57…EZEKIEL: PRIEST, PROPHET, VISIONARY

Based on the Book of Ezekiel (Ezk)…Read more there

After Moses (c.1250BC), Isaiah (‘1st’ IS from c.740BC), & Jeremiah (from c.627BC) the next ‘major’ Prophet we come to is Ezekiel (from c.586BC). Ezk ‘overlaps’ Jeremiah. However, when what’s left of Israel succumbs to the Babylonians, while JER remains behind with those who survive in the homeland, Ezk joins the deportees to Babylon & exercises his call there. But he’s in a bind! He can’t function as earlier priests did (there’s now no temple anyway) so he lives out his call in a tension between his priesthood & his new role as Prophet [1].

In Babylon Ezk is exposed to a new situation, personally & as part of a community of displaced Jews forcedly living abroad. Contemplating what’s happened to them, their homeland, & their Faith. In a very real sense, Jewish faith ‘comes of age’ as the community as a whole, led by people like Ezk wearing his ‘two hats’, face new frontiers & new challenges in an often hostile international scene now. Bear in mind, too, that many of the books from the O.T. take shape in the form we know them during this time of exile. None of those Jews can miss the connection between their predicament & that long-ago time of captivity in Egypt.

In his often quite startling prophecies & visions, the issues Ezk addresses are grounded in the present moment, even when visionary in form. Ezk has influenced the next book, Daniel, & also the N.T. book of Revelation in which much has been borrowed from his visions. More than half of Ezk consists of warnings to the Jews [2] about their relationship with YHWH, & other nations - not least Egypt - about their behaviour towards the Israelites & YHWH. Ch.33 begins a series of passages of encouragement reminiscent of (2nd) Isaiah & his messages of better times ahead for the Hebrews. In Ch.34 Ezk highlights ‘shepherding’. Later this will be a theme & an identity Jesus personalises in His incarnation. Ezk also several times uses ‘acted parables’ to make prophetic points, as in Ch.3: 22-27, 4, 5, & 6. , 

At the very heart of this book are several visions: YHWH’s ‘chariot’ (Ch.1); a scroll (Ch.2-3);  ‘One like a human being’ (Ch.8); a valley of dry bones (Ch.37); a new Temple (Ch.40+). What did Jews of Ezk’s day make of them? What do we make of them? Before simply discarding them as ‘too difficult’ might they help open us up to reading the Scriptures imaginatively rather than literally? Admittedly that can become ‘dangerous’ for some with mental, emotional, or spiritual issues still to be worked through. But with sound, balanced, guidance & support in exploring them, perhaps we could enter into them as an adventure & see where they might lead us in the light of the Gospel.

 And so the story continues…..Next time: 58: Daniel: ’Tis a Puzzlement!

[1] Eichrodt (Ezekiel, SCM, 1970, London, p.22.)  [2] Controversy continues about whether these are Jews remaining in Judea, those in Babylon, or elsewhere; it’s just not clear. 

Q. Has ‘faith’ become a matter of too many words & not enough vision(s)?