EZEKIEL April, 2010

Ezekiel
April 2010
The book of Ezekiel is the last of the 3 Major Prophets in Jewish Scriptures (Christians include Lamentations and Daniel). The book is famous for its strange visions; some have seen a prediction of flying saucers or "men from outer space" in the famous chariot vision that begins the book. Because of the oddity of the book, early Jewish scholars debated whether to include it in the canon (the collection of inspired Scripture we now call the Bible). Ezekiel was the first prophet to prophesy outside Jerusalem, which posed a problem for Jews who wondered whether God could speak outside of Jerusalem, in Babylon. (Recall the story of David who feared, in his flight from Jerusalem, he would be unable to worship God. Or the story of Naaman, the Syrian, who carried some earth from Jerusalem with him back to Syria in order to worship the Jewish God.)  The book's strange images inspired the Christian book of  Revelation, which borrows motifs and images from the earlier book (the four creatures, etc.). Despite its strangeness, Ezekiel is a favorite in Gospel music.

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1

[1] As I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens opened. I saw visions of God.
[2] It was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin,
[3] the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest.
[4] As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, something like gleaming bronze.
[5] There came the likeness of four living creatures.
[10] As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.
These creatures became the source of the imagery for the 4 Christian evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with Matthew identified as the man, Mark the lion, Luke the ox, and John the eagle. (See Revelation 4:7.) Ezekiel takes care not to say this is how they looked, only this is how they appeared to look ("the likeness of"). The heavenly realm is beyond human standards; the prophet can only come close to describing his experience in human terms or images.
[12] And each went straight forward without turning as they went,
[14] like lightning.
[15] Then I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of them.
[16] The wheels were like a wheel within a wheel.
The point is that these creatures can move in any direction without effort: it's an image of heavenly power.
[17] They went in any of four directions without turning as they went.
[19] And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them;
[20] for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
[26] And above the firmament over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above was a likeness of a human form.
More emphasis on "likeness of." These are only human images of heavenly appearances.
[27] And upward from what seemed like his loins I saw something like gleaming bronze, like fire enclosed round about; downward from what seemed his loins I saw the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. [28] Such was the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

2

[1] And he said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you."
The theme of "empowerment" again ("stand on your feet"). "Son of Man" becomes a Messianic phrase in the Gospels. This phrase has been often debated, especially when later used by Jesus of himself. Here it seems clear that it stresses the mortality of the prophet: compared to God, he is ONLY a man and (using Hebrew parallelism) a son of man.

3

[1] And he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll, and  speak to the house of Israel."
[3]  Then I ate it; and it was as sweet as honey.
This suggests the prophet has made God's words his own (in modern slang, he not only talks the talk but walks the walk); and moreover, that God's word is sweet, even when predicting woe (see the great psalm praising the Law, Psalm 119). These verses are similar to the Commision (Call) verses in Isaiah and Jeremiah, including the challenge to face a stubborn people:
[9] Like rock have I made your forehead; fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house."
[14] The Spirit lifted me up and took me away;
[15] and I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who dwelt by the river Chebar.
[16] At the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me:
[17] "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.
The prophet has a moral responsibility to warn the flock (like a parent's moral's responsibility). In the next chapter, the prophet is somehow lifted from Babylon to Jerusalem to see the Temple abuses:

8

[1] As I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
[2] Then I saw a form like a man; below what appeared to be his waist it was fire, and above his waist it was like brightness, like gleaming bronze.
[3] He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven,
[14] Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD; and there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
[15] Then he said to me, "You will see still worse than these."
Tammuz was a vegetation god mourned in an annual ritual. Some see a relation between Tammuz and Jesus, since they both rose in the spring (like fruits and flowers).
[16] And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD; and at the door of the temple of the LORD were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east.
The story of Samson has been seen as an image of the sun (his hair looks like the rays of the sun, he sets like the sun [goes blind], adopted for the Hebrew religion). Thus sun worship must have been common among Jews, one of many temptations.

10
This explains why the Israelites could be conquered by the Babylonians; because the Lord has stopped protecting them from his temporary home in the Temple. The reason is the temple is no longer a holy place, but a place where false gods are worshipped (see ch. 8 above).

Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple. . . .

11

[19] "I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
[20] that they may walk in my statutes and keep my laws and obey them; they shall be my people, and I will be their God."

12

[1] The word of the LORD came to me:
Another good example of a symbolic action:
[3] Prepare for yourself an exile's baggage; go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand.
[15] They shall know I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

24

[1] In the ninth year, the word of the LORD came to me:
Another symbolic action:
[2] "Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
[3] And speak an allegory to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Set on the pot, set it on, pour in water also;
[4] put in it the pieces of flesh, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice bones.
[5] Take the choicest one of the flock, pile the logs under it; boil its pieces and bones.
[6] "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose rust is in it, and whose rust has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.
The rust (sins) cannot come out, since part of the pot (Israel).
[10] Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the flesh and empty out the broth, and let the bones be burned up.
[11] Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, that its filthiness may be melted in it, its rust consumed.
[13] Its rust is your filthy lewdness.
[15] Also the word of the LORD came to me:
Another symbolic action showing what happens in war, namely one doesn't have time to weep for one's beloved dead. Chapter 34 must have been a key influence on the image of Jesus as shepherd:
[16] "Son of man, look, I am about to take away the delight of your eyes; yet you shall not mourn or weep nor shall your tears run down."
[18] So my wife died. And the next morning I did as I was told.
[19] And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean, why you are acting thus?"
[20] Then I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me:
[21] `Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD:
[22] You shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of mourners.
[23] You shall not mourn or weep, but shall pine away in your iniquities and groan to one another.

34

[1] The word of the LORD came to me:
[10] Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
[12] As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered.
[16] I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.
God will judge shepherds and sheep. Compare Jesus as Good Shepherd and Righteous Judge:
[17] "As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep.
V. 18 could be relevant to the modern ecology movement:
[18] Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must foul the rest with your feet?
[22] I will save my flock, they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
A Messianic prophecy. "David" refers to a member of the house of David, like "Israel" refers not to the man Israel (Jacob) but to the nation named after him:
[23] And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David [refers to the House of David, not David himself], and he shall feed them.
[25] "I will make with them a covenant of peace.
[28] They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them; they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid.
A restatement of the Shepherd imagey from Moses to Jesus (as well as the most famous Psalm [23]):
[31] And you are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord GOD."

36
The original name of the Jewish-Christians was the "Way," until they were named Christians in Antioch. The "problem" of the Bible is how to return people to God; so there are covenants, promises of rest (Sabbath; the Promised Land); a new heart (Jeremiah, Ezekiel); and finally the last sacrifice that should make following the law as easy as following Jesus ("my yoke is easy" [Matthew 11:30]); beyond this, the permanent presence of the Holy Ghost to guide the person to righteousness (for today's Christians, Jesus replaces the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit: the "Comforter").

[26] A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
[27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.

37

This is one of the most famous texts in the Bible: the Valley of Dry Bones.
[1] The LORD brought me out by the Spirit and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones.
[3] And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, thou knowest."
[5] Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
[7]So I prophesied and there was a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
[9] Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."
[10] So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.
[11]Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, `Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost.'
[12] Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel.
[14] And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live."
Note that the above does not refer to resurrection (though it can be used for this purpose); it refers to a symbolic promise to restore Israel, as the symbolic action below:
[25] "And David my servant shall be their prince for ever.
[26] it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore."

43
In a vision, God returns to his Temple, with the water of life, which renews everything:

Then the man [God's messenger] brought me to the [Temple] gate facing east and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east.

47

[1]Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.
[8] And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the dead waters of the sea, the water will become fresh.
In this vision of a restored temple, the waters from the Temple can revive the waters in the Dead Sea and give life.  See the River of Life in Revelation 22:1ff.
[9] And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.
[12] And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not die nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."
Compare Revelation 22:2: "On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."

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