The Book of Ezekiel
Ezekiel's visions — the valley of dry bones, the glory of God, the new temple — speak of judgment, restoration, and a new heart and spirit for God's people.
- Testament
- Old (48 chapters)
- Type
- Major Prophet
- Author
- Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest taken into exile in Babylon.
- Date
- Active 593-571 BC, ministering to the exiled community in Babylon.
The glory of God on the move
Ezekiel sees God's glory leave the Temple (chapter 10) and return (chapter 43). The message to exiles: God has not stayed behind in Jerusalem; he is with you here, and he will restore his presence in the future.
New heart, new spirit
God promises to take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh (36:26). Then in chapter 37, dry bones in a valley come together, stand up, and live again. Both images become Christian shorthand for spiritual rebirth and resurrection.
Key verses (KJV)
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” — Ezekiel 36:26 (KJV)
“Can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.” — Ezekiel 37:3 (KJV)
“And the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.” — Ezekiel 48:35 (KJV)
How to read Ezekiel
Begin with the great set pieces — chapter 1 (the vision of God), 18 (personal responsibility), 36-37 (new heart, dry bones), and 47 (the river from the temple). The detailed temple architecture in 40-48 is heavy on first read; come back to it.
Read Ezekiel on your iPhone
Read the full book of Ezekiel in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
Read Ezekiel free on iPhone.
Download on the App Store