What are Signs and Symbols there for?
Revelation has long been my favorite book of the Bible. Knowing Ezekiel is full of symbols too, I've been looking forward to reading him in our study of the prophets. And here we are! Ezekiel, signs and symbols for all!
(33) Signs, Symbols and Ezekiel
(33) Signs, Symbols and Ezekiel
While Jeremiah preached to the
remnant in Jerusalem, Ezekiel and Daniel spoke to different groups of exiles in
Babylon. What do you suppose these exiles missed most about their home, and
especially about Jerusalem?
Ezekiel uses lots of symbols as he
describes his visions. Why might symbols have been particularly important to
exiles?
1.
Read
Ezekiel 1:1. The canal and associated flooded lands were probably near
Babylon, at Nippur. If so, it was the site of some extensive religious
buildings dedicated to Bel. Living there would not have been uncomfortable physically,
but it would have been very foreign, probably very uncomfortable spiritually. How might we feel, living in a foreign land
dedicated to foreign gods, or do we already live there?
2. Lacking
a temple or any social structure of synagogues etc, the people probably
gathered by the water to worship (Remember Lydia? Read Acts 16:13-14). Where would we gather?
3. Read Ezekiel 1:2-3. What do we know
about Ezekiel from this? Do you suppose he supported or opposed Jeremiah before
his exile? (Read Job 32:2) Do you
suppose it matters?
4.
Read
Ezekiel 1:4-9 How might the original readers have reacted to
a. Whirlwind
(Read 2 Kings 2:1, Job 38:1, Psalm 77:18 –
each mentions whirlwinds in some translations)
b. Cloud
with fire (Read Exodus 13:21, 40:38,
Numbers 9:15)
c. Four
(Read Genesis 2:10, Leviticus 19:23-24,
Deuteronomy 5:9, Proverbs 30:18-24, Jeremiah 15:3, 49:36)
d. How do we react to these symbols? Are they
more or less powerful today? What might we use as analogous symbols in speaking
or writing about God?
5.
Read
Ezekiel 1:10 How might the original readers have reacted to
a. Lion
(Read Genesis 49:9, 2 Samuel 1:23, 1
Kings 7:24-30)
b. Ox
(Read Exodus 24:5)
c. Eagle
(Read Exodus 19:4)
d. Man.
e. What
impression might all these symbols have made on people who’ve lost their
historic places, their Temple, and a sense of cohesive identity?
f.
How do you
react to all these symbols now? Do they help you see what Ezekiel’s talking
about?
6.
Read
Revelation 4:6-8
a. What
differences do you spot?
b. Why
might symbols have been important to John? Or to his readers?
c. Do
you think the similarity or the difference is more important?
7.
Read
Ezekiel 1:4, 15-16
a. What
significance might the precious stones have? (Read exodus 28:15-21, Revelation 21:19-20).
b. What
about the wheels? (Remember 1 Kings
7:24-30 from above)
8. Read Ezekiel 1:18-21 What is the
significance of eyes? (Remember Revelation
4:6-8 above)
9.
Read
Ezekiel 1:26-28
a. What
do you think Ezekiel is trying to describe?
b. How
did John describe God’s glory (Read
Revelation 1:12-20)?
c. How would you describe God’s glory?
10. What
do you suppose the people worshiping around Ezekiel expected when he fell down
before the Lord?
Whatever he may have believed about
the exile before, Ezekiel now learns that it’s God’s will. How willing are we to learn that God’s plan is different from our own?
1.
Read
Ezekiel 2:3-5.
a.
How might the listeners have greeted these
words?
b.
How do
we feel when we’re reminded that we don’t deserve God’s favor?
c.
Is
there a sense in which it’s freeing to know we don’t deserve God’s favor?
2.
Read
Ezekiel 2:6.
a.
How might Ezekiel feel at this point?
b.
What
risks will we take for God, and how will we know when we’re taking risks for
him, as opposed to for ourselves?
3.
Read
Ezekiel 2:8-3:3
a.
Assuming it’s metaphorical, what might
eating the scroll mean? (Read Revelation
10:8-11)
b.
What
modern-day or recent-day analogies can you think of to “eating a scroll”?
4.
Read
Ezekiel 3:4-9. Ezekiel is told that the Babylonians would hear God’s word
more willingly than the Jews.
a.
Which Babylonian do we know heard messages
from God?
b.
Who
can we think of who might hear God’s voice more easily than we do?
c.
What
stops us hearing God’s voice?
5. Later,
the Gentiles were more willing to listen. Why? And what might this mean for
Christians today?
6. Read Ezekiel 3:14-15. He starts and ends
by the river. Where was he in between?
7. What
might be the significance of 7 days? (Read
Genesis 2:2, 4:15, 7:2-4, 8:10, 21:28, 29:18, 33:3, 41:2, 50:10, Exodus 1:5
etc)
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