EZEKIEL

 

MEANING OF NAME:

God is strong or The Man God strengthens

STORY IN BRIEF:

Ezekiel, son of Buzzi, like Jeremiah, started first as a priest, but later had the calling of a Prophet at age thirty. He served in the Temple of Jerusalem that was later destroyed by the Babylonians.

In the midst of events, God warned that the desire of his eye would die. And after his wife died, he was disallowed from publicly wailing - a sign of how Israel would suffer in the hands of their captivators without lamenting. 

While in exile ( in Babylon by the River Chebar), the Prophet, also an artist, made a model of Jerusalem city, laid prostate and always prophesied over it. He either used symbols or demonstrations to deliver his messages.

Ezekiel acted strangely because of the strange nature of his visions; he would either cut his hair and burn it, or he totally went dumb for a period of time.

He had two major metaphorical visions where God - Israel's husband, was betayed by his wife after He had glorified her. The Prophet explained that though God was mad with Israel, He would still accept them if they changed and returned unto Him.

These rebellious people continued in thier transgressions but the Words of The Prophet were finally fulfilled. Ezekiel's last prophesy before his death was at age fifty. 

REFERENCE:

Ezekiel Chapters 1, 2, 3, 21, 24, 44-46