Ezekiel's Message Of Hope

264 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Bible Quiz on the Book of Ezekiel

own king, and many of its people still lived in their own land. But, chafing under Babylonian bonds and rejecting prophetic advice, they refused to pay their tribute. Within a few years, the temple, city walls, and homes of Jerusalem were burned and leveled. More citizens were carried away to Babylon, and those who remained soon fled to Egypt for security.

The Kingdom of Judah was no more. The promised land, north and south, was depopulated of Israelites, bringing to an end an extremely important era in Israelite history. This didn’t happen because God was unable to protect the Israelites. He could have fought their battles and saved them from being oppressed, but instead, he chose to let them fall and suffer the consequences of their wickedness. (See Ezek. 8; Jer. 16:10–13; 1 Ne. 1:4, 13.) …show more content…

No longer did he call Jews to repentance to avoid being overthrown. He addressed instead the questions that must have been on their minds now that their nation was no more. What future did they have now that they had offended God so grievously that he had allowed them to be driven from their land? Was he still their God? Were they still his chosen people? And even if he were willing, could he gather people so widely dispersed as the Israelites were in Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and elsewhere throughout the

Show More
Related

  • Assyrian Warfare

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Assyrians were known to have a powerful, ruthless army. The army was the largest Middle East or Mediterranean fighting force that had ever been seen. It is believed that God himself promised the Israelites that if they disobeyed Him he would allow them to be taken up and carried away to foreign lands. His promise is explained in Isaiah 5:26-29. It reads, “He will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. No one weary or stumble among them No one will slumber or sleep Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, Nor the strap of their sandals be broken; Whose arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent; Their horses’ hooves will seem like flint, And their wheels like whirlwind. Their roaring will be like a lion, They will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey; They will carry it away safely, And no one will deliver.” Israel’s rebellion angered God and it led to war with the invincible Assyrians. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was wiped out.

    Read More

  • Ben-Hur

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    The experiences of Judah Ben-Hur in Roman occupied Jerusalem constructing an allegory that describes the greater experience of the Jewish people at the hands of the Romans and other non-Jewish factions throughout history. In witnessing Jesus' compassion on his persecutors even while being crucified, Ben-Hur learns that although, like Jesus, he was greatly wronged without just cause, it is possible to forgive, and in forgiveness achieve unity.

    Read More

  • The Book of 1 Samuel

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...hard to understand fully because of its comprehensive metaphoric language and the difference in culture from present day. It is also sometimes hard for us to understand God's actions because we think of him simply loving and caring rather than ruthless and violent. We need to understand that the creation of mankind is taking place in the recordings of these scriptures and so things may not be as customary as we would like to think. I believe that God has a plan for everyone. And, in the case of Saul, he had a plan to take away his kingdom in order to pass it on to David so the formation of history could continue. I also think this passage, like many other passages from the Bible, has a message linked to it, a lesson to the story if you will. The lesson is to prove that God's unlimited power must never be taken for granted or there surely will be hell to pay.

    Read More

  • The History and Hardships of the Jewish People

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, this place of worship was not meant to last for the Israelites. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, captured Jerusalem and set fire to the Great Temple. The Temple wasn’t the only thing destroyed. According to the article, Babylonian Exile written by Jeffrey Spitzer, “the palace and all of the houses of Jerusalem were burnt, the w...

    Read More

  • Assyrian Crisis

    1987 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Assyrian Crisis in Judah appears, from the surface, as a time of great luck for the people of Jerusalem. However, by examining the situation with a more powerful lens, one can see the powerful religious infuence such an event could have on a resident’s theology. If I were a Judean during this time, my faith would have faced the toughest test of my life. Going into such a conflict with a nation as strong as Assyria, I could not help but be afraid. My bones would tremble at the thought of destruction of the Holy City of Jerusalem, of the people of Judah, and of my own being. Although I would have believed in God, I would still be filled with fear. This fear would escalate when I heard a messenger for the king of Assyria, as stated in Isaiah 36, mocking God, insulting His power and doubting His saving grace on Jerusalem. He goes on to try and convice us, the people of Jerusalem, that Hezekiah is not trustworthy, and that we will not find help in Egypt because they are not reliable. Finally, knowing the path of destruction that Assyria has already created, and their hunger for more, in addition to the messenger’s statement that the Lord has commanded Assyria to go and destroy Jerusalem, my feelings of fear and doubt would uncontrollably well up inside me. We are, after all, only human, and fear is a common feeling, despite where we stand with God. No man lives without fear, but though fear our faith is tested and strengthened.

    Read More

  • Ezekiel

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ezekiel lived in a time of international crisis and conflict. Assyria was the world power in the area under the rule of Tiglath-pilesar III. In 724 B.C Israel raged war upon Assyria, and Israel was no match for Assyria. In 627 B.C the last of the able Assyrian ruler, Ashurbanipal died. Right after the death of Ashurbanipal, Babylon under Nabopolassar wanted independence from Assyria. In 612 B.C the Assyrians under Nineveh surrendered to the rising Babylonians. In 605 B.C the Babylonians were at war against the Egyptians. The Babylonians won and they established themselves as the leading power in the area. During all of this Judea allied with the Babylonians and with this Judea kept her independence. During the last century before Judea was destroyed it was ruled by four rulers and of those rulers, all but Josiah were wicked. Josiah was committed to God and led Judea to him. All the others did not heed the warnings of Ezekiel and Jeremiah from God, and the rulers of Judea chose to rebel against God. God punished Judea by sending Nebuchadnezzar’s army to crush the nation of Judea and flatten the city of Jerusalem.

    Read More

  • The Hebrew Exiles In Babylon

    1821 Words  | 4 Pages

    When Jerusalem fell to the conquering Babylonians in 587 BC, most of what was important to the Hebrew people was gone. They lost their holy city, the Temple was destroyed, and the Davidic monarchy ended (Beasley 221). Following the destruction of Jerusalem, the Babylonian king, Nebuchadrezzar, deported most of the population to other cities, including Babylon. These exiles remained there for about fifty years until the Persian forces, under king Cyrus, took the city of Babylon in 539 BC. The Persian policies concerning captured and exiled peoples were quite different than those of the Babylonians, and because of this King Cyrus allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem in 538 BC to rebuild the city and the Temple.

    Read More

  • The History of Jewish Persecution

    2340 Words  | 5 Pages

    After seventy years of exile the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem. Most of them gave up this option and elected to stay in Babylon. Those who stay in Babylon became ...

    Read More

  • Bible: Hope in the Letters of Paul

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    The term “hope” appeared many times within the letters of Paul, fifty-four in the NIV Bible to be exact. The Greek term that Paul used for “hope”, “ἐλπίς ”, conveys a sense of trust in a divinely given future. Paul amplified this definition for hope in Romans; he wrote, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?”

    Read More

  • God's Faithfulness in the Old Testament

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...Temple (this action is also noted in 2nd Chronicles). In Nehemiah, Artaxerxes allows the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. These actions are attributed to God’s favor and reveal that God is still faithful to his people. The promises made to Abraham are still in effect, along with the Mosaic and Davidic covenants. Although the people disobeyed God and were punished, God continues to exhibit his love for Israel. From an overview of the writings of the Old Testament, the theme of God’s faithfulness is displayed.

    Read More

  • The Effect of the Babylonian Exile

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Babylonian Exile or Captivity was a forced exodus of the Jews to Babylon. This was known as the ultimate punishment for the people of Israel because of their inability to uphold the covenant with YHWH. The exile began from a revolt in Judah that led to conquest by the Babylonians in 598 B.C.E. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, the Holy City for the people of Judah, was the aftermath of this happening. About twenty thousand citizens were deported to Babylon where they resided for approximately seventy years. When the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians under Cyrus, the people of Judah were allowed safe return back to Jerusalem, given a free degree of self-rule. The Exile had the effect of reminding the Jews of the importance in keeping the covenant with YHWH as it brought about identity changes, reestablishment of community life and distinction of religion.

    Read More

  • Jeremiah

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jeremiah 31:1-6 is the announcement of restoration, giving rest to Israel. Jeremiah 31:1, “At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” (NIV). “While the return from captivity is a good thing, it was a very difficult time, a time when the Jews, where threatened by those who occupied that land during the captivity and later by the Greeks and Romans. This restoration includes al the clans of Israel. Historically the Northern kingdom ceased to exist nearly 200 years prior to prophecy.” “Jeremiah’s great contribution to our understanding of messianic prophecy and how the New Testament relates to the Old Testament is that he explicitly describes a coming glorious “new” covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) that will replace the old one that Israel/Judah has shattered and annulled” (Pg. 174). “Chapters 30 and 31 contain no historical dates or ties to the reign of a king. This absence of dates or specific historical ties gives these first two chapters a certain timelessness. Also, in chapters 30-33 Jeremiah does not connect the future restoration to the downfall of Babylon. Instead, the restoration is tied theologically to the fulfillment of both the Abrahamic and the Davidic covenants-the new covenant and the associated blessings of restoration come as a fulfillment of those prior covenants (which are not broken)” (Pg. 174).

    Read More

  • The Mission of Jesus as Described in the Gospel of Mark

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jewish people expected that He would bring deliverance through the conquest but Jesus explained that deliverance can be achieved only through the cross. Jesus will achieve victory through suffering. It is the cross, not crown He will take up. Explaining His mission to the listeners he requires them to adjust and raise their expectations of Messiah . Jesus is much more than they had anticipated and God's mean of deliverance is through death. Jesus knew that He was misunderstood as Messiah and corrected their view in the gospel of Mark.

    Read More

  • Themes of The Prophet

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Prophet is a book of short essays by Kahlil Gibran on a variety of themes ranging from love and marriage to pain and death presented by a character named Almustafa. By using a variety of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, similes, and imagery, he enhances the ideas presented in each section and makes them easier for the reader to comprehend and put into practice. Although written in 1923, all of the themes are still very relevant in today’s world, perhaps even more so.

    Read More

  • Response Paper: Isaiah: The Book Of Isaiah

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    In chapters one through five, Isaiah tells of how the people of Judah were being sinful, even in their religious acts and were not seeking after the things of God. In Isaiah 1:18 it says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” This verse in Isaiah shows us that even though the people were wrong in their ways, it was not too late for them to repent from their sins so the Lord

    Read More

More about Ezekiel's Message Of Hope

Open Document