Ezekiel

Ezekiel was a priest taken to Babylon in the deportation of 597 BC, about eleven years before Jerusalem's final destruction. At thirty years old, when he should have begun priestly service in the temple, God called him instead to prophesy to the exiles by the river Chebar. His calling came through an overwhelming vision of God's glory: living creatures, spinning wheels within wheels, and a throne of sapphire bearing the likeness of a man surrounded by brilliant light.

Ezekiel's ministry was characterized by unusual symbolic acts and vivid imagery. He lay on his side for over a year to symbolize Israel's years of punishment. He shaved his head and divided the hair to represent Jerusalem's fate. He dug through a wall and carried his belongings into exile. He did not mourn when his beloved wife died, symbolizing how God's people would be too stunned to mourn when the temple fell.

Ezekiel's visions were unparalleled in their complexity. The valley of dry bones coming to life pictures Israel's spiritual and national restoration. His detailed vision of a future temple has been debated for centuries. His prophecies against the nations and against the wicked shepherds of Israel demonstrated God's sovereignty over all peoples and His care for His flock.

After Jerusalem's fall, Ezekiel's message shifted from judgment to hope. He proclaimed God's promise to give His people new hearts, to cleanse them, and to put His Spirit within them. He lived at least until 571 BC, his final recorded prophecy.