The Man of God: Ezekiel.

by Alejandro Roque Glez.

One of the four Major Prophets and son of the priest Buzi.

Eleven years before Jerusalem was totally destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar’s army, there was another captivity in 597 BC, where the young Ezekiel is brought to the great city of Babylon (2 Kgs 23:36-37, 24:8-16, 2 Chron 36:5-10). Until then it had occurred several captivities which were dismembering the people of Israel from the time of the Assyrians. They were as follows:

- 734 BC: The Assyrian Tiglath-pileser carried captives from the Galilee region of Israel and toward his own Empire.

- 721 BC: Sargon replaces him and invades the Israelite city of Samaria, capital of the Northern Kingdom, taking the rest of the inhabitants, and leaving only the Southern Kingdom, mostly Judea.

- 701 BC: The Assyrian Sennacherib began his raids with the hope of one day conquer Jerusalem; and although he could not, indeed took about 200,000 captives from the adjacent area to Judea.

- 606 BC: The Babylonian Empire imposed itself over the Assyrian and takes some captives to the city of Babylon, among them the young prophet Daniel, who––as we shall see––becomes a minister and adviser to king Nebuchadnezzar.

- 597 BC: The Babylonians invade again Judea and Jerusalem, taking captive king Jehoiakim, along with other Jews, among them the prophet Ezekiel, who would prophesy from the capital city of the Empire: Babylon.

- 586 BC: Occurs the disastrous return of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar troops to burn the city of Jerusalem, which destroyed the Temple of God, causing a great slaughter, and carried the people captive. We have seen how the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, at different times, prophesied this destruction, while nobody believed them.

Ezekiel prophesied from exile telling his countrymen to forget the return to their homeland because soon Jerusalem would be razed to the ground and begin another captivity period of 70 years. For those present it was difficult to admit that the Temple of God (center of their national cult) would be totally burned; albeit, God warned them to stop listening to false prophets––as they always abound––which were speaking about peace, prosperity, and speedy reconciliation. It was actually the time to gather the badly seeded.

Ezekiel––in the name of God––announced that there would be no peace so long as they continued in many superstitions, worship of false idolatries, injustices, wickedness, corruptions and immoralities. Quite contrary to what the other prophets––who were trying to gain influences and seek fame––announced about a speedy recovery, their return to the homeland and democratic prosperity. The prophet Ezekiel refutes them and proves it with irrefutable facts.

These prophecies are accompanied by others about Egypt (chapters 29, 30, 31, and 32), Edom and Seir (chapter 35), together with other lands around Israel which participated with rage, envy, and opportunistic actions in destroying the city of Jerusalem, becoming mercenaries for the king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon; among them people from Ammon and Moab. All of them––as today––were the neighbors of the Jewish kingdom. No matter how much they labored to promote the fall of the Jews it was not enough to be spared from being treated harshly; because it did not prevent to be judged by the king of Babylon, paying him taxes as it was the Empire of the time, including the city of Tyre, which was finally sacked and destroyed.

The prophet Ezekiel like Jeremiah (Jer 37:15-16) suffered firsthand the consequences of being sent by God to seriously announce people’s abominations and the bad news and sadness which were approaching,by so much rebellion and disobedience to the Holy Father, who in his infinite love had filled them with so many blessings. Even though it seems unfair––unless we look to eternity and the Creator‘s Plan––he even lost his beautiful wife, who was “the desire of his eyes” (24:24-27);as if God showing to Israel, which was herself said as the apple of his eye, soon to be stripped, raped and destroyed by the troops of Nebuchadnezzar. Adding more misery to the prophet, and after seeing they ignored his message, God causes him to remain completely silent (dumb) as a sign until his prophecy came true. Once fulfilled what he prophesied, his speech was restored (33:21-22).

The sufferings have not ceased, and still remain bitter gulps to witness. Read the author's books entitled 'Revelation of Saint John. Interpretation of the Book,' and literary work: 'The Great Peacemaker from Hell.'

(Read also the Ezekiel prophecy entitled, 'The Prophet Ezekiel: Gog, Magog, and the Third World War').

[This and other Old Testament prophecies are explicatively compiled in the author's book entitled: 'Major Prophets of the Old Testament;' in print and digital edition]

{ Click here if you wish or need to Contact Us }