1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
What was said in the previous Note helps us in formulating an analysis of Ezekiel's prophecy, for in fact it contains a number of specific dates - 1:1, 2; 3:16; 8:1; 20:1; 24:1; 26:1; 29:1; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1, 17; 33:21; 40:1. Of these, it will be seen that the first five fall within ten years of Ezekiel being taken captive to Babylon, i.e. they belong to the period before the second captivity in 587/6 BC. This means that chapters 1-24 deal with prophecies uttered before Jerusalem finally fell, and this in fact comprises half the book. Just as clearly, chapters 25-32 constitute a section on their own, being a series of prophecies against the heathen nations, Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt. The dates of these prophecies are in the main during the time of the siege of Jerusalem which, we should bear in mind, continued for two years.
Finally, chapters 33-48 after the final fall of Jerusalem. In the main these chapters deal with the prospects and hope of restoration, with (i) predictions of new life to be restored by God (33-39), and (ii) descriptions of the new order to be established, with the wonderful vision of the Temple (40-48). We thus have a threefold division, before, during and after the Fall of Jerusalem, full and detailed analysis of which follows in the next Note.