Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, was a priest (Ezek. 1:3). His name means “God strengthens” or “God is the strength.” His prophetic work was carried out in Babylon, from 595 B.C. to 574 B.C.
The subject is the spiritual recovery of God’s people by being revived in spirit to be built up into the full expression of God.
The people of God were judged because of their sins and were carried into captivity, but God still loved them and had mercy on them. He wanted to recover them and bring them back to rebuild the temple and the holy city, Jerusalem. [He sternly rebuked the leaders and people of Israel for turning away from God, worshipping idols, committing fornications, and doing all kinds of evil. He transmitted the word of God to the children of Israel who were in captivity (Ezek. 3:10-11); he continued and confirmed that which was spoken by Jeremiah (Jer. 29:1-14), earnestly telling them that before they could return to Jerusalem they needed to turn back to Jehovah their God. Although it was very difficult in the beginning and although he encountered great opposition (Ezek. 3:7-9), the people in captivity eventually detested the idols, turned their hearts to God, and were returned to their homeland after seventy years. This was mostly the result of the work of the prophet Ezekiel.]
God is righteous toward His people; He cannot tolerate sin, and He must judge them. However, He is also full of lovingkindness toward them, hoping that they will repent and turn back to Him, that He might receive them and pour out His grace upon them.
Ezekiel saw the visions in the land of captivity concerning the spiritual recovery of God’s people signified by the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum (ch. 1). God revives His people and gives them a new heart and a new spirit (ch. 36). God’s people, as the dry bones, are revived and formed into God’s army (ch. 37). Then, Ezekiel reveals the rebuilding of the holy city and the holy temple (chs. 40—48). [There are forty-eight chapters in Ezekiel. At the end God obtains a holy temple and a holy city in the holy land. The holy temple is for God’s presence, fellowship, and service, whereas the holy city is for God’s ruling, administration, and government. The building of the holy city and the holy temple are the issue of the enjoyment of God by His people in their living in the holy land. When God’s people have an abundant and full enjoyment of God, He obtains from them an expression in fullness, God’s house and God’s city. Here God can fellowship with man and rule through man; man can enjoy God, and God can also enjoy man. Man can be filled to the uttermost with God and can express God.]
1) The manifestation of the glory of Jehovah (chs. 1—3), 2) the departure of the glory of Jehovah (chs. 4—24), 3) Jehovah’s glory in dealing with the nations (chs. 25—32), and 4) the return of the glory of Jehovah (chs. 33—48).