Ezekiel
Fr Daoud Lamei
Introduction + Ezekiel 1:1-10
Introduction
- Ezekiel is one of the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel)
- Length of time prophesying
- Length of book
- Written Prophets vs. Spoken Prophets
- Length of time prophesying
- History of the Old Testament
- Pre-History: Creation, Adam/Eve, Cain/Abel, Noah, the Flood
- Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Twelve Tribes (70 individuals) ~ 2000 BC
- Law: Moses, Exodus, Passover, Red Sea, Tabernacle, Law (600,000 families) ~ 1500 BC
- Judges: Colonizing Promised Land, Joshua, Judges, Samuel the Prophet
- United Kingdom: Saul, David, Solomon, Temple ~1000 BC
- Divided Kingdom
- Idolatry entered into the kingdom (there was idolatry before e.g. golden calf, time of judges, but now it becomes part of life esp. in the Northern Kingdom)
- From 900-400 BC
- The Books of the Prophets take place during this period
- The Prophets overlapped time periods, but not always geographically
- Most of the Prophets were killed in Jerusalem ("Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets")
- Prophets‘ message was to repent and to point to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ
- Even the last prophet - St John the Baptist - preached repentance and pointed to the Messiah Who was near
- The Kings were mostly evil, the Southern Kingdom had some good kings
- Assyrians took over the whole world and came to Israel and overtook it. Then they attempted to take Judah but failed (Sennacherib + Isaiah + Hezekiah)
- Babylonians came and overtook Assyria and Egypt and the whole world and proceeded into Judah as well
- Daniel and Ezekiel were taken during the Babylonian Captivity
- They witnessed to the Lord to the non-Jews
- Ezekiel is taken in the Babylonian Captivity, and despite being from a priestly line, was never able to serve as a priest because he lived in captivity where there was no Temple
- Daniel became a high rank in the government
- Daniel lived the entirety of the captivity (that’s why he’s last in the four major prophets)
- Prophet Categorization
- Pre-Captivity
- Captivity
- Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
- Post-Captivity
- Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi
- Ezekiel
- Approximately 600 BC
- Two messages: Repent and Christ is coming
- His main theme is HOPE
- The most difficult book in the Old Testament to study because it’s mostly visions (like Revelation)
- Some people even accuse John of copying Ezekiel - in reality, they both saw the same heaven!
- Name: God strengthens
- From a Priestly Family
- 30 Years old is the beginning of the priestly service and the first time he would offer a sacrifice
- He was taken to captivity BEFORE he was 30
- It’s VERY HARD for a priest to be away from the altar (even in the NT)
Chapter 1
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.
- ”thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month”
- Thirtieth year of his life
- Prophets have to give their timeline based on the current ruler
- The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God
- This is the most comforting thing for anyone - heaven!
- Nothing gives more comfort or hope than eternal life and heavenly reward
- God is telling him “why are you upset? Here, let me show you the heavens”
- The son of Buzi
- Because he is a priestly line, it’s important for him to mention his father’s name
- Land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar
- A small river in Babylon that was known
- The hand of the Lord was upon him there
- These words of prophesy are from the Lord
4 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. 8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.
- Whirlwind
- “ree7” and “ro7” in Arabic, and in the old language they are the same word
- Whirlwind typically refers us to the Holy Spirit
- cf. John 3 (Christ with Nicodemus)
- cf. Pentecost
- cf. Job (God speaks from a wind)
- cf. Elijah (Wind, Earthquake, Fire, small voice)
- cf. Moses when God was going to speak to the people
- cf. John 3 (Christ with Nicodemus)
- Great Cloud
- Also the Holy Spirit
- Cf. The Cloud that moved 40 years with the Israelites
- Cf. The Cloud of the Transfiguration
- Cf. Cloud that filled the Tabernacle
- Cf. 1 Kings 8 - Cloud that filled the Temple
- Raging Fire
- Also the Holy Spirit!!!
- Brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire
- His feet are like brass (Revelation)
- The Chariot of God
- Carried by four incorporeal creatures of light, constantly moving (not just parked on the land)
- Kingship of God
- Not “animals” (7ayawanat) but “creatures” (ka-enat) and even the word 7ayawanat in its old meaning “has 7ay” has life.
- Each creature has four faces
- In Revelation its one face each!
- That’s a perspective or what you would say from one angle or from far away!
- Each creature has four wings
- Elsewhere it’s six wings…
- They have two wings on the top which make a dome over them, so Ezekiel only discusses the four wings
- Legs feet and soles of feet; The hands of a man were under the wings
- Hands and legs = service
- Wings = prayer
- Spirits that serve humanity
- They all moved straight forward
- They are working together
- Their wings are touching
- God told Moses when he makes the mercy seat to have the wings of the two cherubim touch each other
- The likeness of their faces: man, lion, ox, eagle
- Each face
- Eagle: Divinity (high up, can’t see him in heaven)
- Man: Christ the Human
- Ox: Christ the Sacrifice
- Lion: Christ the King
- Another interpretation
- Man: Incarnation
- Ox: Crucifixion
- Lion: Resurrection
- Eagle: Ascension
- Another Interpretation
- Gospel of Mark: Lion - Christ who is mighty
- Gospel of John: Eagle - meanings that are high and heavenly
- Gospel of Matthew: Man - focus on His humanity
- Gospel of Luke: Ox - Christ offers Himself as a sacrifice
- Another interpretation
- Intercessors for the creation
- Man - Humanity
- Eagle - For the birds
- Lion - The Beasts
- Ox - The Cattle
- Another Interpretation
- The components of man
- Man - Mind
- Eagle - Spirit
- Ox - Body
- Lion - Strength
- Consecration of my mind and my spirit and my body and my actions
- As Christ said that we would be like the angels in the end of days
- Each face
- The Chariot of God is an icon of the Church
- St Macarius writes about how each Christian should be like these Creatures
- Do you have zeal like fire?
- Do you have the wind and cloud?
- Do you have the hand that serves?
- Do you have the prayer that doesn’t stop?
- Do you have the ox that would die for someone?
- Do you have the man in his perfection?
- Do you have the wind, fire, cloud that guide you or you move in your own way?
- Etc.
- St Macarius writes about how each Christian should be like these Creatures
Ezekiel 1:11-28, 2:1-5
https://youtu.be/hXe5oFu6VAU?si=vjkpljDkvqoGZwIP
Chapter 1
10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.
- Six wings
- Upwards: Spiritual Life
- Touched each other: Love and Virtue
- Bodies: Service
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. 19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings spread outstraight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. 24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings.
26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
Chapter 2
1 And He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.” 2 Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. 3 And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 4 For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
6 “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
9 Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.