You may be familiar with the importance of the number 40 in the bible. Hill and walton write, the lack of strict chronological ordering of the. It is impossible to tell when ezekiel was given these prophecies. The book of ezekiel has always been a problem book. Since ezekiel is describing a mystical vision where symbolism speaks loudly it is possible that the name eglaim is chosen for its symbolic value the number 153. It contains three sections, each of which addresses a different subject matter. Meaning of the number 153 in the bible bible study. Ezekiel was both priest and prophet, a distinction likewise enjoyed by jeremiah and later by zechariah. Within the general structure, the order of the material is, on the whole, chronological. Eleven times throughout the torah, the number 153 connects to the word hapesach, the passover. The book of revelation, the last of the bible books, especially alludes to ezekiels prophecies. The fish and the number 153 are for signs and symbols. In chapter 43, ezekiel sees again a vision like before 43. Revelation 2020 gospel of matthew ezekiel who has believed our message.
This lengthy vision has been the subject of much speculation and various interpretations through the years. However, they do mark a division within ezekiels book between the two major phases of ezekiels ministry. Summary the book covers the prophecies, visions, and symbolic actions of ezekiel, a prophet among the jews during the exile in babylon. Ezekiel s in babylon, having been exiled there after the first siege of judah by the babylonians. According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet ezekiel, exiled in babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571 bc, although it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve.
This book is one of the major prophets, filled with deeply symbolic visions and extreme actions from a man of zealous faith and profound spiritual vision. Biblical numerology is the study of individual numbers in scripture. No other bible book has as many links to the book of revelation as the book of ezekiel. In the first two ezekiel announced judgment on jerusalem ezek. The ancient jewish approach to understanding the bible is far more. Bible book number 26ezekiel watchtower online library. Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. As such, it symbolizes perfect spiritual order carried out with all power.
Besides clarity of structure, the book of ezekiel reveals symmetry. Book of ezekiel overview insight for living ministries. Ezekiel commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. It relates particularly to the meaning of numbers, both literal and symbolic.
The book of ezekiel takes its title from the priest of the same name, son to a man named buzi. A triangular number is also the sum of all the natural numbers from 1 to the triangle of the number. Summary of the book of ezekiel the story of the bible. Augustine of hippo argued that the significance lay in the fact that 153 is the sum of the first 17 integers i. In no other book is this pattern clearer than in ezekiel see outline. The bible explicitly tells us that there were 153 fish. In its general theme the book of ezekiel resembles the book of isaiah, the first part having to do with judgment, the second with blessing. After a great martyrdom of saints instigated by the sataninspired one world government, god will cause signs to appear in the heavens revelation 6. Like jeremiah, ezekiel ministered in the years immediately preceding and immediately following the fall of jerusalem in 586 b. Much of christ will be found in this book, especially in the conclusion.
It is the triad, being the number of the whole as it contains the beginning, a middle and an end. Moreover, the number 7 signifies holiness, since god blessed the 7th day and made it holy gen 2. The book of ezekiel, one of the major prophetical books of the old testament. One scholar perceived a coded numericrelationship between the numbers 17 and 153 and the dead sea locations mentioned in ezekiel 47. Many today would learn well from ezekiels acceptance of responsibility. In contrast to various other prophets ezekiel has not been criticised as much. The number 153 is also a hexagonal number, and a truncated triangle number, meaning that 1, 15, and 153 are all triangle numbers. When are the 144,000 sealed a spiritual mark to denote their conversion, a possible allusion to ezekiel 9.
The distinct prime factors of 153 add up to 20, and so do the ones of 154, hence the two form a ruthaaron pair. This is a prophetic number in both daniel chapter 12 and in revelation. It may have a very special significance for the apostles. The bible states the disciples marvelled at the fact that their net held together even though it contained so many large fish john 21. The next number that combines these two factors is 153. This book is basically about the destruction and exile of judah and the promise of its eventual restoration by god. Ezekiel cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. There are different ways to look at the divisions in the book of ezekiel. The book of ezekiel was likely written between 593 and 565 b. Probably at that time, there were only 153 species of fish. Eleven times throughout the torah, the number 153 connects to. Thus, the number of the nations of the world in the new creation is 153.
The book of ezekiel, written by the prophetpriest ezekiel, who lived both in jerusalem prior to the babylonian exile 586 bce and in babylon after the exile, and also by an editor or editors, who belongs to a school of the prophet similar to that of the prophet isaiah, has captured the attention of readers for centuries because of. A series of studies in the old testament book of ezekiel. The symbolism and spiritual significance of the number three three is the first number to which the meaning all was given. For those seeking an introductory level commentary on the book of ezekiel, the best place to turn is this commentary by derek thomas. The book has a uniformity of language, style, theme, and message which support the theory of a single author. What does the bible mean when it says that we will receive a new heart. The number seventeen not the word merely has a significance of its own, and therefore an importance which must be taken into account wherever it appears in the word of god by itself or as a factor. What is the significance of ezekiels description of gods.
How does their sealing fit into prophetic end time events. The book of ezekiel he will be strengthened of god. Throughout his book he is addressed over 90 times as son of man, a point of significance when studying his prophecy because, in the christian greek scriptures, jesus is similarly referred to as son of man nearly 80 times. The book of ezekiel is unique in that, with occasional exceptions, it is entirely autobiographical, that is, written in the first person, from the viewpoint of ezekiel himself. That means that if you add all the numbers decreasing from 17, you get 153. Ezekiel taught individual responsibility in passages such as ezekiel 18. The book of ezekiel introduction to the book of ezekiel in the bible. The three major prophets isaiah, jeremiah, ezekiel and zephaniah all have the same basic sequence of messages. The heavenly chariot, though, makes one last appearance in ezekiels book. Symbolizing abundance, 153 can even represent an overflow blessing from god. The autobiographical style of the book supports ezekiel as the author of the book i, me, my are in almost every chapter of the book. Ecclesiastes song of solomon isaiah jeremiah lamentations ezekiel. These doubts were strong enough, in those early days, to raise the question of whether ezekiel should be one of the biblical books.
Chapters 3339 are written to the surviving exiles after jerusalems fall in which ezekiel tries to build up the jews living in babylon and help them remember they are still the. The number 153 represented known people group in the world at that time, in other words the whole world. Ezekiel simply explained welwyn commentary series, 1993. The prophet ezekiel the vision of the valley of dry bones ezekiel 37 ezekiel was carried away captive to babylon at the age of twentyfive one of 10,000 captives. When teaching on numerology in revelation, i begin not with any of these at times. This book is one of the major prophets, filled with deeply symbolic visions and extreme actions from a. If the evangelist has some symbolism in mind connected with the number 153, he has hidden it well. In ezekiel, chapter 47 verse 10, we find a gematria that, not only shows the link between the numbers 17 and 153, but moreover reminds the miraculous draught of fishes related by john.
The significance of there being 153 fish is that there was a lot of them. The disciples caught 153 fish the new theological movement. The chariot is drawn by four living creatures, each having. Read ezekiel commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. Meaning, the sum of the first seventeen numbers equals 153. Philip davies the significance of there being 153 fish is that there was a lot of them. When you study the symbolic meaning of each number up to 17, this additional fact becomes deeply thought provoking. The symbolism and spiritual significance of the number three. Ezekiels priestly lineage shines through in his prophetic ministry. For example, compare revelation chapters 1821 with ezekiel chapters 27, 38, and 47. Catholic priest and theologian, theorized that the 153 fishes caught by the disciples represented all the species of fish. Ezekiel bible book with full chapters king james version.
Jan 02, 2020 why is ezekiel called son of man if it is a title for jesus. According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet ezekiel, exiled in babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571 bc, although it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve the very. Ezekiels in babylon, having been exiled there after the first siege of judah by the babylonians. The number of nations in the world in the old covenant, according to genesis 10, was 70 7 x 10. According to dates given in the text, ezekiel received his prophetic call in the fifth year of the first deportation to babylonia 592 bc and was active until about 570 bc. Ezekiels all about locationso much so that theres a series of chapters 4042 that do little more than describe the precise measurements of every single area. Clicking on a chapter will show you the text of that chapter of ezekiel in the bible king james version. The number 40 appears dozens of times across the old and new testaments. Jan 01, 2015 we have only scratched the surface of the mystery of the 153 fish, but the mysteries are beginning to unroll like a scroll that has been hidden, like a prophecy unsealed. The priest ezekiel was the first prophet to be called by the lord outside of israel during the babylonian captivity. The following are five of the most helpful commentaries on this prophetic book. Ezekiel these are all of the chapters of the book of ezekiel. God approaches ezekiel as the divine warrior, riding in his battle chariot. The celtic preoccupation with the number three can be seen in the image of many of the celtic gods and goddesses such as the three brigids, and in the course of a story, often male heroes travel in groups of three in an attempt to complete a task, each of the three completing a different leg of the journey.
In greek, the expression exhibits in another form the same phenomena, the gematria being 32, or 3 x 7 x 153. We have only scratched the surface of the mystery of the 153 fish, but the mysteries are beginning to unroll like a scroll that has been hidden, like a prophecy unsealed. Thus both the word gedi itself and the combination of gedi and eglaim. Study the bible online using commentary on ezekiel and more. In ezekiel 4048 ezekiel sees a detailed vision of a grand and glorious temple. The prophet ezekiel is the author of the book ezekiel 1. Conservative scholars remain cautious about assigning too much importance to the meaning of numbers in the bible. Jesus is the fulfiller of the promises laid out in the book. Apr 18, 2010 moreover, the number 7 signifies holiness, since god blessed the 7 th day and made it holy gen 2. The 153 fish in john 21 is an allusion to ezekiel 47 and the vision of the spirit of. The number 153 is the numerical total for the hebrew words ani. In ezekiels visions, hes transported back to jerusalem, which is the real geographical center of the book. On shore, peter counts a total number of 153 great fish in the net.
Is the king of tyre prophecy in ezekiel 28 referring to satan. It is believed that ezekiel concluded his prophetic work around 570 b. God returns from the exile, having promised to return the people to the land 36. Each of the words in the bible, both greek and hebrew, adds up to a number. Moreover, the number 7 signifies holiness, since god blessed the 7 th day and made it holy gen 2. His book contains some of the most difficult and disputed prophecies in the old testament. What is the significance of 153 large fish in john 21. This is not only the concise overview of the book of isaiah, but also of the book of ezekiel, except that ezekiel adds one more principle, the principle of individual responsibility which was also touched by the prophet, jeremiah. This would be a numerical connection to gedi rather than a specific geographical location.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The book moves on to anticipate the destruction of jerusalem and the temple, explains this as gods punishment, and closes with the promise of a new beginning and a new temple inaugural vision ezekiel 1. The book of ezekiel is the third of the latter prophets in the tanakh and one of the major prophetic books in the old testament, following isaiah and jeremiah. Jerome, for example, wrote that oppians halieutica listed 153 species of fish, although this could not have been the intended meaning of the gospel writer. Hence, the 153 fish signify that all the elect are to be saved by the gift of grace 7 and the following of the commandments 10. We are told the exact number not to encourage us to engage in mystical numerology, not to believe in numbers superstitiously, not to engage in silly speculations, not to invent ideas in our heads to put into the bible, but simply to be amazed at the power of. Sep 14, 2018 biblical numerology is the study of individual numbers in scripture. Thomas is a reformed scholar with a heart for god, for his word, and for his people that comes through on every page. The gematria of this phrase is 1989, and the two factors of this number are 153 and x1531989. Seventy has a sacred meaning in the bible that is made up of the factors of two perfect numbers, seven representing perfection and ten representing completeness and gods law. The christological purpose of ezekiel the book of ezekiel anticipates and points to jesus christ throughout. After all, it pops up in the good book 159 times, across both the old and new testaments. A commentary on the book of ezekiel southside christian. In the fifth year of his captivity god called the young priest to prophesy to a rebellious nation, impudent and stubborn.
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