From the opening verses of the Book, which bears the name of the prophet
Ezekiel, we learn that he was the son of Buzi the priest, and belonged
consequently to the much honored Zadok family. That he knew the nobility
of Jerusalem well and was intimate with them may be indirectly learned
from the eleventh chapter. Rabbinical tradition identifies Buzi (which
means "contempt") with Jeremiah and makes him a son of that prophet.
There is, however, no positive evidence for this. Eleven years before
the complete ruin of the city and the temple was effected by the King of
Babylon, Ezekiel was carried away into the captivity. This deportation
is recorded in 2 Kings xxiv:14. "And he carried away all Jerusalem, and
all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand
captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths, none remained save the
poorest sort of the people of the land." Before Ezekiel with the princes
and the mighty men were taken into captivity, others had been removed to
Babylon, notably Daniel and his three companions. This was in
fulfillment of Isaiah xxxiv:6-7. Ezekiel must have known Daniel
personally. His name is found three times in this book (chapters xiv:14,
20; xxviii:3).
Ezekiel was not a youth, as generally supposed, when he was deported to
Babylon, for the matured character of a priest which appears in his
writings and his full and intimate acquaintance with the temple service,
render such a supposition highly improbable. Jewish tradition declares
that he exercised already the prophetic office before he was carried
away. The much disputed phrase "in the thirtieth year" (chapter i:1) we
hope to examine more closely in our exposition.
The name Ezekiel means "strengthened by God." It has been stated by some
that this is not the original name of the prophet, but his official
title, which he adopted on account of his ministry among the people.
Very interesting on this controverted point is the statement of a
rabbinical comment. The declaration is made that the prophets of God
received their significant names, so closely linked with and expressive
of the character of their messages, from above and not according to the
will of their earthly parents. God called them to their work and had
them named accordingly before they ever entered upon their offices as
prophets. We believe this may be correct, especially in view of Jeremiah
i:5.
The place where we find Ezekiel is the river Chebar. This river is now
known by the name _Kabour_. It emptied into the Euphrates north of
Babylon and was also called _Nar-Kabari_, the great canal. Here
Nebuchadnezzar had started a colony of captives. In chapter iii:15, the
name of the place is given, it was at Tel-abib. In this settlement the
prophet seems to have lived. Two passages in the book tell us that he
had his own house (iii:24; viii:1). We also know that he was married
(xxiv:16-18). The death of his wife is the only event he mentions of his
personal history and that would probably have not been recorded if it
were not connected with his prophetic office. The prophecies he uttered
among the captives are carefully dated. The first date is found in
chapter i:1-2. He began his prophetic office on the fifth day of the
fourth month (Tammuz) in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity.
The latest date is recorded in chapter xxix:17. Here we have the
twenty-seventh year, so that the prophecies of Ezekiel cover a period of
about twenty-two years.
Ezekiel's great prophetic ministry is closely connected with that of
Jeremiah. When Ezekiel had his first great vision on the banks of the
river Chebar, Jeremiah had already been a prophet for thirty-five
years. Only a few years more remained for this great man of God. That
Ezekiel must have been acquainted with Jeremiah and his messages of
warning and exhortation is more than likely. Yet it is strange there is
not a single reference to Jeremiah in the entire book of Ezekiel. It is
strange in view of the fact that the messages of these two men have so
much in common. Critics make the assertion that Ezekiel as a prophet was
moulded by the teaching of Jeremiah. Kuenen claims that Ezekiel must
have been for many years the close student of Jeremiah's writings.
Before Ezekiel proceeded to write his own prophecies, his mind, it is
claimed, had become so saturated with the ideas and language of Jeremiah
that every part of his book betrays the influence of his predecessor.
This view would make Ezekiel an enthusiastic admirer and copyist of
Jeremiah. But in the book of Ezekiel the phrases "Thus saith the Lord
God"--"The Word of the Lord came unto me"--occur over and over again.
The words he spoke, the mighty messages he delivered, were not produced
by the influence of Jeremiah nor by his example, but by the Spirit of
God. Other critics have even done greater dishonor to this chosen
instrument of the Lord and to the Word he preached. We quote from _The
New Century Bible_: "It would appear that there runs through all the
prophet's activities, at least in the earlier period, a strain of mental
abnormality--perhaps of actual malady. By some writers this has been
supposed to be a form of catalepsy. Probably Ezekiel was no more a
cataleptic than Paul; with equal probability he was what would now be
called a 'psychical subject,' and as such liable to trances--and perhaps
a clairvoyant." Such are the ridiculous things invented by men, who
claim scholarship, and whose aim is to deny the supernatural origin of
the words and the visions of the prophets of God.
The fact is that Jeremiah and Ezekiel were called by Jehovah to specific
ministries. In their character and natural temperament they differed
greatly. Jeremiah assuming, as a very young man, his prophetic office
during the reign of Josiah, was called to deliver the messages of the
awful judgments which were to come upon Jerusalem and he had to witness
these in their execution. He was an extremely kind, gentle and
tender-hearted man. Jeremiah is the prophet of a dying nation; the agony
of Judah's prolonged death struggle is reproduced with ten-fold
intensity in the inward conflict which rends the heart of the prophet.
Ezekiel was of a different temperament. The deep soul exercise we find
so often in Jeremiah, his tender, loving sympathies are almost entirely
absent in Ezekiel. He lacked the emotional character of Jeremiah. He was
a man of great energy and vigor; he was stern and had a deep sense of
his human responsibility. Both prophets uncover the corrupt conditions
of Judah and condemn them. The condemnations in Ezekiel are far more
severe than those of Jeremiah. The style of Ezekiel is also different
from that employed by his contemporary.
"The whole of his writings show how admirably he was fitted, as well by
natural disposition as by spiritual endowment, to oppose the 'rebellious
house,' the 'people of stubborn front and hard heart,' to whom he was
sent. The figurative representations which abound throughout his
writings, whether drawn out into lengthened allegory, or expressing
matters of fact by means of symbols, or clothing truths in the garb of
enigma, all testify by their definiteness the vigor of his conceptions.
Things seen in vision are described with all the minuteness of detail
and sharpness of outline which belong to real existence. But this
characteristic is shown most remarkably in the entire subordination of
his whole life to the great work to which he was called."[1]
[1] F. W. Gotch.
In all this he differs from Jeremiah; and more so in the greater and
more complete visions concerning the future.
There is an evident connection between the communication which Jeremiah
sent from Jerusalem unto the captives in Babylon and the beginning of
Ezekiel's ministry. The letter of Jeremiah is found in chapter xxix of
the Book of Jeremiah. It is an interesting document. It seems to have
been occasioned by a number of false prophets who had appeared among the
captives, and who encouraged the rebellious and disobedient spirit which
prevailed among the exiles. They prophesied falsely, led the people away
and awakened the delusive hope of an early return from the captivity.
While Jeremiah continued to minister to the feeble few and the poor, who
were left behind, Ezekiel was engaged among the captives and contended
against these false prophets and against the false hopes of the people
who gave no evidences of repentance. Inasmuch as Jerusalem had not yet
been completely destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the captives, who had
listened to the false prophets, expected a speedy return to their own
land. To dispel this false hope Jeremiah had sent them the message, "For
thus saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon
I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to
return to this place" (Jere. xxix:10). Ezekiel then labored also to
dispel this false hope preached by the prophets, whom the Lord had not
sent. By his stern and solemn words, by divinely commanded actions and
symbols, he had to deliver the message that there was no hope for
Jerusalem. When the catastrophe came at last his ministry changed. He
comforts the disappointed and heartbroken people and delivers his great
restoration messages.
This great prophet had to do certain divinely commanded things in the
presence of the people who were living in deception after having
listened to the false prophets.
In chapter iii:24-26 he had to shut himself up, bind himself and then he
was made dumb.
Then he was commanded to lie upon his right side and upon his left for
430 days (chapter iv:4-8).
In chapter iv:9 he had to eat unclean bread. Then he had to shave his
head and beard (chapter v:1); to carry a captive's baggage (chapter
xxii:3-7); when his wife died he was not to mourn (chapter xxiv:15-20);
and again he lost his speech (chapter xxiv:27). The key to all this is
found in chapter xxiv:24.
The visions of glory Ezekiel had belong to some of the greatest recorded
in the Word of God. Much in the beginning of the book reminds of the
last book of the Bible, the Revelation. We mention a few passages to be
compared: Ezekiel i with Rev. iv and v. Ezekiel iii:3 with Rev. x:10.
Ezekiel viii:3 with Rev. xiii:14, 15. Ezekiel ix with Rev. vii. Ezekiel
x with Rev. viii:1-5. The critics declare upon this striking
correspondency that "much of the imagery of Revelation is borrowed from
Ezekiel."