EZEKIEL. PROPHET PRIEST

ONE OF THE PRIESTS DEPORTED FROM JERUSALEM TO BABYLON IN THE DEPORTATION OF 597, EZEKIEL WAS CALLED TO THE PROPHETIC OFFICE IN 592 (1;2). NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE THIRTIETH YEAR, IN THE FOURTH MONTH, IN THE FIFTH DAY OF THE MONTH, AS I WAS AMONG THE CAPTIVES BY THE RIVER CHE-BAR, THE THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED, AND I SAW VISIONS OF GOD. IN THE FIFTH DAY OF THE MONTH, WHICH WAS THE FIFTH YEAR OF KING JEHOI-A-CHIN'S CAPTIVITY. THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME EXPRESSLY UNTO EZEKIEL THE PRIEST IN THE LAND OF THE CHALDEANS. [ZECH. 7:12] 3:14. EZEKIEL PREACHED AMONG THE EXILES UNTIL 570, THE YEAR OF HIS LAST DATED SERMON. HE WAS MARRIED, BUT LOST HIS WIFE THE SAME YEAR THAT JERUSALEM FELL TO NEBUCHADNEZZAR. (24:15-19).
UNQUESTIONABLY ONE OF THE MOST COLORFUL PERSONALITIES IN THE BIBLE, EZEKIEL'S OWN PEOPLE LABELLED HIM AS " THE ONE WHO IS FOREVER SPINNING PARABLES' (21:5). AND RECOGNIZED IN HIM AN IRREPRESSIBLE PANTOMIMIST AND ACTOR.-A MAN WHOSE IMAGINATION WAS CONTINUALLY ON FIRE.  IN HIS INAUGURAL VISION HE SEES THE WEIRDEST OF THEOPHANIES (1:4ff) WHEN HE IS COMMISSIONED A PROPHET, THERE IS NO TOUCHING HIS LIPS AS IN THE CASE OF JEREMIAH, OR ISAIAH. HE IS GIVEN A SCROLL WITH THE MESSAGE HE IS TO PREACH WRITTEN UPON IT, TOLD TO EAT AND DIGEST IT, AND THEN TO PREACH (2:1ff)!
LIKE JEREMIAH HE FORETELLS THE SIEGE AND FALL OF JERUSALEM, BUT UNLIKE JEREMIAH HE ACTS OUT IN PANTOMIME (4-5) AND MIMICS THE ESCAPE OF THE FUGITIVES FROM JERUSALEM BY DIGGING THROUGH THE WALL OF HIS HOUSE AND FLEEING INTO THE NIGHT. (12). WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S  ARMIES TO MARCH UPON JERUSALEM, EZEKIEL PANTOMIMES THE MARCH WITH A SWORD, SETTING UP GUIDE POSTS FOR THE SWORD O TAKE AS IT LEAVES BABYLON ON ITS WAY TO JERUSALEM (21: 14-19). WHEN HE PREACHES, HE CLENCHES HIS FISTS, STAMPS HIS FET AND CRIES "ALAS" 6:11), OR GROANS HEART-RENDERING UNTIL THE EXILES OUT OF CURIOSITY BEG THE REASON (21:11-12). WHAT ARE WE TO THINK OF SO STRANGE A PROPHET? AS WE KNOW FROM THE HISTORY OF THE OTHER PROPHETS, GOD USED PROPHETS AS THEY WERE, ADAPTING THEIR PERSONALITIES TO SUIT HIS PURPOSE. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EXILE HE NEEDED A MAN WHO WOULD MAKE A STRONG AND VIVID IMPRESSION ON THE MINDS OF THE DOUBTING AND DISCOURAGED EXILES EZEKIEL  FITTED THE ROLE TO PERFECTION. WORDS ARE EASILY FORGOTTEN. WHILE ONLY A FEW OF THE EMBITTERED EXILES CAME TO HIS HOME AT FIRST TO CONSULT AND LISTEN TO HIM (8:1).
; 14:1;  20:1), HE SUCCEEDED EVENTUALLY IN INTERESTING  THE CROWD BY HIS ECCENTRIC BEHAVIOR , AND BEFORE LONG HIS WORDS AND ACTIONS WERE BEING DISCUSSED FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE IN THE STREETS AND LANES (33:30-33).
WHEN JERUSALEM FELL IN 587, THE FULL SIGNIFICANCE OF EZEKIEL'S BEHAVIOR BECAME APPARENT TO ALL, AND HIS POSITION AS A TRUE PROPHET WAS ESTABLISHED FROM THAT TIME ON THERE WAS LITTLE PANTOMIME, MUCH SERIOUS
PREACHING, AND ELABORATE PLANNING FOR ISRAEL'S PROPHETICALLY ASSURED RETURN AND RESTORATION.