Full Description
The books of Ezekiel and Daniel provide some of the most memorable stories and images of the Old Testament.
Ezekiel, the wild prophet of the Babylonian exile, gave us images of the blazing wheeled throne of God leaving Jerusalem and the valley of dry bones that only God could restore to life. Struggling to prove his authenticity as a prophet, Ezekiel gives hard messages to the people of Israel that predict the fall of Jerusalem and punishment of all the nations. At the heart of the fiery speech and actions, however, is someone trying to explain how Jerusalem could fall and Israel could lose the Promised Land. In the end, there can be no mistake about his message of God's power and the cost of Israel's unfaithfulness.
The prophet Daniel's message balances that of Ezekiel's, offering stories of God's faithfulness to those who keep the law. The dramatic stories of the three men in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lion's den, as well as the account of Susanna and the elders, show God's saving power to those who are faithful. Daniel's message is one of hope for a people living under severe oppression during and after exile. Combining storytelling, prophecy, and apocalyptic, this book puts history in the context of God's larger plan for humanity.
Contents
CONTENTS
Abbreviations 4
THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL
Corrine L. Carvalho
Introduction 5
Text and Commentary 10
Call of the Prophet (Ezekiel 1:1-3:15) 10
Oracles of Destruction (Ezekiel 3:16-24:27) 16
Oracles Against Foreign Nations (Ezekiel 25:1-32:32) 67
Oracles of Restoration (Ezekiel 33:1-48:35) 85
THE BOOK OF DANIEL
Paul V. Niskanen
Introduction 120
Text and Commentary 122
The Exiles of Judah and the Foreign King (Daniel 1:1-6:29) 122
Visions of History (Daniel 7:1-12:13) 145
Stories in Greek (Daniel 13:1-14:42) 162
Review Aids and Discussion Questions 170
Index of Citations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church 174
Map 175
