Ezekiel ends on a hopeful note for the exiles in Babylon: God intends to remain in their midst when they return to their land. He wants them back, He wants them back in their Promised Land, and He wants to continue the covenant with them that He had made with their forefathers, to bless all nations on earth through them. Although Israel was lost among the nations, God obviously intended for a remnant from each tribe to return and claim their tribe’s inheritance. And He made provision for anyone who wanted to settle in the midst of God’s people to be welcomed. The hopeful note on which the book ends is not just for God’s Old Testament people, but for everyone who seeks to know God: all are welcome to share in relationship with Him. He offers abundant life to all who desire it enough to come to Him.
This ends the three longest of the Major Prophets. All that is left of prophecy are a few Minor Prophets and Daniel, which most people don’t dread reading. We’re going to make it through prophecy! I hope that you have found it a lot more interesting reading than you anticipated. It isn’t all gloom and doom at all, is it? Man’s sinful state in this sin-cursed world demands that the gloom and doom be presented. But God doesn’t intend for that to be the end of the story, or even the fundamental point of the story; rather, He intends that the story be primarily one of hope. I trust that this is what you have carried away from your read through the prophets.