To many readers the book of Ezekiel is a hopeless riddle. We still find many features of the man and his message difficult and sometimes even shocking, if not offensive. The bizarre opening vision catches us off guard and tempts us to stop reading. However, if we persist, and if we meditate long and hard on individual utterances and sign actions, we will discover that despite the strangeness of the man and his utterances, this is the most clearly organized of the major prophetic books. Individual prophecies are clearly marked by headings and often by conclusions. If we persist, we will also discover that from a rhetorical perspective, this priestly prophet knew his audience; he recognized in Judah's rebellion against YHWH the underlying cause of the divine fury that resulted in the exile of his people and the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BCE. But he also recognized that YHWH's judgment could not be the last word. Because his covenant was eternal and irrevocable he looked forward to a day of spiritual renewal and national restoration. This is the first of two volumes of essays on Ezekiel and his book. The seven general essays and two studies of particular texts in this collection explore the times, the message, and the methods of the prophetic priest.

To many readers the book of Ezekiel is a hopeless riddle. However, if we take the time to study it, we will discover that despite the strangeness of the man and his utterances this is the most clearly organized of the major prophetic books. If we persist, we will also discover that from a rhetorical perspective, this priestly prophet knew his audience; he recognized in Judah's rebellion against YHWH the underlying cause of the divine fury that resulted in the exile of his people and the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BCE. But he also recognized that YHWH's judgment could not be the last word. Because his covenant was eternal and irrevocable he looked forward to a day of spiritual renewal and national restoration. This is the second of two volumes of Block's essays on the book of Ezekiel. The essays in this volume explore the theme of Kingship in Ezekiel--both his assessment of Judah's historical kings and his hope for a restored Davidic King/Prince--and the mysterious visions concerning Gog's attack on restored Israel (Ezek 38-39) and concerning the new temple (40-48). Block brings to bear decades of study of the book to open up fresh insights on the ancient text.

To many readers the book of Ezekiel is a hopeless riddle. We may still find many features of the man and his message difficult and sometimes even shocking or offensive. The bizarre opening vision catches us off guard and tempts us to stop reading. Apersistent reader, however, who meditates long and hard on individual utterances and sign actions, will discover that despite the strangeness of the man, this is the most clearly organized of the major prophetic books. Individual prophecies are clearly marked by headings and often by conclusions. The priestly prophet knew his audience, something that is evident if one continues to delve deeper: he recognized in Judah's rebellion against YHWH the underlying cause of the divine fury that resultedin the exile of his people and the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BCE. However, he also recognized that YHWH's judgment could not be the last word: his covenant is eternal and irrevocable. A day of spiritual renewal and national restoration is anticipated. This is the first of two volumes of essays on Ezekiel and his book. The seven general essays and two studies of particular texts in this collection explore the times, the message, and the methods of the prophetic priest.

To many readers the book of Ezekiel is a hopeless riddle. However, if we took the time to study it, we would discover that despite the strangeness of the man and his utterances this is the most clearly organized of the major prophetic books. If we persisted, we would also discover that, from a rhetorical perspective, this priestly prophet knew his audience; he recognized in Judah's rebellion against YHWH the underlying cause of the divine fury that resulted in the exile of his people and the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BCE. But he also recognized that YHWH's judgment could not be the last word. Because his covenant was eternal and irrevocable he looked forward to a day of spiritual renewal and national restoration. This is the second of two volumes of Block's essays on the book of Ezekiel. The essays in this volume explore the theme of Kingship in Ezekiel - both his assessment of Judah's historical kings and his hope for a restored Davidic King/Prince - and the mysterious visions concerning Gog's attack on restored Israel (Ezek 38-39) and the new temple (40-48). Block brings to bear decades of study of the book to open up fresh insights on the ancient text.

Evidence Unseen is the most accessible and careful though through response to most current attacks against the Christian worldview.