PROPHET EZEKIEL

INTRODUCTION
Ezekiel, whose name means ‘God Strengthens’, was one of the lines of prophets that
exist during the Exilic era. He was one of the groups of elites and people that were brought into
exile to Babylon (present-day Iraq) with the defeat and exile of King Jehoiachin in 597 BC. It
was suggested in Ezekiel 3:3 that he or his father were priest. He went through apprenticeship
and only became a temple priest in his thirties.

He was called and made a prophet at river Chebar in Babylon. With his prophet-ship, he
was presented with visions, signs and oracles which influences the next turns of events which
foretold the destruction of Jerusalem with the departure of the glory of God from the temple and
the befalling judgment. Despite all that, God’s subsequent visions to Ezekiel coming towards the
end of the book bring hope to all who became refugees in Babylon. With the visions, Ezekiel’s
mind was thus transformed and he, like Jeremiah, became the prophet of disaster but with a
commission to speak Yahweh God’s word, not to Jerusalem, but to his fellow refugees in
Babylon.

HIS STORY
The book of Ezekiel, as a whole, contains key stories that speak of the siege of
Jerusalem and the hope of a New Jerusalem. The entire key events in Ezekiel are filled with
visions, oracles and for Ezekiel, commands in order to give signs to the people of Jerusalem. All
his actions, in direct accordance to Yahweh God’s command, foretold the consequences on His
people because of the rebellion against His laws. But, also at the same time, foretold of the New
Jerusalem to the refugees to fire up their hope of returning to their homeland.

It all began with the presentation of the first vision which describes the glory of God like
a warrior (chariot drawn by four winged man-beasts) which then commissioned Ezekiel as a
prophet “to the Israelites” (Ezek 2:3). Things get worse from then on with visions, oracles and
signs that speak of God’s impending judgments against His people for their idolatrous practices
and prophecy of its inevitable destruction of Jerusalem. The vision of departure of God’s glory
from the temple signifies God’s willingness to be the exiles’ pillar of support as He suffers with
them.
 God continue to use Ezekiel to do dramatic prophetic acts as a model to visualize God’s
judgment to the rebellious people to signify how God would punish them and caused them to be
exiled from Jerusalem and their Temple destroyed by Babylon. Each signs and actions Ezekiel
did through God’s command gives out clues on ways God decided to chastise the stubborn
people in order to recall their faithfulness to His covenant and to discipline them. The words
used by Ezekiel are seen as very harsh but uncompromising, but those words are meant for
them to repent from their sins and return to God’s promises and covenant. After all, all men are
responsible for their actions and therefore bear the consequences reaped from his
unfaithfulness.

After God has finished disciplining the people through Ezekiel, He pronounced judgment
and His wrath to the other nations who oppressed Judah in order to demonstrate to all the
nations that “I am the Lord”, showing His role as a just shepherd. He helps comfort the House of
Israel by informing them that their enemies also will meet their end as well.

Ezekiel began his works to reform and regroup the exiles around the priest and the Law
which revives their religion, making it interior and personal. It gave hope to those faithful to
Yahweh God as well as deepening their spirituality. The famous “dry bone in valley” vision in
which Ezekiel (called son of man by God) saw was God’s reassurance that the House of Israel
would be restored anew and lives in peace once again in their land.

The book onwards reveals a picturesque view of the reconstructed temple in Jerusalem,
complete with the return of the glory of God to His dwelling place (Ezek 40:1 – 48:35), and
preceded with the renewal of the covenant in which they will live in peace, “…be an everlasting
covenant with them…I will bless…multiply them and set my sanctuary in the midst of them
forever more” (Ezek 37:26). Ezekiel further closes the book with the description of the future city
(Ezek 48:35) which prophesies the reconstruction of Israel as the symbol of the Messianic
kingdom.
CONCLUSION AND MY REFLECTION
To further sum it up, Ezekiel’s story exemplifies God’s side as a loving father to
discipline his children and chastise them in order keep them faithful, as a faithful husband to
correct his spouse and sanctify her to him, as a powerful sovereign to his subjects and fights to
liberate his subjects from oppression, a suffering servant who empathizes with them and give
them the hope to look forward to, and as a shepherd who is willing to leaves the others to gather
back his sheep.

Ezekiel has something to teach about being a pastor who is with the people in good
times and in bad. He was an exile himself and he could relate himself to the people he pastor,
those who are searching for hope in the darkness of exile. While he is a strict pastor as
exemplified in his book, he also invites others through his ministry to empathize with the people
and guide them to be faithful follower of Christ. Like Ezekiel, we are called to be God’s
instrument to proclaim Him to all walks of life through our vocation. I am inspired to emulate
Ezekiel in my life in order to become an effective shepherd to my community. But before I can
emulate Ezekiel, I have to continue to purify myself, my intention and be humble in order to be
used as His instrument to others.