himself has a huge defect, a “rafter” that he should first clear out of his own.—Matt. 7:3-5.

The apostle John saw the throne of God and in conjunction with it four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. (Rev. 4:6, 8) Such equipment would enable the possessors thereof to be continually on the watch, taking note of God in all things and observing all his indications of what he wants done. (Compare Psalm 123:2; also Ezekiel 1:18; 10:12.) Jehovah counsels his servants not to let his sayings ‘get away from their eyes.’—Prov. 4:20, 21; Luke 10:23; see BLINDNESS.

EZBAI

(Ezʹbai) [possibly, hyssoplike].

The father of Naarai. Naarai was one of the mighty men of King David’s military forces.—1 Chron. 11:26, 37.

EZBON

(Ezʹbon).

1. A son of Gad and the grandson of Jacob. (Gen. 46:16) The parallel account in Numbers 26:16 lists Ozni the forefather of the Oznites instead of Ezbon, suggesting that both names apply to the same person.

2. A son of Bela and a descendant of Benjamin. Ezbon is called one of the “heads of the house of their forefathers, valiant, mighty men.”—1 Chron. 7:6, 7.

EZEKIEL

(Ezeʹkiel) [God strengthens].

The son of Buzi, a priest. He was among the captives taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar along with Jehoiachin in 617 B.C.E. His first visions of God came to him in “the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month,” in the “fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin.” He prophesied to the Jews living by the river Chebar, which some modern authorities believe to be one of the great Babylonian canals. The “thirtieth year” seems to have reference to Ezekiel’s age. He began his duties as a prophet at this time.—Ezek. 1:1-3.

Ezekiel, therefore, was about twenty-six years old when he went into captivity with Jehoiachin in 617 B.C.E. Being of a priestly family, he was no doubt very well acquainted with the temple and its arrangement and all the activities carried out therein, and was well versed in the Law.

No doubt Ezekiel had also been well acquainted with Jeremiah and his prophecies much earlier, due to the fact that Jeremiah was a prophet in Jerusalem during Ezekiel’s youth. Then, too, Ezekiel had enjoyed the advantage of living in Judah during part of the reign of righteous King Josiah, who destroyed the Baal altars and the graven images, set about to repair the temple, and intensified his reformation in behalf of pure worship in Judah when the book of the Law (apparently an original written by Moses) was found in the temple.—2 Chron. chap. 34.

CONTEMPORARIES

Ezekiel’s prophetic life was contemporaneous with Jeremiah and Daniel. Jeremiah served as God’s prophet to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judah, coming in contact with the corrupt Judean kings. Daniel, who was in the court of Babylon and later of Medo-Persia, was given prophecies concerning the succession of world powers and their defeat at the hands of the kingdom of God. Ezekiel served among the Jewish people and their headmen in Babylonia and continued the work of the prophets there. So, while the Jews in Jerusalem had the benefit of the temple with its high priest and the priestly prophet Jeremiah, those in Babylon were not forsaken by Jehovah. Ezekiel was God’s prophet to them and, while not performing sacrificial services, he was there as a counselor and instructor in God’s law.

There was also a close relationship between the prophetic work of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, both of them refuting and striving to dissipate in the minds of the Jews in Jerusalem and in Babylonia the idea that God was going to bring an early end to Babylonian domination and that Jerusalem would not fall. Jeremiah actually sent a letter to the captives in the land of Babylonia, telling them to settle down and be at peace in Babylon for the reason that a seventy-year period was yet ahead of them before they would be delivered. Doubtless Ezekiel got to hear the words of this letter. Also, he may have heard the reading of the book that Jeremiah later sent foretelling the downfall of Babylon.—Jer. chap. 29; 51:59-64.

PROPHESIED TO “OBSTINATE” PEOPLE

The captives in Babylonia were in a better position before Jehovah than the Jews remaining in Palestine, as illustrated by the baskets of good and bad figs that Jeremiah saw. (Jer. chap. 24) But even so, Ezekiel had no easy task set before him, because the captive Israelites were also a part of the rebellious house, and as Ezekiel was told, it was among “obstinate ones and things pricking you and it is among scorpions that you are dwelling.” (Ezek. 2:6) At Jehovah’s command he took up dwelling among the exiles at Tel-abib by the river Chebar. (Ezek. 3:4, 15) Although the Jews were exiles, they were living in their own houses. (Jer. 29:5) They were able to continue organized, at least to an extent, religiously. The older men of Judah were able to visit Ezekiel several times. (Ezek. 8:1; 14:1; 20:1) Even when the time came for the restoration at the end of the seventy years, many of these Jews did not want to leave Babylon.

One of the reasons for the lack of desire to return on the part of at least some of the Jews in Babylon may have been materialism. The archives of a great business house, “Murashu and Sons,” were uncovered by an American expedition at the site of a Euphrates canal near Nippur, which some authorities believe was near Chebar. Inscriptions found there contain a number of Jewish names, which indicates that the Israelites had become quite well established and that a good many of them had become involved in the commercial activities of Babylon.

DEATH OF WIFE

Ezekiel says that he received his commission by the river Chebar in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin (or in 613 B.C.E.). He prophesied for at least twenty-two years to 591 B.C. E., his last dated prophecy being in the twenty-seventh year of the captivity. (Ezek. 29:17) Ezekiel was apparently happily married. Then Jehovah told him: “Son of man, here I am taking away from you the thing desirable to your eyes by a blow.” (Ezek. 24:16) His wife may have been unfaithful to him or to Jehovah, but, whatever be the reason for her death, Ezekiel was commanded not to weep, but to sigh without words. Ezekiel was told to wear his headdress and not to adopt any signs or evidences of mourning. This was all really for the purpose of a sign to the Israelites there in Babylonian captivity that Jehovah would profane his sanctuary in which the Israelites took such pride, and that, contrary to their hopes, Jerusalem would be destroyed.—Ezek. 24:17-27.

A “WATCHMAN”

In a manner similar to that of Isaiah, Ezekiel received his commission to prophesy. He was given an awe-inspiring vision of Jehovah on his throne attended by living creatures having four faces and wings, accompanied by wheels within wheels, which moved along with the living creatures. Jehovah then spoke, giving Ezekiel the title “son of man,” which distinguishes him as Jehovah’s prophet throughout the book of Ezekiel. (Ezek. chaps. 1, 2; compare Isaiah chap. 6.) He was sent as a watchman to the house of Israel to warn them of their wicked way. Though they would be very hardhearted, nonetheless the warning was necessary so that they would know that Jehovah had had a prophet in the midst of them. Even though they would refuse to listen, if he failed to warn them with the words Jehovah gave him, he would be held responsible for their lives—he would be bloodguilty.—Ezek. 3:7, 17, 18; 2:4, 5; 33:2-9.

TABLEAUX AND ILLUSTRATIONS

Ezekiel frequently prophesied by means of tableaux, performance of symbolic actions, and by visions, allegories or parables. A most outstanding tableau was the 390- and 40-day picture of the siege of Jerusalem, which contains an important time prophecy. It required obedience, patience and much faith to carry out this pictorial warning to a faithless, ridiculing people. During the siege of Jerusalem Ezekiel turned prophetic attention to the pagan nations that hated Israel and would take part in and rejoice in Israel’s downfall, describing the punishment Jehovah would bring upon them. Subsequent to the fall of Jerusalem the tone of Ezekiel’s prophesying was changed. After a strong condemnation of Israel’s greedy shepherds and of Seir, he directed his prophetic activities toward building faith in the promise of God that Israel would be revived, regathered and united, and that the glorious shepherdship of Jehovah’s “servant David” would bless them to time indefinite under a covenant of peace. (Ezek. chap. 37) Ezekiel then gives a detailed description of the rebuilt temple, “blueprinted” for him by Jehovah. This visionary temple was prophetic of something in the far distant future, for no such temple was ever actually constructed.—Ezek. chaps. 40-48.

SIMILARITIES TO WORK OF JESUS CHRIST

There are similarities in the work done by Ezekiel and by Jesus. Both Ezekiel and Jesus had to go up against an indifferent, hardhearted people with a message of condemnation and also a message of hope for those who would turn from their wicked course. Ezekiel was told that people would come and hear his words, but their hearts would not respond. (Ezek. 33:30-32) Likewise, many crowds came out to hear Jesus talk, but few responded to his teachings. Ezekiel preached to captives in Babylonia. Jesus stated his commission to preach release to the captives. (Luke 4:18) He plainly explained to the Jews that they were in spiritual bondage and needed release, which he was sent to provide. (John 8:31-36) Like Ezekiel, he never acted as a reprover of the Jews with his own words, but spoke what Jehovah told him to say.—John 5:19, 30.

EZEKIEL’S HOPE

Ezekiel was faithful to God, carrying out every command given, even though his job was difficult. He is among those of the prophets who endured through faith and who were “reaching out for a better place, that is, one belonging to heaven.” (Heb. 11:16) While not of the class that makes up the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 11:11), Ezekiel looked forward to the time of the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom and will in due time receive, by resurrection, fulfillment of the promise of God and the blessing of Messianic rule. (Heb. 11:39, 40) Ezekiel was outstanding in energy, courage, obedience and zeal for the worship of God.

EZEKIEL, BOOK OF

This remarkable prophecy bears the name of the prophet who was given this series of prophetic warnings and visions. Ezekiel the son of Buzi, a priest, may have completed writing the book in Babylonia in the year 591 B.C.E. It covers a period of approximately twenty-two years, from 613 to about 591 B.C.E.—Ezek. 1:1-3; 29:17.

The book of Ezekiel is distinguished by visions, similes, allegories or parables and especially by performance of symbolic actions, as when Ezekiel was told by God to engrave a sketch of Jerusalem on a brick and then to stage a mock siege against it as a sign to Israel. (4:1-17) Other symbolic actions were the joining of two sticks, representing the two houses of Israel (37:15-23), and Ezekiel’s digging a hole in a wall and going out with his luggage, representing the captivity of Jerusalem. (12:3-13) The illustration of Oholah and Oholibah is one of the vivid allegories of the book. (Chap. 23) Another notable feature of the book of Ezekiel is the meticulous care Ezekiel took to date his prophecies, giving not only the year of King Jehoiachin’s exile but also the month and day of the month.—1:1, 2; 29:1; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1; 40:1.

AUTHENTICITY

Proof of the book’s authenticity is to be found in the fulfillment of its prophecies. (For examples see TYRE; EDOM, EDOMITES; AMMONITES.) Further attesting to the authenticity of this book is archaeology. The noted American archaeologist W. F. Albright wrote in his book The Bible After Twenty Years of Archaeology: “Archaeological data have . . . demonstrated the substantial originality of the Books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, of Ezra and Nehemiah beyond doubt, they have confirmed the traditional picture of events as well as their order.”

The authenticity of the book of Ezekiel is supported by its harmony with the other books of the Bible, although it is not quoted or cited directly by any of the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures. Allusions to some of its statements and similar expressions are, nevertheless, found profusely. Ezekiel and Jesus speak of the drying up of a moist tree. (Ezek. 17:24; Luke 23:31) Ezekiel and Jesus both spoke of a judgment of people as sheep and goats. (Ezek. 34:17; Matt. 25:32, 33) The book of Revelation uses many illustrations similar to those in Ezekiel.—Compare Ezekiel 1:28—Revelation 4:3; Ezekiel 10:3, 4—Revelation 15:8; Ezekiel 12:25—Revelation 10:6; Ezekiel 37:10—Revelation 11:11.

It is to be noted that among the Chester Beatty Greek Biblical papyri is one codex containing, among other portions of the Bible, Ezekiel, Daniel and Esther. These are all found in one codex, probably consisting originally of one hundred and eighteen leaves. It is a copy written by two scribes, likely in the first half of the third century, indicating the substantial soundness of the book of Ezekiel as it has come down to us.

Since Jeremiah and Ezekiel were contemporaries, their prophecies have many things in common. (Compare Ezekiel 18:2—Jeremiah 31:29; Ezekiel 24:3—Jeremiah 1:13; Ezekiel 34:2—Jeremiah 23:1.) Daniel and Ezekiel, also contemporaries, have similarities of expression in their writings. Ezekiel, while bound by cords, prophesied about the kingdom of Judah and designated a year in fulfillment for each day of the prophecy. (Ezek. 4:4-8) Likewise, Daniel spoke of a tree stump banded and a day-for-a-year time feature, a prophecy concerning the kingdom. (Dan. 4:23) Another time prophecy of Daniel was the seventy weeks in connection with the coming of the Messiah the Leader, also using a day to symbolize a year in the fulfillment.—Dan. 9:24-27.

ARRANGEMENT OF MATERIAL

For the most part, Ezekiel’s prophecies and visions are arranged chronologically as well as topically. The four verses of chapter 29:17-20 are placed out of their chronological order (compare Ezekiel 29:1; 30:20), but topically they belong here with the prophecy against Egypt. Up until the tenth month of the ninth year of the first captivity, the central point around which Ezekiel’s prophecies revolved was the complete fall and desolation of Jerusalem, with only brief references to the restoration. Such is the tenor of the first twenty-four chapters. During the siege of Jerusalem, the prophet turned his attention mainly to pronouncing woes upon the pagan nations