Ezekiel

The chief aim of this essay is to posit a well-known Mesopotamian royal and divine epithet, ušumgallu "great dragon," as the source behind Ezekiel's enigmatic description of Pharaoh in 29.3, hattannīn haggādôl, "the great dragon." This relationship sheds new light and meaning on an old problem: why does Ezekiel refer to Pharaoh as a dragon? Rather than viewing this prophetic expression as a pejorative, the cognate evidence argues for the converse by rooting it in an enduring tradition of regal titles. Replicating Akkadian ušumgallu (Sumerian UŠUM.GAL) as efficiently as possible and drawing upon Israelite cosmological history (viz. Gen 1.21a), Ezekiel feigned including Pharaoh within a venerable, long line of Mesopotamian kings and deities to receive this title. Instead, and as is characteristic of Ezekiel's rhetoric, he upended the putative associations of the "great dragon," thereby exposing its true subordinate position under the hegemony of YHWH

"God’s care about the weak and the poor in the light of Ez 34:16" -

In all polish translations of Ez 34, 16 there appears a statement about God’s „watching over” (šmr) of fat and strong sheeps. This rendering derives not from masoretic text but from tradition (LXX, Vlg., Jakub Wujek Bible). But is this rendering justified? This article attempts to convince that we should stay with hebrew šmd (“to destroy”).

Keywords
Book of Ezekiel, textual criticism, Ez 34:16

A critical assessment of the claim that “Yahweh’s holiness governs Ezekiel’s message of judgement and hope.” , and also the significance for Christian ministry.

Upon reading the book of Ezekiel there is little doubt that contained therein is a strong message of judgement followed in the latter part, by a message of hope.  Governing both of these messages is the overarching theme of Yahweh’s awesome and terrifying holiness.  In fact, it could be argued that the primary message of Ezekiel is that Yahweh is holy.  By reflecting on the oracles of judgement and of hope, and by considering the visions of Ezekiel, the emphasis on Yahweh’s holiness and how it governs His message very quickly to surface.  However, the more important concern of this exercise is to seek to understand the significance of this to Christian ministry today.

In medieval art, there are numerous examples of pictorial programmes composed according to a system of typological opposition between scenes from the Old and the New Testaments, in which scenes from the New are seen as the typological fulfillment of prophecies from the Old. Normally, scenes from both Testaments are juxtaposed, so that the fulfillment under Christ can be seen together with the scene that prefigures it. In the works of the Florentine painter Fra Angelico, this system is softened. His series of 36 small panels from the Armadio degli argenti, now in the Museo di San Marco (Florence), is apparently a quite conventional representation of "highlights' from the Gospel story. However, the inscriptions that accompany each panel reveal a typological scheme at heart of the pictorial programme. This paper studies the compositional and expressive devices applied in Fra Angelico's subtle rendering of well-established theological concepts. Further, the paper argues that the same devices appear in a group of paintings of the Annunciation which can be attributed to Fra Angelico or his school.

This syllabus is the plan for a four-day intensive "block course." The course was delivered August 27–30, 2019 at Common Ground Theological Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, for 35 students. The syllabus includes an annotated bibliography.

This course had two broad goals:
* to introduce students to the book of Ezekiel—its situation in covenantal history, its authorship, its original audience, its structure, and its central themes; and
* to interpret key passages of Ezekiel theologically and christocentrically, making interpretive principles explicit so that students may interpret any passage from Ezekiel theologically and christocentrically.

This course should help students to discern the organic connection between Ezekiel and the person and work of Christ, and therefore between Ezekiel and the Church for the sake of application. With the help of the Spirit, this course should also help students individually to gain a greater assurance in God’s faithfulness and unchanging promises, a clearer hope in the consummation of the Redeemer’s finished work, and a deeper love for the triune God.

Applying light, color, and the imagery of Creation to the lens of historical criticism, this image-based study establishes a strong correlation between the texts of Genesis 1, Genesis 9, Ezekiel 1, Revelation 4, and Revelation 10. 
Part I: The Case of the Mission Chariot
Part II: A Crystal Dome and a Glassy Sea
Part III: The Four Faces of the Human Condition
Part IV: The Gift of Wings
Part V: One of Seven Rainbows
Part VI: A Wheel of Time within a Wheel of Light
Part VII: When Revelation Requires Time

Facing the living death of exile, the decimation of their theological traditions from the past and the bleakness of a hopeless future, the exiles could easily slip into idolatry or despair. The prophet Ezekiel insists with radical theocentricity that all was within Yahweh’s orbit. And what greater symbol of that was there than ruach, properly ‘of God’,  which could blow in judgement and also breathe new life, which could inspire words of hope, but also effect that word, which was mysterious in its origin, yet dramatic and free in its effect, unconstrained by the limitations of the present, whether location or lifelessness.

This paper focuses on the conceptualization of the term שֵׁם־קָדְשִׁי (shem
qodeshi) and its desecration or contamination in the context of the book of Ezekiel, with the purpose of attaining the following: 1) to determine the meaning of words shem qodeshi and its equivalent in Ezekiel in light of the person-namereputation relationship in the Ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible; 2) to understand the nature of the desecration and how the vindication of  shem qodeshi is found in Ezekiel; 3) to study the statement "it's not because of you (...) but because of shem qodeshi" in the context of Ezekiel 20:1-44 and 36:16-38 in order to understand its harmonization with the character of God; 4) to provide an overview of the relationship between shem qodeshi, its desecration and vindication, and the influence it has on the nations around Israel and over Israel itself. In this study the biblical text is analyzed from a synchronic perspective, taking it in its canonical context and in its final form. Since it is basically a literature search, primarily based on biblical commentaries available, and some non-exhaustive
grammatical and etymological analysis, this study makes a contextual analysis of the pericopes of Ezekiel 20:1-44 and 36:16-38 in order to seek the understanding of the meaning of the expression shem qodeshi and also the statements that are relevant.

This study will show that one major
problem in Ezekiel concerns the leadership of Israel and
how the whole system had collapsed prior to exile. This study
examines both biblical and unbiblical models of leadership
in Ezekiel. As a starting point, we will first examine the
book against its Ancient Near Eastern background. Next,
we will look at other models that are condemned by Ezekiel.
Finally, we will look at the model presented by Ezekiel
himself.

In the present paper, I propose a historic-prophetic interpretation of Ezekiel's 390 and 40 days.  The nub of my interpretation is similar to Leslie McFall's,  but some of its specific details are quite different.  Very briefly, I take ch. 4’s sign to be a prophet enactment of the state of play in Israel in 593t/592t, in which Ezekiel assumes the role of YHWH.  The central issue addressed in the sign-act is Israel’s acceptance of YHWH’s appointed Judaite kingship.  390 years ago, Israel rejected YHWH’s chosen king (David) in Absalom’s rebellion.  Ever since, YHWH has been pained and angered by Israel’s iniquity.  Meanwhile, Judah is about to fall.  Ezekiel’s sign-act depicts both of these realities.  It also looks forward to a 40-year period of iniquity between Christ’s death and Jerusalem’s final fall in 70 AD.

This is the text of of my 2003 PhD dissertation. It was then published in 2005 (after some editing) by Sheffield Academic Press in the JSNTS series (now called the LNTS).

This dissertation examines intertextual connections to Ezekiel found in John and in Second Temple literature. One important aspect of intertextuality is to observe the connections between the context of the allusion in its original setting and its context in the later document. Chapter One describes the method used in the dissertation, described as “comparative intertextuality.” Intertextual connections between Ezekiel and later Second Temple works are compared with intertextual connections between Ezekiel and the Gospel of John.
Chapters Two examines the numerous allusions and quotations of Ezekiel in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some DSS authors used passages from Ezekiel to describe a recapitulation of the Exile, with the Dead Sea Community as the righteous Exiles. Others used Ezekiel as a source of epithets and descriptors to distinguish themselves from their opponents.
        Chapter Three studies the use of Ezekiel in other Second Temple literature. These works allude only to Ezekiel’s throne vision (Ezekiel 1, 10), the oracle against the shepherds (Ezekiel 34), and the dry bones oracle (Ezek 37:1-14).
Chapter Four examines John’s two clearest allusions to material in Ezekiel, the good shepherd (John 10/Ezekiel 34, 37) and the vine (John 15/Ezekiel 15, 17, 19). Chapter Five examines fainter allusions, such as the opened heavens (John 1:51/Ezek 1:1); imagery from the “dry bones” vision (John 5:25-28, 20:22/Ezek 37:1-14); and water symbolism (John 3:5, 4:13-14, 7:37-39, 21:1-11/Ezek 36:25-27, 47:1-12). In every case, John appropriates Ezekiel’s restoration oracles; the promises are now available only through Jesus, and only to those who believe in Jesus.
Chapter Six summarizes the dissertation and comments on how John’s use of Ezekiel fits within the use of Ezekiel in Second Temple literature. John shares certain tendencies with other literature, such as the combination of allusions from related OT passages, the resumption of allusions later in the same work, the modification of language for stylistic or linguistic reasons, and careful attention to the original context of the allusion. John has a few unique tendencies: he alludes to all five of Ezekiel’s “oracles of hope” and primarily uses that imagery to describe the giving of the Holy Spirit and new life through Jesus.

This essay argues that Ezekiel’s use of mythological motifs of a cosmological type, both in the cycle of OANs and as part of the book as a whole, is derived from the royal military ideology that was current in Jerusalem prior to the exile, and that the oracles constitute a direct attempt to incorporate the experience of exile into this ideology. Ultimately, however, Ezekiel’s initial efforts to this end were perceived to have failed, and alternative ideological explanations of warfare were introduced, either by Ezekiel himself or by an editor.

This article focuses on the descriptions of Israel’s restoration scattered throughout the book of Ezekiel against the background of traditional prophetic portrayals of national redemption. This investigation aims to analyze the various unique motifs found in the restoration prophecies and their function in each particular occurrence. Consideration of these prophecies demonstrates a literary progression within the book of Ezekiel, and also reflects the uniqueness of Ezekiel’s descriptions of the restoration of Israel.

In Eze. 20 the Exodus motif has been transformed into a parody: Instead of heading from slavery to freedom it leads from idolatry into judgment. By countering the readers' expectations the text can induce a transformation in their attitude and conduct. File includes an introduction to the volume. The paper is written in German.

Before the destruction of Jerusalem in 586BC, Ezekiel is told to make known to her [Jerusalem] her abominations (Ezek. 1:1-3). Ezekiel launched into an allegory and told a foundling story in some ways similar to that of Sargon of Akkad . The life of Madam Jerusalem. Keil observes "The past, the present, and the future of Israel are all embraced, from its first commencement to its ultimate consummation- These copious contents are draped in an allegory which is carried out on a magnificent scale." In this allegory three words are used which have perplexed scholarship for many generation, מה אמלל לבתך , The meaning of these words are investigate by Baneth, and Cowley to Cohen. Their meaning have been sought for in Akkadian, Aramaic and Hebrew.
In this study we will apply the principle of the Held Method for Comparative Semitic Philology ("Held Method")  as interpreted by C. Cohen to the Hebrew root לבה as seen in the table above. The purpose of the exercise is to determine whether the term deriving from this root is polysemous or a homonymous. In the case of this term we have found no evidence to suggest it is polysemous and so the term is understood to be a homonym.

This article investigates the socio-economic background from which Ezekiel’s expectation of assigning land to resident aliens emerged (Ezek 47,22–23). It claims that none of the Pentateuchal legal codes anticipates such assignment, thus, Ezekiel’s expectation is completely unique and innovative. Following an evaluation of former studies of this issue, the article claims that the background of Ezekiel’s prediction of future land granting to aliens lies in a Neo-Babylonian economic institution: The land-for-service system. It surveys the similarities between this system and Ezekiel and concludes with considering the contribution of the findings to the study of the book of Ezekiel.

The 37th Chapter of the Book of Ezekiel contains two prophetic messages in verses 1-14, the prophecy of the valley of dry bones that come to life and in verses 15-28, the prophecy of the two sticks and the restoration of the Jewish People as one people.  The below will be a brief examination of the historical, cultural, literary and covenantal background of Ezekiel 37:15-28.

Ezekiel’s visions, particularly that of the chariot (chapter 1), integrate radiance imagery with allusions to earlier Biblical traditions. The radiance imagery has specific connections to a long Mesopotamian tradition of melammu as indicating divine and royal power. This essay explores how the radiance imagery works together with Biblical allusions in shaping the rhetoric and message of this vision, and of three other related visions in Ezekiel.

There is an erroneous belief in play within some Jewish and Messianic circles (respectfully) which holds that the very next Temple to be rebuilt on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah will be a fulfillment of the Temple Vision delineated in Ezekiel 40-48. Are they right? While I indeed believe a 'Third Temple' is coming soon, linking it to Ezekiel's Temple Vision is an error—a forced conflation—driven by deep religious yearnings, and mere human strivings. I also believe this coming Third Temple's construction is an inevitable act of destiny, long foretold in biblical prophecy.

Der ältere Bericht von Ezechiels Berufung zum mündlich verkündigenden Propheten in Ez 1*; 2; 3,1–11.12f.*.14f.22–27 ist als Teil des schriftlichen golaorientierten Ezechielbuchs in der zweiten Hälfte des 6. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. verfasst worden, um es einzuleiten. Der Berufungsbericht lässt sich entsprechend der Wechsel zwischen Visions- und Auditionsberichten gliedern. Sie sind von zahlreichen Wiederholungen geprägt, die zunächst ungeordnet erscheinen, bei genauerer Betrachtung aber elaborierte Strukturen zu erkennen geben.

Ezechiels Schriftrolle lässt sich als Symbol verschiedener Texte im Kontext von Ezechiels vorgestellter mündlicher Prophetie deuten. Schließlich symbolisiert sie das Ezechielbuch. Innerhalb seiner Einleitung ist die Schriftrolle der Appetizer, der die Rezipienten zur Lektüre der gesamten Schrift anregen soll. Was Anspruch und Dramatik betrifft, steht der Bericht von der Vision der Schriftrolle dem Ezechielbuch in nichts nach. Jhwh selbst überreicht Ezechiel den außergewöhnlichen Opisthograph. Die Texte, mit denen Jhwh u. a. Jerusalems Eroberung und Zerstörung 587/6 v. Chr. deutet, sind in klagenden und drohenden Gattungen zusammengefasst. Leichenklagelieder, Zetern und Wehe – süß wie Honig.

The current work will examine the calling of the Prophet Ezekiel to prophesy in Babylon in light of the accepted Jewish understanding that prophecy could only take place in the Land of Israel.  There will also be a look at how in light of this seeming restriction to Ezekiel legitimately being a prophet of God has been viewed by various scholars.  Also, there will be a brief examination of how the vision of his commissioning recorded at the beginning of the book was also important in ratifying his prophetic calling.

This article looks at shifts in personal deixis in Ezekiel 6, 13, 20, and 23, in an attempt to view these shifts as contributing to the literary profile of these passages. The article surveys recent linguistic approaches to deixis, recent application of deictic analysis to Psalms and Proverbs, and then examines four passages chosen for their distinctive exhibition of deictic features.

Contents:

1. SCIENCE AND SCRIPTURE: 2
1.1  How to resolve contradictions 2
1.2  Why astronomy might be concealed in the Bible 3
1.3  Some key terms to understand of following text 3
2. DECIPHERING BIBLICAL CALENDARS 4
2.1 Three sons of Noah and three seasons of the year 4
2.2 Twelve sons of Jacob and the zodiac 4
2. THE CREATION OF THE WORLD AND THE EXPULSION FROM THE PARADISE: 5
    When did it occur and what does it mean? 5
3.1 Primordial Heaven 5
3.2 What happened on the 6th of October 3760 BCE? 5
3.3 What might Eden symbolize? 6
3.4 The meaning of Cain-Abel story 7
3. THE GLOBAL FLOOD AND THE BABEL TOWER: 7
    Where and when were they? 7
4.1 The centuries-old enigma of the Great Deluge 7
4.2 The Babel Tower is found 8
5. THE AGE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE PATRIARCHS: 9
    Precise astronomy, synchronization with neighbors, and the Santorini volcano eruption 9
5.1 Why did the Patriarchs live so long? 9
5.2  Contemporaries of Patriarchs in the neighboring 9
5.3  Seven years of famine after the Santorini eruption 400 years before the Exodus 10
6. REALITY OF THE EXODUS: 10
    From the Plagues of Egypt to the capture of Jericho 10
6.1 The pharaoh of the oppression and the pharaoh of the Exodus 10
6.2  The Egyptian evidence of Moses? 11
6.3  The Biblical evidence of Merneptah? 11
6.4  Forty years from the Egyptian darkness to the eclipse of lunar Jericho: a chronological      key ……………………………………………………………………………..…….…………. 11
7. JUDGES, KINGS, AND PROPHETS 12
    The standing sun, the fiery chariot, the sky circles 12
7.1 When the sun and the moon stood and stones were falling from the heaven 12
7.2  Samson the hero among other Judges 12
7.3  Precise chronology of the first kings Saul, David, and Solomon 12
7.4  The celestial fiery chariot of Elias 13
7.5  Ezekiel the astronomer, a predecessor of Pythagoras 13
7.6. Daniel’s astronomy 14
8.      THE CELESTIAL SIGNS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 14
8.1 Sky symbols of Jesus Christ and the Apostles 14
8.2 Heavenly Signs in the Book of Revelation: 15
9. APOCRYPHICAL BOOKS OF ENOCH: 16
    Manuals of Megalithic Astronomy 16
9.1  What are these books? 16
9.2  Megalithic Observatory 17
9.3  1 Enoch: The Length of Day and Latitude 17
9.4  2 Enoch: Shift of the Sunrise Point and Latitude 18
9.5  The Seasonal Stars 19
9.6  The circumpolar Constellations 19

The entries for ḥamas in the biblical lexicons read “violence, wrong”; “treat violently”; or “theft, exploitation, social oppression;” namely, this word is understood as referring to the social sphere. On this basis, in the usual exegesis of the verses in which it appears in Ezekiel, ḥamas is understood to refer to social violence. I suggest, however, that a closer examination of each of the seven occurrences of this term in Ezekiel indicates that it refers to the sins of the people that led to the destruction of the Temple—including idolatry and bloodshed—and that Ezekiel utilized and adjusted this pentateuchal concept to his prophetic needs.
Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament: An International Journal of Nordic Theology 29, No. 2 (2015) 197-203

Among many other peculiarities of the Book of Ezekiel, the numerous movements and spatial terms mentioned in it stand out. Using the cultural-anthropological concept that underlies rites of passage and related transitional phenomena (A. van Gennep, V. Turner) some of them can be taken as elements of a transitional process. Therefore, the spatial structure in Ezek. 20 and in the overall layout of the Book of Ezekiel is used to illustrate that the Babylonian exile is a necessary liminal phase of the transition from Israel’s status as an apostate people to a new status given by JHWH.

While the research consistently interpreted the phrase בן אדם in Ezekiel according to the opposition ‚human – God‘ the article proposes an adjustment. The expectation of an article in the vocative and the predominant usage of the phrase in parallelisms lead to the conclusion that the use of בן אדם depends on the presence of an additional genealogical connotation which connects the prophecy of the book with concepts of creation theology like in Gen 5:1. The concept bases on the sending of the בן אדם to the בני ישראל (Ezek 2:3). The designation of the prophet introduces him as a member of mankind, and the God of Israel appears as the God of the world. That shows as the basic concept of the book, that God does no longer face the world from the perspective of Israel but that He faces Israel from the perspective of the world.