Marbaniang, Domenic

The prophet Ezekiel prophesied to the Jewish exiles in Babylon (modern day Iraq) from 593-586 BC. Situated between the towns of Hillah and Najaf, 130 kms south of Baghdad, there is a tomb called the tomb of Dhu'l-Kifl which is considered to be the tomb of Ezekiel. Dhu'l-Kifl is considered by many to be a Quranic rendering of the name of Ezekiel. Earlier, a large group of Jews used to visit this tomb during the Passover. According to ArchNet , The site was originally a place of Jewish pilgrimage as it housed the tomb of the prophet Ezekiel. The Iraqi authorities assert that in 1316 the Ilkhanid Sultan Uljaitu acquired the rights of guardianship over the tomb from the Jewish community. Consequently, the shrine was re-named according to the Islamic nomenclature for the same prophet. Sultan Uljaitu added to the structure by building a mosque and a minaret. As well he restored the shrine implementing some alterations made clear by comparing its present state with pre-Ilkhanid travel...

Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, "You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. (Ezekiel 3:16-18) God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman for the house of Israel (3:17). The Nature of His Position is: 1. Sacred.  He is appointed by God. “I have made you a watchman” (v.17). 2. Specific.  It relates to the people of Israel. “for the house of Israel” (v.17). 3. Serious.  It concerns life or death. His faithfulness in watchfulness and warning will mean life or death to the ones he’s called to minister. “I will hold you accountable for his blood” (v.18). 4. Solitary.  He can’t depend on anyone or ...

"Moreover He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He cause me to eat that scroll." (Eze. 3:1,2). By this the Lord qualified Ezekiel for the prophetic ministry. 1. Apprehension:  The servant of God must fully apprehend the meaning of the message he preaches. If he's not clear about the message, then neither can he communicate it to others. The Lord tells Ezekiel to feed his belly and fill his stomach with the scroll (v.3). It's only after Ezekiel has eaten it and known its taste to be as sweet as honey, that he's able to stand boldly and proclaim what he knows about what God means to say. 2. Assimilation: The word became internal to the servant. The word and the servant became one. Only when the word is mixed with faith will the result be divine perspective and divine fulfillment (Heb. 4:1,2). Therefore, God commands Ezekiel his prophet saying, "Son of man, rece...

Chapter 1 ends with "the likeness of the appearance of a man" in fire, rainbow, and great brightness, and Ezekiel recounts "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face..." (1:28). This was the manifestation of the God of Israel in the vision of Jesus Christ, 500 years before His birth in Bethlehem. The ministry of a certainty belongs to Christ who is the Son over His own house (Heb.3:5). It was He whom Moses obeyed when he forsook Pharaoh's palace (Heb.11:26), and He who was the Pillar of Cloud and Pillar of Fire, the Angel of the LORD to lead the Israelites in the wilderness (1Cor.10:1-4). The Messiah was before Abraham (Jn.8:58). Christ now calls Ezekiel and commissions him to the prophetical ministry that would reveal the transition from the old into the new, the fading of the Old Covenant into the New Covenant. It doesn't mean a cessation of Israel as a people of God, but a revelation of God...

God speaks in Ezekiel through four different ways: 1. Visions - They reveal God's glory in relation to His people (the 4 living creatures, the Temple). They usually answer the question, " What is the truth of God?" 2. Symbols - Ezekiel is to signify certain happenings through his very life (e.g. the mimic siege, the razor, the death of his wife). They usually answer the question, " How is it going to happen?" 3. Parables and Allegories - They illustrate the story of God's relation with His people and demonstrate the reason why He chastises them (the boiling pot, the vine). They usually answer the question, " Why  is it going to happen?" 4. Plain speech - They are explanations, commands, and promises that God gives to Ezekiel and to His people. Promises - Ezekiel contains a number of divine promises including the promise of a new covenant and the future regathering of Israel. Chapter 1 demonstrates how God's servants, the cherubim, are connected...

The book of Ezekiel was written by a priest-prophet named Ezekiel (meaning "God will strengthen") in around 593-571 B.C., when those messages were given. The book has 48 chapters and contains a number of visions and prophecies regarding the then and future Israel. About the Author Ezekiel was born in 623 B.C. in a priestly family of Jerusalem. His father's name was Buzi (1:2). When he was 25 years old, he was taken away into the exile in Babylon by the army of king Nebuchadnezzar who invaded Jerusalem in 597 B.C. Five years later, in 593 B.C., Ezekiel got his first vision of God when he was 30 years old, the age when a priest was supposed to enter temple ministry (1:1-3). Beginning from then, he prophesied for the next 30 years, his last message dates as on April 28, 573 B.C. (Zondervan Archaelogical Bible). Ezekiel typifies the style of prophetical life in which the prophesy is symbolized by a lifestyle of the prophet which acts as object lessons to the audience. Date Th...