The Naked Bible Podcast

Ezekiel 10-11 are the concluding chapters to a prophetic vision that began in chapter 8. In this episode we discover how these chapters provide more Godhead talk from the Old Testament and the departure of the glory of God from the temple.

Dr. Heiser answers your questions.   links referenced: Romans 5:12 and the fate of the unborn, aborted, those who cannot believe Dissociative Disorder Link to Mike’s recommended reading for 2nd Temple Jewish Literature  (not mentioned on the show)… links to two annotated bibliographies on 2nd Temple Jewish Literature: Part 1 – bibliography Part 2 – bibliography

Ezekiel 8 and 9 falls in the section of Ezekiel that concerns two themes: the punishment of Jerusalem and the departure of the glory of God. In Chapter 8 we’re introduced to some specific points of Israelite idolatry – worship of Asherah and worshipping the creator as though he were part of creation. Ezekiel 9 hearkens back to our earlier episode about God keeping a record of the faithful. The judgment vision also takes us back to similar events like the death angel at Passover.

Having performed a series of sign acts dramatizing the demise of Jerusalem and the temple in (Ezek 4-5) and explaining the justification for God’s punishment (Ezek 6), in Ezekiel 7 the prophet tries to jolt the exiles with the reality of the impending doom. Ezekiel 7’s main feature is its dramatic repetition of doom, a feature necessitated by the belief of many Israelites in the inviolability of Zion. Ezekiel disabuses his hearers of that myth in Chapter 7.

Chapter 6 of the book of Ezekiel focuses on the primary reason for Judah’s exile: idolatry. This episode discusses the vocabulary used by Ezekiel for idolatry and spiritual apostasy and its links back to passages like Leviticus 26, which connect occupation of the Promised Land to believing loyalty to Yahweh alone. pdfs referenced: HIGH PLACES IDOLS

These two chapters of Ezekiel confront the reader with a series of “sign acts” on the part of the prophet. These signs are dramatic visualizations of events that are or will befall Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. They present a range of interpretive problems that are discussed in this episode. pdf referenced: Ezekiel 4-5

The second and third chapters of Ezekiel continue the episode of his call as a prophet. This episode of the podcast focuses on some interpretive issues in the chapters as well as some divine council elements that get less attention than chapter 1.

The vision of Ezekiel 1 (also described in Ezekiel 10) is one of the more famous passages in the Bible. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode Dr. Heiser explains what we’re looking at in Ezekiel 1 and what it means. Along the way, it will be clear that Ezekiel isn’t describing a flying saucer or anything that would have been unfamiliar to an Israelite. We can know what Ezekiel saw because of the iconography (artwork) of the day that has survived and also because of its close connections to other Old Testament passages. paper referenced: Ezekiel 1 PDF

This episode marks the beginning of the Naked Bible Podcast series on the book of Ezekiel. Several characteristics set Ezekiel off from the rest of the classical (“Writing”) prophets: the prophet’s bizarre behavior, the use of symbols and symbolic acts, and the emphasis on the Spirit. This episode introduces the prophet and what to expect as we explore the book in future series episodes.

Our 15th Question and Answer episode!