Introduction

In the latter half of his book, Ezekiel continues to highlight God's glory and greatness, foretelling the renewal of God's people and covenant as well as the return of His temple and glory. In the life and ministry of Daniel, we see the fall of Babylon and the rise of the Medes and Persians. With stories and visions, Daniel highlights divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Regardless of the human ruler, God is in control, carrying out His purposes in history, often through His faithful people.

 Readings

The Bible: Ezekiel 33-48, Daniel, and Haggai.

Hays, The Message of the Prophets, pp. 222-230 and 234-253.

Course Notes, pp. 15-17.

 Optional Readings

Yamauchi, Edwin. "Hermeneutical Issues in the Book of Daniel." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 23 (1980): 13-21.

Lewis, Shara. "Relearning to Breathe: Learning to be Okay with Chronic Illness." Bedlam Magazine 28 (2015).

 Guiding Questions

As you read, consider the following questions:

• How are the themes of the latter part of Ezekiel connected to the book's beginning?
• What are the similarities/differences between Ezekiel's covenant of peace (34:25-31, 36:22-32, 37:21-28) and Jeremiah's new covenant (31:31-34)?
• How is the twofold theme of the book of Daniel reflected in its various stories and visions?

 Lectures

Ezekiel

• Lecture 23 | PPT 23 | Audio 23

Daniel

• Lecture 24 | PPT 24 | Audio 24
• Lecture 25 | PPT 25 | Audio 25

 Suggested Work Sequence

Below is a step-by-step guide for what to do when during this unit. Note that while the lectures and readings are described in detail above, assignments have their own pages.

Key:

• MP = Message of the Prophets (Hays)
• MT = Message of the Twelve (Fuhr and Yates)