Ezekiel, Prophet in Exile

“What Jeremiah is to the people of Judah in Jerusalem, the prophet Ezekiel is to the captives in Babylonian exile.  Of priestly heritage through the line of Aaron, Eleazar, and Zadok, Ezekiel brings to his role as prophet a unique acquaintance with the priesthood, the temple, and ceremonial worship, which shows through in many of his prophecies.

If there is a special theme to Ezekiel’s prophetic messages, it is that, by both its severe punishment and subsequent restoration, Judah will come to know its God as the true God of the universe, who rules over the affairs of individuals and nations.  Ezekiel predicts the fall of Jerusalem due to Judah’s many sins; he brings harsh judgment against Judah’s oppressors; and he prophesies about the restoration of the nation.  Like the other prophets of Israel and Judah, Ezekiel points to the coming Kingdom.  Ezekiel’s visions and writings are filled with symbolism, allegories, parables, and proverbs.

Ezekiel begins the record of his prophetic office with an account of his call to ministry.”

Read:  Ezekiel 1, 2, 3:1-21

“As Ezekiel reels under the weight of his new responsibility, the Holy Spirit leads him to the plain, where God instructs him in five acts which are symbolic of Jerusalem’s destruction and Judah’s fall,  The central message of his ministry follows, couched in a judgment against the mountains of Israel (perhaps because they are often the site of pagan worship) and a prophecy announcing Judah’s end.”

Read:  Ezekiel 3:22-27, 4, 5, 6, 7

All quotations taken from The Daily Bible.