Prophets Exam Unit 5 Jeremiah Ezekiel Comparison

Front 1

Primary aspects of overlap between Ezekiel and Jeremiah

Back 1

PP HANS

1. Prophets of YHWH
2. Priestly Background
3. Harlotry Motif
4. Acted Prophecy (symbolic actions)
5. New Covenant
6. Shepherd Motif

Front 2

Overlap of thier calling as a prophet of YHWH

Back 2

Both are (priestly) prophets called to preach immanent judgment of exile and promised restoration of the remnant. (Jer 1:1; Ezek 1:3)

Front 3

Overlap of their background as a priest

Back 3

The both came from a priestly family and both commented on the liturgical behavior of the priests and the people

Front 4

Overlap of the harlotry motif

Back 4

Both use the harlotry or whoredom motif to describe Judah’s prostitution to other Gods

(Jer 3:6, Ezek 23:5)

Front 5

Overlap of Acted Prophecy

Back 5

both called to take action symbolic of their prophecies

Front 6

Examples of the acted Prophecy of Jeremiah

Back 6

1) TRIP to the potter’s house / breaking of the pot (18, 19)
2) PURCHASED a field during the siege as a symbol of the restored future in the land (32)
3) SOILING of the linen loincloth (13)
4) WEARING bonds and yokes (27,28)

Front 7

Examples of the acted Prophecy of Ezekiel

Back 7

1) CLAY tablet under siege
2) LYING on his side to bear the punishment for the sins of Israel.
3) COOKING bread over excrement
4) HAIR burned, cut, and blown hair depicting the destruction of Jerusalem.

(All in Ezek 4-5)

Front 8

Overlap of New Covenant

Back 8

1) Both Contain New Covenant PASSAGES & TERMS (Only Jer. uses the explicit term but both use the term “covenant of eternity” in Jer 32.40, Ezek 16:60b).

2) In both the new covenant involves God’s PUNISHMENT and RESTORATION of Judah, accompanied by SPIRITUAL RENEWAL among the people

3) Found in Jeremiah 31:31-34 Ezekiel 11:19-20 (really 14-21); 36:26-28

Front 9

Overlap of Shepherd Motif

Back 9

Both priestly prophets speak about the shepherds (PRIEST'S) FAILURE with the sheep (God’s people): They were STARVING and EXPLOITING the sheep instead of serving them by leading them into faithfulness, and holiness in worship, relationships, and society. (Jer 23:1-4; Ezek 34).

Front 10

The details of Ezekiel acted prophecy

Back 10

Depicting the siege of Jerusalem

1) Laying on LEFT SIDE 390 days represents the years which the people had been weighed down by sin.
2) Laying on RIGHT SIDE for 40 days to symbolically bear the sin of the house of Judah
3) FACING his model of the siege of Jerusalem while he lay down
4) Laying BARE his arm, and prophesying against the city. ( bared arm symbolized YHWH’s intention to come as a warrior and to judge the city).

During this he made bread to eat according to a divinely prescribed recipe. He ate meager portions to picture the siege conditions. The bread was to be baked over human excrement (mercifully changed to cow dung) to make him ritually unclean – symbolizing that the people would eat ritually defiled food in exile.

Front 11

Differences between Jeremiah and Ezekiel

Back 11

1) GEOGRAPHIC location – Jeremiah in Jerusalem / Ezekiel in Babylon
2) AUDIENCE – Jeremiah Leaders & fearful people to whom deportations and siege were occurring / Ezekiel to the exilic community
3) MODE expression (apocalyptic intensity) Ezekiel’s has more simile and fantastic visions attempting to express the otherwise ineffable (more emphasis on glory of the Lord)
4) OPPOSITION level – Jeremiah’s life threatened multiple times, jailed, was not allowed to marry. / Ezekiel was married (although she died).

Front 12

The sole OT reference to “new covenant”

Back 12

Jeremiah 31:27-40

Front 13

The structure of Jeremiah's explicit New Covenant Passage

Back 13

Three paragraphs
1) Israel and Judah will be restored after exile (vs. 27-30)
2) God promises the people a “new covenant” (vs. 31-37)
3) Jerusalem will be rebuilt (again restoration from exile) (38-40).

Front 14

The three paragraphs of Jeremiah’s explicit New Covenant Passage are marked off

Back 14

by repetition of the phrase “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD” (27, 31, 38).

Front 15

What does the second paragraph (31-37) of Jeremiah’s explicit New Covenant Passage deal with?

Back 15

A problem the people had: they lacked inward covenant reality and had no genuine circumcision of the heart.

The new covenant is what fixes this.
The “new covenant” is NOT a new redemptive-historical era. Rather, “new covenant” means “new situation in which the people embrace the covenant from the heart” which begins after the return from exile.

Front 16

OT New Covenant passages in other OT books

Back 16

Isa 42:6 (five others in Isa per Collins, 91)
Ezek 36:22-32 (four others in Ezek)

Front 17

Key NT new covenant passages

Back 17

Heb. 8
2 Cor. 3
Gal 4

Front 18

How does NT talk about the new covenant?

Back 18

Describe new covenant in terms of an inward reality of a relationship with God.

The “old covenant” refers to the people’s historic response of rejecting God and apostasy, not an older redemptive-historical era that is somehow defective.

Front 19

In both Testaments what does "new covenant" refer to?

Back 19

The “new covenant” refers to covenant reality, faith, genuine relationship with God.