Ezekiel in Biblical History

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Who is Ezekiel?
        EZE'KIEL
        (God is my strength), the son of a priest named Buzi, was born and spent his earlier years in Judaea. He was carefully educated, but carried by Nebuchadnezzar into captivity with Jehoiachin, king of Judah, b.c. 598, 11 years before the destruction of Jerusalem, and placed with a Jewish community by the river Chebar, in Chaldaea. See Chebar. He prophesied over 22 years, b.c. 595-573, till the fourteenth year after the final captivity of Jerusalem. From incidental allusions we learn that he had a house, Eze 8:1, and had lost his wife very suddenly, Eze 24:16-18. He was held in great esteem and frequently consulted by the elders, Neh 8:1; Eze 11:25; Eze 14:1; Eze 20:1. It is said that he kept up an intimate friendship with Jeremiah, and even that they exchanged prophecies. At all events, they echo one another's grief and lament over the ruined city, and both pierce through the gloom of the present distress and see the light of a new dispensation when the Law shall be written in the heart. Eze 11:19;Eze 18:31; cf. Jer 31:33. We do not know how or when his death occurred. Tradition states he was murdered. His reputed tomb is shown near Bagdad. Ezekiel was stern, inflexible, an earnest Jewish patriot, devoted to the rites and ceremonies of his religion, and uncompromisingly opposed to all forms of evil. He no doubt contributed much to the formation of the intense nationality of the Jews during that period. Prof. J. T. Hyde says: "He is not so much of a counsellor and seer as Isaiah, nor so much of a reformer and intercessor as Jeremiah, nor so much of a prince and statesman as Daniel, but more of a priest in his general spirit and bearing. More than a hundred times is he called 'son of man,' a title given to no other prophet except Daniel, and to him only once, Dan 8:17, signifying, doubtless, that 'to them of the captivity' he was not only a living witness for God, but a priestly mediator, with somewhat of the distant dignity of the great 'Son of man' himself." Prophecy of. The book of Ezekiel is arranged in regular chronological order, and presents a great variety of visions, symbolical actions, parables, proverbs, allegories, and direct prophecies. Many of the symbolic acts were probably not literally performed by the prophet, but described in this manner for rhetorical effect. He is especially familiar with architecture, from which he often draws his illustrations. He is somewhat obscure by reason of the strange things he describes -- "wheels within wheels, with living creatures wedded." The Jews reckoned his prophetical writings among those portions of Scripture which were not allowed to be read till the age of 30. His imagery and symbolism derive much light from the recently-discovered Assyrian monuments. We there find reproduced the strange forms he brings to our view -- the eagle-winged lion and the human-headed bull. His visions give us "the last glimpse of these gigantic emblems, which vanished in the prophet's lifetime, only to reappear in our own age from the long-lost Nineveh." (Stanley.)


        The book is divided into two parts, of which the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar is the turning-point.


        (1) Chs. 1-24 contain predictions before that event; these are arranged in chronological order from the fifth year of the Captivity to the ninth.


        (2) Chs. 25-48 contain prophecies and visions after Jerusalem's fall, including denunciations against Ammon, Moab, Edom, the Philistines, Tyre, Zidon, and Egypt, 30-32; predictions of the re-establishment of the theocracy, 35-48. Ch. 35 is the judgment of Seir. The second part is also arranged chronologically. Ezekiel himself is the apparent editor of his book. There are no direct quotations of Ezekiel in the N.T., but many parallels and obvious allusions to the later chapters in the book of Revelation.


        The Vision of the Temple. -- This section, the last nine chapters, 40-48, is so remarkable that it arrests the attention of every reader and constitutes the unique feature of Ezekiel's book. It is a magnificent vision and description of the new temple which Ezekiel saw from a high mountain in the twenty fifth year of the Captivity and the fourteenth after the destruction of the holy city. Although a few commentators maintain it was but a description from memory of Solomon's temple, the majority hold that it has to do with future events. These latter differ according as they see in it a mere prophetic picture of Zerubbabel's temple, or a vague announcement of some future blessing, or, as is altogether the best view, a Messianic prophecy. It is most probably a grand symbol of the future Church of God. Its historical foundation is undoubtedly the first temple and the hidden springs of the sacred mount, but upon this foundation the inspired prophet builds a glorious superstructure of allegory which sets forth the whole scheme of redemption.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'ezekiel' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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