The Book Of Ezekiel
What Is The Book Of Ezekiel About?
Ezekiel is the visionary prophecy of a priest exiled to Babylon, declaring that the sovereign God judges sin, departs from a defiled temple, yet promises to give His people a new heart and put His Spirit within them. From the glory of the LORD to the valley of dry bones and the river of life, Ezekiel proclaims that salvation is God's own monergistic work.
Last updated: June 2026
The Book of Ezekiel reveals the terrifying holiness and breathtaking glory of the sovereign Lord. Written to a people broken by exile, these sermons explore how God actively disciplines His rebellious children, yet promises a miraculous restoration. Discover the God who sovereignly replaces hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, breathes life into dry bones, and guarantees that the nations will know that He is the Lord.
Who Wrote Ezekiel?
Authored by the prophet and priest Ezekiel (whose name means "God strengthens"), this book was written from the banks of the Chebar canal in Babylon during the Jewish exile, beginning around 593 B.C. While his older contemporary Jeremiah ministered to the remnant in Jerusalem, Ezekiel served as a watchman to the traumatized exiles. Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Ezekiel penned a message of uncompromising judgment against the nation's spiritual adultery, followed by profound promises of a New Covenant.
What's The Primary Theme?
The Glory of the Lord: The awe-inspiring visions of God's sovereign throne, the departure of His presence from a defiled temple, and the promise of His eventual return.
Regeneration and the New Covenant: The necessity of divine intervention for salvation, beautifully captured in God's promise to give His people a new nature:
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." (Ezekiel 36:25–27, NKJV)Divine Sovereignty and Vindication: The repeated refrain, "Then they shall know that I am the LORD," demonstrating that all redemptive history moves toward the magnification of God's glory.
The Watchman: The profound responsibility of the prophet to faithfully warn the wicked and the righteous alike of God's impending judgment.
Ezekiel stands behind some of the most important chapters of the Westminster Confession. Ezekiel 36:26–27 — "I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh… I will put My Spirit within you" — is a primary proof text for WCF Chapter 10 (Of Effectual Calling), which teaches that God draws the elect by "renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good." Regeneration is monergistic: God alone makes the dead heart live. The promise that "I will be their God" (Ezekiel 34:24; 36:28) undergirds WCF Chapter 7 (Of God's Covenant), the new covenant fulfilled in Christ. Ezekiel's relentless refrain, "you shall know that I am the LORD," confesses the sovereignty and providence taught in WCF Chapter 5, while the doctrine of individual responsibility in Ezekiel 18 — "the soul who sins shall die" — reflects WCF Chapter 6 (Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof). To read Ezekiel with the Westminster Standards is to see sovereign grace rise straight from the prophet's visions.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Book Of Ezekiel
What is the book of Ezekiel about?
Ezekiel is the prophecy of a priest carried into Babylonian exile, who declares God's judgment on Judah and the nations for their sin, then proclaims hope: God will gather His people, give them a new heart, put His Spirit within them, and raise the spiritually dead to life. Its central message is that God acts so "you shall know that I am the LORD."
Who was Ezekiel, and when did he prophesy?
Ezekiel was a priest, the son of Buzi, taken captive to Babylon in 597 B.C. with King Jehoiachin. He received his call by the Chebar River and prophesied roughly from 593 to 571 B.C., during the same era as Jeremiah (in Jerusalem) and Daniel (also in Babylon). He ministered to the exiles, both before and after Jerusalem's fall in 586 B.C.
What does the valley of dry bones mean (Ezekiel 37)?
The valley of dry bones is a vision of Israel's restoration. The bones, "very dry," picture a people spiritually dead and without hope. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy, and by His word and Spirit the bones live. It teaches that spiritual life comes only from God, foreshadows the new covenant gift of the Spirit, and anticipates the bodily resurrection.
What does the "new heart" and "heart of stone to heart of flesh" mean (Ezekiel 36)?
Ezekiel 36:26–27 promises that God will remove the unresponsive "heart of stone" and give a living "heart of flesh," putting His Spirit within His people. This describes regeneration — God's sovereign work of making a spiritually dead sinner alive and willing to obey. Reformed theology calls this monergistic: it is God's doing from start to finish, not man's self-improvement.
What does "son of man" mean in Ezekiel?
God addresses Ezekiel as "son of man" about ninety-three times, emphasizing his frailty and humanity before the holy LORD. The phrase simply means "mortal man." Significantly, Jesus later took "Son of Man" as His favorite self-designation (drawing especially on Daniel 7:13–14), identifying with humanity even as He claimed divine authority.
What is the vision of the wheels and the glory in Ezekiel 1?
Ezekiel 1 describes four living creatures and gleaming wheels "full of eyes," with the glory of the LORD enthroned above them. The vision reveals God as sovereign, all-seeing, and present even in Babylon — not confined to Jerusalem. Overwhelmed by His holiness, Ezekiel falls on his face. The vision sets the tone for the whole book: God's glory is supreme.
Who is the "one shepherd, My servant David" in Ezekiel 34?
God promises one true Shepherd, "My servant David," to replace Israel's faithless shepherds. Since David had been dead for centuries, this points to David's greater Son — the Messiah. Jesus fulfills it as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11) and reigns as the promised Davidic King forever.
What does Ezekiel 18 teach about individual responsibility?
The exiles complained that they were punished for their fathers' sins. God replies that "the soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20): each person is accountable for his own sin, and God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but calls them to "turn and live" (18:32). The chapter exposes human guilt and magnifies the necessity of God's saving grace.
How does Ezekiel point to Jesus Christ?
Ezekiel points to Christ as the glory of God who returns to dwell with His people (John 1:14), the one Shepherd from David's line (34:23; John 10:11), the giver of the new heart and Spirit (36:26–27), the resurrection life breathed into dry bones (37; John 11:25), and the temple from which the river of life flows (47; John 2:19–21; Revelation 22:1–2).
How does the Westminster Confession use Ezekiel 36 for regeneration?
The Westminster Confession cites Ezekiel 36:26–27 as a key proof for effectual calling (Chapter 10), which teaches that God renews the sinner's will by His almighty power and "takes away the heart of stone." Ezekiel's promise of a new heart and indwelling Spirit shows regeneration to be wholly God's monergistic work. New Geneva Theological Seminary teaches Ezekiel within this Westminster-confessional framework.
Ezekiel Explained — Sermon Series
Expository preaching through the Book of Ezekiel by Dr. Toby Holt, President of New Geneva Theological Seminary. Reformed, Westminster-confessional, and free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The Vision Of A Wheel — Ezekiel 1 — By a foreign river, in exile, Ezekiel sees the throne of God — sovereign even there.
The Prophet And The Scroll — Ezekiel 2 — Before Ezekiel could speak God's word, he had to eat it — and it was sweet.
The Watchman Of God — Ezekiel 3 — The watchman who stays silent shares the guilt. God still calls His people to warn.
You Will Know That I Am The Lord — Ezekiel 6 — God's judgments and mercies share one aim: that His people would know He is the Lord.
The Glory Of God Departs — Ezekiel 10 — The most terrifying judgment is not fire from heaven, but God's glory leaving the temple.
False Prophets, Dead Prophets — Ezekiel 13 — False prophets whitewash crumbling walls. God's people need the truth, not flattering lies.
The Serpent And The City — Ezekiel 26-28 — Pride went before Tyre's fall — as it did the devil's. The exalted will be brought low.
Hearts Of Stone, Hearts Of Flesh — Ezekiel 36 — Dead hearts cannot reform themselves. God must remove the stone and give a heart of flesh.
The Valley Of Dry Bones — Ezekiel 37 — Can these bones live? Only when the Spirit breathes does a dead people rise.
The Future Temple Of God — Ezekiel 40-48 — Ezekiel sees a temple where God dwells with His people forever — a vision fulfilled in Christ.
Key Verses In The Book Of Ezekiel
These are the passages that anchor the theology of Ezekiel — the texts Reformed theologians have returned to as foundations for the sovereignty of God, monergistic regeneration, and the new covenant in Christ.
Ezekiel 1:28 — "Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking." (NKJV)
The book opens not with Ezekiel's agenda but with the overwhelming glory of God. The prophet can only describe it in layers of "likeness" and "appearance," for the LORD is incomprehensibly holy. Sinful man's right response is to fall on his face. This vision governs the whole book: judgment and salvation alike exist so that "you shall know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel 18:20 — "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." (NKJV)
The exiles blamed their fathers; God answers that each person is accountable for his own sin, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is not works-righteousness but the just ground of judgment that makes grace necessary. The same chapter pleads, "turn and live" (18:32) — exposing man's guilt so that the only hope becomes the new heart God Himself must give.
Ezekiel 36:26–27 — "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." (NKJV)
The clearest Old Testament statement of monergistic regeneration. Salvation is entirely God's initiative: "I will" is repeated relentlessly. He removes the dead heart of stone, gives a living heart of flesh, and indwells His people by His Spirit so that they obey. The Westminster Confession (10.1–2) rests its doctrine of effectual calling here.
Ezekiel 37:4–5, 14 — "Again He said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, "O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!" Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live."'… "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live." (NKJV)
In the valley of dry bones, Israel is "very dry" — utterly dead, beyond self-help. Life comes only by the word of the LORD and the breath of His Spirit. This is the gospel pattern: the Spirit gives life to the spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1, 5), and it foreshadows the bodily resurrection of all who are in Christ.
Ezekiel 34:23–24 — "I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken." (NKJV)
After indicting Israel's false shepherds, God promises one true Shepherd, "My servant David" — not David himself, long dead, but David's greater Son. This is fulfilled in Jesus, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). The covenant formula, "I will be their God," seals the promise of redemption.
Ezekiel 47:9 — "And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes." (NKJV)
From the restored temple flows a river that deepens and heals everything it touches. This life-giving stream points beyond the earthly temple to Christ, from whom flow rivers of living water (John 7:38), and forward to the river of the water of life in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1–2). Where God dwells, death gives way to abundant life.
Christ In Ezekiel — The Glory, The Shepherd, And The Temple Of Living Water
Ezekiel is filled with Christ — not as a distant idea, but in the very titles, visions, and promises that fill the book. The glory that departs from a defiled temple returns in the One who is "God with us"; the dead are raised by the Spirit; and a healing river flows from the dwelling place of God. Where Genesis foreshadows the Savior in types and shadows, Ezekiel points to Him in visions of glory, resurrection, and the temple to come.
Christ The Glory Of God, Departed And Returning (Ezekiel 1, 10–11, 43): Ezekiel watches the glory of the LORD lift from the temple and depart because of Israel's sin (Ezekiel 10:18; 11:23), then sees it return to a future temple (43:1–5). That glory is fully revealed in Jesus Christ, for "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory" (John 1:14). He is Immanuel — God's glory come back to His people, never to depart again.
Christ The One Shepherd, "My Servant David" (Ezekiel 34:23–24; 37:24–25): Against the self-serving shepherds of Israel, God promises one Shepherd from David's line who will feed and rule His flock forever. Jesus claims this title directly: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). He is the Davidic King and Prince whose everlasting reign Ezekiel foretold.
Christ Who Gives The New Heart And His Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26–27): The promise of a heart of flesh and an indwelling Spirit is the new covenant, ratified in Christ's blood (Luke 22:20). What the law could not do, Christ accomplishes by His Spirit — taking out the heart of stone and writing God's law within. This is regeneration: not man's reformation of himself, but God's sovereign re-creation of the dead sinner in Christ.
Christ The Resurrection And The Life (Ezekiel 37:1–14): The valley of dry bones declares that life comes only by the word and breath of God. Jesus is that life: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25). The Spirit who breathed life into the bones is the same Spirit who raised Christ and who quickens all who are united to Him.
Christ The True Temple And River Of Life (Ezekiel 40–48; especially 47): The closing vision of a glorious temple and a healing river is fulfilled in Christ, who said of His body, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19–21). From Him flow rivers of living water (John 7:38), and His river runs to the New Jerusalem, where "the Lamb is its temple" (Revelation 21:22; 22:1–2). Fittingly, "Son of Man" — used of Ezekiel some ninety-three times — is the very title Jesus chose for Himself.
This is the gospel New Geneva Theological Seminary exists to guard and proclaim. Dr. Toby Holt's expository series through Ezekiel preaches Christ verse by verse — the glory of God, the new heart given by sovereign grace, and the Good Shepherd who gathers His flock — with the full weight of Westminster-confessional theology.
The promise in Ezekiel of one Good Shepherd over the flock of God (Ezekiel 34) and rivers of living water (Ezekiel 47) flows into the Gospel of John, where Christ is the Good Shepherd and the giver of living water.
Study Ezekiel At New Geneva Theological Seminary
New Geneva Theological Seminary has equipped ministers and lay leaders in Westminster-confessional theology since 1993. Our expository preaching series through the Bible — including this study of Ezekiel — reflects the same commitments that shape our degree programs: Scripture is the Word of God, the Westminster Standards faithfully summarize its teaching, and sound doctrine must produce pastoral practice.
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