “I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.”)
October 9, 2017
In January 2015 I set myself the challenge to read the complete Bible within a year. I discovered that was an unrealistic challenge, and decided to pick up my Bible as and when I felt ready to read more of it. Yesterday, I picked it up for the first time in almost 6 months, but I spent a couple of hours reading it, so I'm getting there.
Ezekiel was quite a heavy and at times confusing read to work through, but I made it to the end.
Ezekiel was quite a heavy and at times confusing read to work through, but I made it to the end.
September 20, 2025
8/27/2024 - 9/10/2024 with The Bible Recap
8/27/2025 - 9/11/2025 with The Bible Recap
8/27/2025 - 9/11/2025 with The Bible Recap
October 30, 2018
This is quite a difficult book to read. My favourite chapter remains chapter 37 - the valley of the dead bones.
July 2, 2019
You are responsible for everything you do. You can't blame others for your sinful inclinations. You will be judged according to your own actions not anyone else's. This is a very simple concept yet a very difficult one to live by.
December 3, 2023
I won’t lie - Ezekiel may not be my favorite book of the Bible, but it is a great reminder that God is just and He always keeps His Word. He always does what He says He will do.💚
March 7, 2025
4 ⭐
It's quite difficult for me to rate this, since I've been reading the book of Ezekiel off and on since October, but I think it's a really interesting and compelling work. Especially the visions are thought-provoking, as well as the judgements of the different peoples.
It's quite difficult for me to rate this, since I've been reading the book of Ezekiel off and on since October, but I think it's a really interesting and compelling work. Especially the visions are thought-provoking, as well as the judgements of the different peoples.
June 23, 2024
I read the book of Ezekiel all the way through for the first time ever. It was very interesting and I felt like I learned a lot, plus God used several passages to speak to my present circumstances. The coolest parts of the book were the prophetic images and the promised city at the end.
September 17, 2020
Sidenote: The reason for such vague and short and "eh" words on each of these books, is because I wasn't challenging the study of the Bible when I read these. I was challenging myself to read the whole Bible in a year because I knew it would be discipline to keep at it daily. I do, however, plan to pick up a book and study what it is saying. Those will be longer reads and more notes.
So here is my review from my "Read the Bible in a Year" challenge. Usually just snippets of thoughts and random things I liked about the book itself. Nothing in-depth.
So here is my review of Ezekiel.
This was a wonderful edition. Talked about how all things (dry bones) are capable through Christ and how generational curses are not a thing because we all die by our own sins, not the sins of those before us. A lot of prophecies-like things in this book.
So here is my review from my "Read the Bible in a Year" challenge. Usually just snippets of thoughts and random things I liked about the book itself. Nothing in-depth.
So here is my review of Ezekiel.
This was a wonderful edition. Talked about how all things (dry bones) are capable through Christ and how generational curses are not a thing because we all die by our own sins, not the sins of those before us. A lot of prophecies-like things in this book.
November 30, 2019
The book of Ezekiel reminds us to seek out the Lord in those dark times when we feel lost, to examine our own lives, and to align ourselves with the one true God.
Ezekiel’s entire prophetic ministry centered around a people uprooted from their homes and livelihoods living out their days in a foreign land. Even though many of the exiles were directly engaged in the sinful behavior that led to God’s judgment, that would not prevent them from wondering why all this was happening to them. We sometimes find ourselves in that predicament as well, asking “Why, Lord?” and waiting in silence for the answer. The exiles had to wait five years for God to send Ezekiel, and when God did, His prophet had a message that the people likely didn’t want to hear: God is the Lord of heaven and earth, and the judgment the people were experiencing was a result of their own sin.
Bless the name of Jesus!
Ezekiel’s entire prophetic ministry centered around a people uprooted from their homes and livelihoods living out their days in a foreign land. Even though many of the exiles were directly engaged in the sinful behavior that led to God’s judgment, that would not prevent them from wondering why all this was happening to them. We sometimes find ourselves in that predicament as well, asking “Why, Lord?” and waiting in silence for the answer. The exiles had to wait five years for God to send Ezekiel, and when God did, His prophet had a message that the people likely didn’t want to hear: God is the Lord of heaven and earth, and the judgment the people were experiencing was a result of their own sin.
Bless the name of Jesus!
August 23, 2022
This is part of a series where I am reading the Bible in chronological order. I am not doing this for reasons of faith, as I am agnostic, but because of my interest in mythology, ancient literature, and history. I chose the NRSV because I used to be Catholic and still have sympathies there. More importantly, this version seeks a balance between an accurate translation and the literary qualities of the King James Bible. So it seems you get the best of two worlds.
This is another long book where one monotonously hears of God's judgement on this group and that group. Like Jeremiah it is long winded, repetitive, and often tedious. Yet there is more evocative imagery here, better poetry, diversity of the judged if not the judgements (everyone is doomed in this book), and it is shorter than Jeremiah. So I have rounded up to three stars but it was still a slog.
This is another long book where one monotonously hears of God's judgement on this group and that group. Like Jeremiah it is long winded, repetitive, and often tedious. Yet there is more evocative imagery here, better poetry, diversity of the judged if not the judgements (everyone is doomed in this book), and it is shorter than Jeremiah. So I have rounded up to three stars but it was still a slog.
October 7, 2020
When Ezekiel straight up started listing the punishments for Gentile nations which God will crush (specifically murdering their daughters) due to their lack of support for Jewish supremacy I just lost patience. I can't bring myself to want Cretians to be genocided because they refuse to "lick up the dust of [jewish] feet" like in Isaiah 49:23 . The jews are literally described as worshipping Moloch, sacrificing children and cannibalising them. These are not a people who deserve total world dominance.
March 19, 2017
Judah has one last chance to repent, and the priest Ezekiel is called upon by God to deliver his messages. I loved the description and imagery of Ezekiel's visions. It was a bit much to get through all the description of measurements, though.
February 1, 2017
I read the KJV but I can't find that version on GR.... ack. xD
December 20, 2019
I loved the prophecies of this book !
December 15, 2022
LAME
This book was all about punishment and god dick-coptering his power. This book desperately needed an editor!
This book was all about punishment and god dick-coptering his power. This book desperately needed an editor!
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January 5, 2025And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
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* -:}|{}|{: = THE PERFECT VOICE = 4 THE BIBLE = DAVID SUCHET = ITS NO SUPRISE IN PSLAM 47 - THE LORD HIMSELF IN FLESH = DANCED IN A MYRIAD OF REFLECTIONS OF LIGHT - THAT CLEARLY - STATES - IN THE UNDOUBTABLE CLARITY ONLY THE LOOORDDSSS PHENIMINAL - ECXSTATIC INFNITE DANCE COULD - DESCRIBE IN AN INEPHABLE - WAY - WITH THE DEAPEST OF KNOWINGS - HIS GREATEST OF AL PRECEPTS ----> THO SHALT BE SMIGHTED - IF THO LISTENS 2 ANY OTHER AUDIO-VERSION OF THE BIBLE ( OTHER THEN DAVID SUCHET ) <--- - & THO SHALT FIND ONES SELF CONDEMMED 2 ETERNAL DAMNATION - & ONES SALVATION SHALL BE FOUND IN THE - GRACE FOUND IN THE NARRATION ONES LIFE IN ITS INTIRITY READ IN 0.25 SPEED BY DAVID SUCHET= }|{}|{:- *
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
* -} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VWrl... {- *
* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *
* -} Gestalt Psychology Simplified with Examples and Principles {- *
* -:}|{}|{: = MY SYNTHESISED ( ^ GESTALT ^ ) OF THE * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * ( WAY THE AUTHOR FRAMES = HIS WRITING PERSPECTIVES ) & ( POINTERS & IMPLICATIONS = the conclusion that can be drawn IMPLICITYLY from something although it is not EXPLICITLY stated ) = :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{: = ? = }|{}|{:- *
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
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~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
“Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.” Nisargadatta Maharaj
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~
Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”
Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind
A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
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~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~
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~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~
* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *
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~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
* -} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VWrl... {- *
* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *
* -} Gestalt Psychology Simplified with Examples and Principles {- *
* -:}|{}|{: = MY SYNTHESISED ( ^ GESTALT ^ ) OF THE * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * ( WAY THE AUTHOR FRAMES = HIS WRITING PERSPECTIVES ) & ( POINTERS & IMPLICATIONS = the conclusion that can be drawn IMPLICITYLY from something although it is not EXPLICITLY stated ) = :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{: = ? = }|{}|{:- *
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~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
“Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.” Nisargadatta Maharaj
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~
Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”
Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind
A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
January 25, 2025
I've been intimidated by the book of Ezekiel for years. However, with the help of a few commentaries, I read through it on my own and was amazed by what I found. I used digital copies of Wiersbe's commentary on Ezekiel and Vawter's book called A New Heart.
Like Isaiah and other prophets, Ezekiel was called to speak God's words to rebellious people. God told Ezekiel that he was responsible to give the message, but if he warned someone to not sin and they don't turn from their wrong ways it's on them, not Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:19). The entire book is a call to repentance so they can live with a holy God in the new Jerusalem.
I counted 60 times that Yehovah said He was doing something so that they or the nations or Israel's enemies would know that He is God. There are even more references to God being Sovereign or Master over all.
The call to turn from sin begins with the charges against Israel. It's the same as in Isaiah. Idolatry, rebellion, forgetting God, profaning His name or His temple are among the sins discussed. In Ezekiel 12:1-2 God says that rebellion makes the people blind and deaf to His warnings, so God's sending them to exile. Maybe then they'll see (Ezekiel 12:4).
I was amazed at how clearly Ezekiel 18 spoke about the results of refusal of God's salvation vs repentance. If the wrong turns from his sins, and guards God's laws and do right, he shall live and not die (18:21) and his sins will be forgotten (18:22). But if someone turns from righteousness to sin, he shall die 18:24, 28). God has no pleasure in their death (18:32) so He encourages them to choose life.
There are many images in Ezekiel that are difficult to understand. The commentators I read didn't agree on interpretations or even what the literary devices used were called. Similies vs metaphors vs parables vs allegories. I had to look up the differences and decide for myself. I think the images about God in the first chapter are similies since the text uses the word like to describe them. Chapters 15-24 we're called metaphors by some commentators, but I agree with Vawter that they're allegories, or stories with a deeper spiritual meaning. Chapters 17-19 speak of an eagle, a vine, grapes, and lions. In 17:2, God called these riddles parables.
Israel is invaded by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the land is cleared and cleansed, the people go to exile because though warned they persisted in sin (chapters 35-47), and then God begins restoration. He restored the land to fruitfulness. He gathers the people (Ezekiel 36:24) and He creates a new Jerusalem where there's no sin or defilement (Ezekiel 43:7). God's goal is to dwell in their midst but He can't if the people are unholy (Ezekiel 43:9-10). So God cleanses the people and gives them the opportunity to have a new heart and His Spirit in order to keep His laws (Ezekiel 36: 25-27).
In Vawter's commentary called A New Heart, he stated that he thought Ezekiel was concerned that God was making moral robots after hearing Ezekiel 36:25-27. I don't agree. Wiersbe's commentary on Ezekiel said that God doesn't violate our ability to think and decide (PG 532 of digital book) and I agree. We're not God's automatons. I think these verses show the choice to be born again by God's Spirit.
The book ends by describing the temple in detail. The images that stood out for me were the river of life (47:1-12), the requirements for holiness (43:7-10, 44:23), and the name of the new city. It's called Jehovah Shammah or the Lord is there (48:35).
I'm grateful for what I learned from my first pass at studying Ezekiel. And I'm grateful for the scholars and commentators that studied it before me and pointed out the meanings, prophecies, fulfillments and other insights they found.
Like Isaiah and other prophets, Ezekiel was called to speak God's words to rebellious people. God told Ezekiel that he was responsible to give the message, but if he warned someone to not sin and they don't turn from their wrong ways it's on them, not Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:19). The entire book is a call to repentance so they can live with a holy God in the new Jerusalem.
I counted 60 times that Yehovah said He was doing something so that they or the nations or Israel's enemies would know that He is God. There are even more references to God being Sovereign or Master over all.
The call to turn from sin begins with the charges against Israel. It's the same as in Isaiah. Idolatry, rebellion, forgetting God, profaning His name or His temple are among the sins discussed. In Ezekiel 12:1-2 God says that rebellion makes the people blind and deaf to His warnings, so God's sending them to exile. Maybe then they'll see (Ezekiel 12:4).
I was amazed at how clearly Ezekiel 18 spoke about the results of refusal of God's salvation vs repentance. If the wrong turns from his sins, and guards God's laws and do right, he shall live and not die (18:21) and his sins will be forgotten (18:22). But if someone turns from righteousness to sin, he shall die 18:24, 28). God has no pleasure in their death (18:32) so He encourages them to choose life.
There are many images in Ezekiel that are difficult to understand. The commentators I read didn't agree on interpretations or even what the literary devices used were called. Similies vs metaphors vs parables vs allegories. I had to look up the differences and decide for myself. I think the images about God in the first chapter are similies since the text uses the word like to describe them. Chapters 15-24 we're called metaphors by some commentators, but I agree with Vawter that they're allegories, or stories with a deeper spiritual meaning. Chapters 17-19 speak of an eagle, a vine, grapes, and lions. In 17:2, God called these riddles parables.
Israel is invaded by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the land is cleared and cleansed, the people go to exile because though warned they persisted in sin (chapters 35-47), and then God begins restoration. He restored the land to fruitfulness. He gathers the people (Ezekiel 36:24) and He creates a new Jerusalem where there's no sin or defilement (Ezekiel 43:7). God's goal is to dwell in their midst but He can't if the people are unholy (Ezekiel 43:9-10). So God cleanses the people and gives them the opportunity to have a new heart and His Spirit in order to keep His laws (Ezekiel 36: 25-27).
In Vawter's commentary called A New Heart, he stated that he thought Ezekiel was concerned that God was making moral robots after hearing Ezekiel 36:25-27. I don't agree. Wiersbe's commentary on Ezekiel said that God doesn't violate our ability to think and decide (PG 532 of digital book) and I agree. We're not God's automatons. I think these verses show the choice to be born again by God's Spirit.
The book ends by describing the temple in detail. The images that stood out for me were the river of life (47:1-12), the requirements for holiness (43:7-10, 44:23), and the name of the new city. It's called Jehovah Shammah or the Lord is there (48:35).
I'm grateful for what I learned from my first pass at studying Ezekiel. And I'm grateful for the scholars and commentators that studied it before me and pointed out the meanings, prophecies, fulfillments and other insights they found.
August 31, 2023
The book of Ezekiel pronounces judgment on both Israel and surrounding nations, but it also provides a vision of the future millennial kingdom that complements and adds to the vision of other Old and New Testament texts. Not only does the book present a striking picture of the resurrection and restoration of God’s people (Ezekiel 37), it also offers readers a picture of the reconstructed temple in Jerusalem, complete with the return of God’s glory to His dwelling place (40:1–48:35). This latter section of Ezekiel’s prophecy looks forward to the people’s worship after Christ’s return in the end times, when He will rule Israel and the nations from His throne in Jerusalem during His thousand year reign.
God didn’t exile the Israelites primarily to punish them. God never has been nor is He now interested in punishment for punishment’s sake. Rather, He intended the punishment or judgment in Ezekiel’s day as a means to an end—to bring His people to a state of repentance and humility before the one true God. They had lived for so long in sin and rebellion, confident in their own strength and that of the neighboring nations, that they needed God to remind them of His holy nature and their humble identity in a most dramatic way. After centuries of warnings, prophetic messages, and invasions, God decided that more significant action was required—He had to remove the people from their promised land.
Even though many of the exiles were directly engaged in the sinful behavior that led to God’s judgment, that would not prevent them from wondering why all this was happening to them.
We sometimes find ourselves in that predicament as well, asking “Why, Lord?” and waiting in silence for the answer. The exiles had to wait five years for God to send Ezekiel, and when God did, His prophet had a message that the people likely didn’t want to hear: God is the Lord of heaven and earth, and the judgment the people were experiencing was a result of their own sin.
The book of Ezekiel reminds us to seek out the Lord in those dark times when we feel lost, to examine our own lives, and to align ourselves with the one true God.
God didn’t exile the Israelites primarily to punish them. God never has been nor is He now interested in punishment for punishment’s sake. Rather, He intended the punishment or judgment in Ezekiel’s day as a means to an end—to bring His people to a state of repentance and humility before the one true God. They had lived for so long in sin and rebellion, confident in their own strength and that of the neighboring nations, that they needed God to remind them of His holy nature and their humble identity in a most dramatic way. After centuries of warnings, prophetic messages, and invasions, God decided that more significant action was required—He had to remove the people from their promised land.
Even though many of the exiles were directly engaged in the sinful behavior that led to God’s judgment, that would not prevent them from wondering why all this was happening to them.
We sometimes find ourselves in that predicament as well, asking “Why, Lord?” and waiting in silence for the answer. The exiles had to wait five years for God to send Ezekiel, and when God did, His prophet had a message that the people likely didn’t want to hear: God is the Lord of heaven and earth, and the judgment the people were experiencing was a result of their own sin.
The book of Ezekiel reminds us to seek out the Lord in those dark times when we feel lost, to examine our own lives, and to align ourselves with the one true God.
December 11, 2019
"I, the LORD, have spoken."
It was kind of funny to be reading this in the middle of the hype over Disney's new Star Wars show, The Mandalorian.
Ezekiel may have more repetitions of the phrase "I have spoken" (or similar wording) than any other book in the Bible. It has to rank near the top, at any rate.
If you've seen The Mandalorian, you probably don't need me to tell you why that's funny.
While it isn't my LEAST favorite book of the Bible, Ezekiel probably ranks somewhere in the bottom 10 or so.
There's a lot of repetition and tedious detail here (tedious to a modern eye and ear, anyway).
Repetitious phrasing. Painstaking measurements of every single part of the temple . . . it's like measuring the dimensions of your house . . . and then measuring the windows on every side, the doors on every side, the doorknobs, the width and length of the bathtub, the dimensions of the shower curtain and on and on . . . you get the idea.
As with some of my other less-positive star ratings of books in the Bible, none of this has any bearing on how highly I rate the Biblical text as a whole or how important even my less-favorite books are to the overall narrative. I know every part has its purpose and has played a role in the Bible's historical (and spiritual!) impact.
I'm just admitting . . . that some parts are easier to read than others, and with some parts it's easier to see the immediate potential impact on one's own life and historical circumstances.
Ezekiel is not one of the easier books, but it does have some powerful passages, perhaps the most impactful being:
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
~Ezekiel 36:26
This wording is repeated in other books of the Bible, of course, but it seems especially appropriate in a book that contains a vision of bones and pieces of skeletons literally being given new flesh and brought back to life.
It was kind of funny to be reading this in the middle of the hype over Disney's new Star Wars show, The Mandalorian.
Ezekiel may have more repetitions of the phrase "I have spoken" (or similar wording) than any other book in the Bible. It has to rank near the top, at any rate.
If you've seen The Mandalorian, you probably don't need me to tell you why that's funny.
While it isn't my LEAST favorite book of the Bible, Ezekiel probably ranks somewhere in the bottom 10 or so.
There's a lot of repetition and tedious detail here (tedious to a modern eye and ear, anyway).
Repetitious phrasing. Painstaking measurements of every single part of the temple . . . it's like measuring the dimensions of your house . . . and then measuring the windows on every side, the doors on every side, the doorknobs, the width and length of the bathtub, the dimensions of the shower curtain and on and on . . . you get the idea.
As with some of my other less-positive star ratings of books in the Bible, none of this has any bearing on how highly I rate the Biblical text as a whole or how important even my less-favorite books are to the overall narrative. I know every part has its purpose and has played a role in the Bible's historical (and spiritual!) impact.
I'm just admitting . . . that some parts are easier to read than others, and with some parts it's easier to see the immediate potential impact on one's own life and historical circumstances.
Ezekiel is not one of the easier books, but it does have some powerful passages, perhaps the most impactful being:
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
~Ezekiel 36:26
This wording is repeated in other books of the Bible, of course, but it seems especially appropriate in a book that contains a vision of bones and pieces of skeletons literally being given new flesh and brought back to life.
April 15, 2021
Though this book may seem like a very harsh book at first, it is a really beautiful love letter that has parallels to many other parts of the Bible. The main plot of this book of the Bible is simple. Not only Israel, but most nations near Israel have sinned and fallen short from God's Grace, and so they must be disciplined. They are to be destroyed in wars and disasters until they are purged from all of their evil ways. It is clear that the people are very far from God with no large exceptions. There are chapter upon chapter talking of how different nations will suffer. But it doesn't end there. Because, after all, the Bible is a love letter from the LORD to humanity. And so God foretells of a better future. One where Israel is ruled by a just prince forever, and HIS presence is among them forever. He promises to avenge them from the nations that are killing them, and to restore their glory.
My favorite part of this book was the imagery. There is a lot of really nice images and parables that could have been from the New Testament, and I absolutely adored seeing how God's explanation of things is so consistent. There is the really nice imagery of what the LORD's Glory personified, some truly terrifying angels, parables of two sister cities that prostitute themselves and give away their husband's riches to their lover, and images of trees and forests that symbolize different nations. It was a really nice book just from a literary perspective, and definitely from a religious one.
Then at the end of the book, we get another exact measurement of a temple in the Bible, where God shows a really exact description of what HIS holy house should look like, that reminded of the early days of Israel or even Noah's ark.
Ezekiel is also asked to do a lot of things to symbolize the way that history was about to unfold in a very interesting way. According to one atheist scholar, he seems crazy by today's standards. But I disagree. He definitely does some things that might seem so from the outside, but there is nothing crazy about a complete devotion to God. Rather it seems to be a little like Jesus cursing a fig tree, or breaking bread as HIS body. Interestingly enough, Ezekiel is often addressed as "Son of Man" by the LORD, a title which was later used for Jesus HIMSELF.
I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!
My favorite part of this book was the imagery. There is a lot of really nice images and parables that could have been from the New Testament, and I absolutely adored seeing how God's explanation of things is so consistent. There is the really nice imagery of what the LORD's Glory personified, some truly terrifying angels, parables of two sister cities that prostitute themselves and give away their husband's riches to their lover, and images of trees and forests that symbolize different nations. It was a really nice book just from a literary perspective, and definitely from a religious one.
Then at the end of the book, we get another exact measurement of a temple in the Bible, where God shows a really exact description of what HIS holy house should look like, that reminded of the early days of Israel or even Noah's ark.
Ezekiel is also asked to do a lot of things to symbolize the way that history was about to unfold in a very interesting way. According to one atheist scholar, he seems crazy by today's standards. But I disagree. He definitely does some things that might seem so from the outside, but there is nothing crazy about a complete devotion to God. Rather it seems to be a little like Jesus cursing a fig tree, or breaking bread as HIS body. Interestingly enough, Ezekiel is often addressed as "Son of Man" by the LORD, a title which was later used for Jesus HIMSELF.
I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!
August 6, 2024
What a beautiful story of a man who had his eyes flung open to the reality of the brokenness of the world by God, saw past the imminent destruction of sin and towards the final redemption of all, through the construction of a new city...
It is evident to me lately, as it has not been evident in a very, very long time, how deeply God cares for each one of us. This God, this personal God, longs for us in the same way he longs for Ezekiel. That longing is something I have felt in my bones lately. I have felt like Julian of Norwich, who saw in Christ that eventually all sin would pass from the world and "all would be well, all manner of things would be well."
God comes to us, like he comes to Ezekiel, with the offer of a new heart. A heart of flesh to replace our hearts of stone. I have felt my heart softening in recent months, through heartbreak. How strange to think that though I sang that children's song so much growing up (Jesus loves me, this I know), it has never really meant so much as it has now.
You are loved. Yes, you. Regardless of what you do or omit to do. You are, yes, loved. What a powerful thought.
It is evident to me lately, as it has not been evident in a very, very long time, how deeply God cares for each one of us. This God, this personal God, longs for us in the same way he longs for Ezekiel. That longing is something I have felt in my bones lately. I have felt like Julian of Norwich, who saw in Christ that eventually all sin would pass from the world and "all would be well, all manner of things would be well."
God comes to us, like he comes to Ezekiel, with the offer of a new heart. A heart of flesh to replace our hearts of stone. I have felt my heart softening in recent months, through heartbreak. How strange to think that though I sang that children's song so much growing up (Jesus loves me, this I know), it has never really meant so much as it has now.
You are loved. Yes, you. Regardless of what you do or omit to do. You are, yes, loved. What a powerful thought.
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