Current studies about Spirit-inspired visions are largely descriptive or overshadowed as they are part of a larger examination on Spirit baptism, pneumatology, or eschatology. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the discussion of Spirit-inspired visions and to inspire Pentecostal communities to read Ezekiel in a fresh new way so as to hear what the Spirit has to say about the
diverse ways in which the activities of the Spirit are engaged in Ezekiel’s visions. This study proposes that the conclusions drawn from a literary theological analysis of Ezekiel’s visions provide the reader with the basis for constructing overtures towards a Pentecostal theology of Spirit-inspired visions. This thesis examines the literary and theological relationships primarily between the activities of the divine xwr (‘Spirit’), the hwhy-dy (‘hand of YHWH’), and the
affective language in the four significant visions in the book of Ezekiel (Ezek. 1–3; 8–11; 37.1-14; 40–43). As such, it will give special attention to the genre identified, themes, and the literary markers observed in the text in order to discern the structure of the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel’s visions provide the structural framework that underscores the theological themes of the Spirit,
the glory of YHWH, the hand of YHWH, and the leitmotif of the affections.
This study is also an intentional contribution to the current discussion concerning Pentecostal hermeneutics. The Pentecostal experience of the Spirit is considered a hermeneutical lens, which presupposes a context for biblical interpretation. A Pentecostal reading strategy based upon contemporary Pentecostal scholarship is utilized, which is informed and shaped by the Scripture, the Spirit, and the community. A narrative theological analysis is a method owing to its compatibility with the narrative orientation of Pentecostal thought. A Pentecostal hearing of the biblical texts highlights the text in its final form and derives its primary meaning from the narrative. From this perspective, a literary and theological analysis of Ezekiel will focus on the stories that the narrator tells to understand how they help the reader or hearer derive meaning in the text with special attention given to the repetition of literary markers, the structure, genre, and main characters, while drawing theological conclusions. This thesis will also incorporate reception history as a means to glean from the testimonies of early Pentecostals as they read and interpreted Ezekiel’s visions, specifically surveying the Pentecostal periodicals from the Wesleyan-Holiness and the Finished Work publications. The conclusions from this study will be
put into conversation with Pentecostal spirituality.