Ezekiel (person)

Biblical Record

Ezekiel was the son of Buzi and came from a priestly family (Ezekiel 1:3). His Hebrew name is commonly interpreted to mean "God strengthens." He was taken to Babylon along with Jehoiachin, king of Judah, an event usually dated to around 597 BC. He lived among the exiles at Tel-abib by the river Chebar (Ezekiel 1:1; 3:15).

In the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity, Ezekiel saw a vision of the four living creatures and the throne of God and was called to be a prophet (chapters 1–3). God addressed him more than ninety times as "son of man" and appointed him a "watchman" for Israel (3:17; 33:7). He conveyed his message not only in words but also through enacted symbolic actions. He portrayed the siege of Jerusalem on a clay tile and lay on his side for an extended period (chapter 4), and he shaved off his hair and divided it (chapter 5). When his wife died, he was commanded not to mourn (24:15–27). In visions he saw the idolatry in the Jerusalem temple and the glory of God departing from the temple (chapters 8–11). After the fall of Jerusalem, he prophesied restoration. The best-known passages include the vision of the valley of dry bones (chapter 37), the prophecy concerning Gog and Magog (chapters 38–39), and the vision of a new temple with a river flowing out from it (chapters 40–48).

Significance Within Scripture

Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah, and he mentions Daniel as an example of a righteous man (14:14). He proclaimed the promise of "a new heart" and "a new spirit" (36:26–27), which is frequently cited in connection with the work of the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel's name does not appear in the New Testament, but passages from his book are widely seen as echoed in a number of places. The parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10 is read alongside Ezekiel 34, and the four living creatures, the eating of the scroll, Gog and Magog, and the river of the water of life in Revelation are read in light of Ezekiel's visions.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

Interpretations of the new temple in chapters 40–48 vary by tradition. Dispensationalists tend to read it as a temple that will literally be built in the future millennial kingdom. Reformed and other traditions often read it as a symbolic portrayal of restoration in which God dwells among his people—that is, as a picture of the church or the new creation. Interpretations linking Gog and Magog to specific modern nations appear in popular eschatological preaching, but they have been criticized in academic circles and by many denominations as poorly grounded. Some traditions read the lament over the king of Tyre in chapter 28 as describing the fall of Satan, although the text is addressed directly to the king of Tyre. The claim that Ezekiel's tomb is located at Kifl in Iraq, as well as stories about his death, derive from later tradition and do not appear in Scripture.

In the Korean Church

The vision of the valley of dry bones is frequently used in sermons and revival meetings on the themes of spiritual revival and restoration. The river flowing from the temple in chapter 47 is often cited in the same context. The watchman passages are widely used in sermons emphasizing evangelism and calling. Sunday school lessons also commonly present the story of the dry bones coming to life as the signature scene for introducing Ezekiel.