26. BIBLICAL EPIC: Ezekiel Notes ccusation Ezekiel 1: I saw visions of God. Out of a storm came four creatures. I saw wheels within wheels. Above them was a throne and the figure of a man. Ezekiel lived out his prophetic career among the exiles in Babylon where he proclaimed a message of uncompromising judgment (often in hard and offensive language) and later a message of restoration (notably for God’s sake, not Israel’s; 36:22-23). Jeremiah was an older contemporary of Ezekiel with Ezekiel even developing some of his themes. It is not known whether they ever met, as it seems Jeremiah was not aware of Ezekiel, whose ministry did not begin until after he had been in exile for five years. Ezekiel often employs a technique known as symbolic reality, which occurs when a writer transports the reader to a world of visionary experience where the most important ingredients are symbols— symbols like a vine, a boiling pot, or a valley full of dry bones. Thus the book can seem strange to readers who are expecting strict realism. The book is arranged in three parts: (1) God’s judgment on Judah and Israel (ch. 1-24); (2) God’s judgment on foreign nations (ch. 25-32); (3) God’s restoration of Israel (ch. 33-48). We could summarize the book this way: “The LORD displays His glory by judging to show holiness and saving to show mercy, that all might know He is God.” • 1:1-3. Ezekiel in Babylon. The book opens on July 31, 593 BC, five years after Ezekiel had been forcibly exiled to Babylon. Priests began their ministry at age 30 (Num 4:3), but God gives Ezekiel a prophetic ministry. These verses introduce the first of his 4 visions (8:1-2; 37:1-14; 40:1-2). Jesus likewise saw heaven open at age 30 at His baptism. • 1:4-28. The Glory of the LORD. Through a remarkable vision in foreign territory, Ezekiel experiences God’s presence outside the temple in Jerusalem. He attempts to describe the indescribable: the radiant splendor of God’s glory. His experience is stunning and perplexing, yet it communicates much about God, recalling the traditions of the Ark of the Covenant (Exod 25:10-22), especially within Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:6-8). As in Job 38:1, a “stormy wind” heralds the LORD’s approach, ominously coming from the “north” (the direction of judgment). The many uses of the term “likeness” (10 times in this chapter) emphasize the impressionistic nature of the vision’s description as Ezekiel gropes for language to describe it. Regarding the “four living creatures,” it is not until his second vision (ch. 8-11) that Ezekiel realizes that they are cherubim (10:15-17), who are guardians and bearers of the things of God (Gen 3:24; Exod 25:18-22). Their “four faces” allow them to see at once in any direction. There is much speculation on the symbolism of the specific faces, but at a minimum, the lion (wild), ox (domesticated), eagle (air), and human (earth) represent the most majestic of creatures in their respective realms. This imagery is later echoed in the four (separate) creatures before the throne in Rev 4:7. They are also multidirectional, such that they can move “straight ahead” in any direction. The complex structure of their “wheels” is difficult to envisage, though something gyroscopic seems to be suggested. The climax of the vision comes in vv. 22-28: a human likeness (anticipating God’s appearing in human form) can be discerned above the wheels, above the creatures, above the expanse, on a throne. Thus, we see that the cherubim were supporting, transporting, and guarding the throne chariot of God, who is on the move. They escort God to Ezekiel, who like John before the risen Christ (Rev 1:17), fell on his face. Glory is God’s manifested presence with His people. In the book of Ezekiel, this glory will leave the temple (chapters 9-11) and then will return to the restored temple (43:2-5). In terms of redemptive history, this glory is seen most fully in Jesus Christ (John 1:14; 2 Cor 4:6) and will fill the temple that He will make with living stones, Himself being the cornerstone. Ezekiel 2: He said to me: "Son of man, stand up." The Spirit entered me. He said: "I send you to rebel Israel." Before me was a scroll of woe. • 2:1-10. Ezekiel’s Call. The vision of glory culminates in a call that is both sweet and severe. Ezekiel is never called by name, but 93 times as “son of man,” which identifies him as a human creature before the Supreme Creator. The Spirit of God supernaturally empowers Ezekiel to stand and hear God’s words. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel is called to a “rebellious house” who will not listen. The request to open your mouth and eat comes without any indication of what is to be given. The missing “content” of v. 4 is about to be provided, not as food but as the scroll of a book (as in Rev 5, 6, 10). When it is unrolled, the writing is visible front and back: the scroll is full, just as Ezekiel soon will be (Ezek 3:3). The precise content remains unspecified except that it is full of lamentation, mourning and woe. The dominant biblical-theological theme of knowing the LORD in salvation through judgment already begins to surface. Ezekiel 3: He said to me: "Israel will not listen." I came to the exiles. The LORD said: "I have made you a watchman. I will open your mouth." • 3:1-15. Ezekiel’s Call (cont.). Internalizing the scroll (i.e., eating it) is equivalent to internalizing the divine message. Ezekiel becomes what he eats and will speak what he eats. He becomes a mourner as a result of eating a scroll containing lamentation, mourning, and woes. But in a surprising contrast, Ezekiel finds the scroll “sweet as honey.” Obedience to God’s command touches Ezekiel’s sense of taste in a positive way, probably indicating that God’s justice, however severe, is incomparably better than injustice. Contrary to expectation, Ezekiel is cautioned that a cross-cultural mission would be easier than taking God’s words to his own people. But he is called to the more difficult task of warning Israel, and like the ministries of Isaiah and Jeremiah, the people will reject his message. Verses 12-15 describe the dramatic conclusion of the vision as God’s glory is escorted away in the same manner it appeared: by the loud sound of the cherubim’s wings. That Ezekiel is left “in bitterness in the heat of my spirit” likely indicates that he has gained a divine perspective (having eaten the scroll) on his people’s sin, and his anger reflects that shared viewpoint. Ezekiel’s seven days of recovery reflect a typical period of ritual mourning, also echoing the time of Job’s recovery before he finds his voice as well as the consecration time for admission to the priesthood. • 3:16-27. Ezekiel as a Watchman. Not only does God call Ezekiel to be a prophet and mourner, but his call also entails a related task as Israel’s watchman, one who warns of impending danger. A watchman was responsible to protect, defend, and care for the people (33:1-6; cf. Isa 21:6-9; Hos 9:8; Hab 2:1). While it is not uncommon to designate Israelite prophets as watchmen, Ezekiel is charged with carrying out his prophetic task or he will share in the punishment that will come upon the people. Thus, his own life is threatened. Ezekiel becomes responsible for people’s life and death. Ezekiel’s commission as son of man/Adam can be compared to the first Adam and to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17). If Ezekiel was obedient he would live and would bring the possibility of life to those who heard him; but if he failed, he and his hearers would “surely die” (v. 18; Gen 2:17; Acts 18:6). In vv. 22-27, God places severe limitations on Ezekiel, limitations in line with his call to be a mourner, and which mimic the siege of Jerusalem. The prophet’s confinement and speechlessness encompass about a seven-year period (593- 586 BC) and should be understood in terms of an extended mourning period. The silence will be broken only in specified intervals at the LORD’s instruction and later when news arrives of Jerusalem’s fall (24:25-27). Ezekiel 4: "Son of man, take clay and draw Jerusalem. Then lie on your side. You shall bear the punishment of Israel. Cook your bread over dung." • 4:1-17. Jerusalem’s Siege Dramatized. With the city’s destruction as the focal point, God asks Ezekiel to engage his audience with actions rather than words. In order to symbolize the upcoming siege on Jerusalem for his rebellious audience, God requires Ezekiel to use 3 elaborate visual aids (nonverbal communication for non-hearing people). The first is a model of Jerusalem under siege (vv. 1-3), the second is a representative bearing of Israel’s sins (vv. 4-8), and the third (vv. 9-15) includes dietary restrictions that represent the famine to come upon Jerusalem. Ezekiel 5: "Son of man, shave your head. Jerusalem has rebelled. A third shall die of famine, a third by the sword and a third I will scatter." • 5:1-4.