Introduction: Although the Jewish people were the chosen people of God, they disobeyed Him and were punished for their sins. Enemies won battles against them and their crops failed. However, they refused to respond to the correction given to them by the Lord. Finally, God sold them into slavery. One way or another, they must learn that their sins cannot continue and God must be served.

1. ASSYRIAN CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL
1. Taken into Captivity by Assyria (2 Kings 17:22-23); dated at 721BC
2. Never Yet Returning to the Land (2 Kings 18:11-12)
3. To Return One Day to the Land (Isaiah 11:10-13; Jeremiah 3:17-18; Jeremiah 30:3-4; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Jeremiah 33:7; Ezekiel 37:15-28; Hosea 1:11; Zechariah 10:6)
2. BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH
1. First Stage; occurred about 606BC (2 Chronicles 36:5-8; Daniel 1:1-6)
2. Second Stage; occurred about 597BC (2 Kings 24:8-16)
3. Third Stage; occurred about 586BC (2 Chronicles 36:10-21)
4. Prophets at the Time of the Captivity
1. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1-3)
2. Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:6)
3. Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1:1-2)
3. TIME OF EXILE FOR JUDAH
1. Under Babylon
1. King Nebuchadnezzar
1. Daniel 2:36-38; Daniel 4:30
2. From about 605 to 562BC
2. King Belshazzar
1. Daniel 5:1-2
2. From about 562 to 539
3. History records that he was actually the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar and that Belshazzar actually reigned with his father Nabonidus who was the son of Nebuchadnezzar. However, Nabonidus was gone most of the time on campaigns or for other reasons. Therefore, his son Belshazzar reigned in his absence. Since a grandfather is generally called a father in scripture, this presents no problem at all to the Bible-believer.
2. Under Persia
1. The fall of Babylon occurred around 539BC (Daniel 5:22-30)
2. Cyrus
1. 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1-4)
2. Ruled Persia from 559 to 530BC
3. Darius
1. Ezra 4:5; Ezra 6:15
2. Ruled Persia from 522 to 486BC
4. Ahasuerus
1. Esther 1:1-3
2. Historically called Xerxes
3. Ruled Persia from 486 to 465BC
5. Artaxerxes
1. Ezra 7:11-13
2. Ruled Persia from 465 to 425BC
3. Prophets of the Exile
1. Daniel (Daniel 1:1, 6; Daniel 6:1-3)
2. Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1-3)
1. 48 chapters
2. Ezekiel means “God strengthens”
3. Written after 592BC; Ezekiel was in exile in Babylon
4. Born of a priestly heritage (Ezekiel 1:3)
5. God revealed to Ezekiel on the same day the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 24:2) and the death of his wife (Ezekiel 24:15-18)
6. Lived at Tel-abib (Ezekiel 3:15) a city for exiles near Babylon near the river Chebar(Ezekiel 1:1), the Grand Canal, which flowed from the Euphrates above Babylon and back into the Euphrates near Erech
7. Met at his house with the elders of Judah (Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 14:1; Ezekiel 20:1)
8. Visions of Ezekiel
1. Vision of the Cherubim (Ezekiel chapter 1)
2. Vision of the Roll (Ezekiel chapters 2-3)
3. Vision of the Plain (Ezekiel chapter 3)
4. Visions of Jerusalem (Ezekiel chapters 8-11)
5. Vision of the Dry Bones (Ezekiel chapter 37)
6. Visions of the New Temple (Ezekiel chapters 40-48)
9. Symbolic Actions of Ezekiel
1. Sign of the brick (Ezekiel 4:1-3)
2. Sign of the prophet’s posture (Ezekiel 4:4-8)
3. Sign of famine (Ezekiel 4:9-17)
4. Sign of the knife and razor (Ezekiel 5:1-17)
5. Sign of the house moving (Ezekiel 12:1-7,17-20)
6. Sign of the sharpened sword (Ezekiel 21:1-17)
7. Sign of Nebuchadnezzar’s sword (Ezekiel 21:18-23)
8. Sign of the smelting furnace (Ezekiel 22:17-31)
9. Sign of Ezekiel’s wife’s death (Ezekiel 24:15-27)
10. Sign of the two sticks (Ezekiel 37:15-17)
10. Allegories in Ezekiel
1. The Vine (Ezekiel 15:1-8)
2. The Faithless Wife (Ezekiel 16:1-63)
3. The Two Eagles (Ezekiel 17:1-21)
4. The Cedar (Ezekiel 17:22-24)
5. The Two Women (Ezekiel 23:1-49)
6. The Boiling Caldron (Ezekiel 24:1-14)
11. Key words
1. Son of man – over 90 times
2. The word of the LORD came unto me – 49 times
12. Outline
1. Judgment (Ezekiel chapters 1-32)
2. Restoration (Ezekiel chapters 33-48)

Conclusion: The Jews did not listen to God when they had a chance. They are still God’s people and He still loves them, but they have had to go through terrible troubles because of their disobedience. Perhaps we can learn from their mistakes. We should learn to obey before we get into such a mess.

Memory Verses:

Numbers 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Jeremiah 33:7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.

Romans 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.