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The Visionary Prophet

© Virginia Marin

Of the four major prophets in the Old Covenant - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel, I have chosen Ezekiel for this purview. Because of length constraints and repetition, I refer you to Wendell Leahy and his Apologetics Topic for a recent overview on the captivity, at which point this address begins.

Ezekiel was a priest (Ezekiel 1:3), however, he never served in that office. At an early age, he was taken captive to Babylon during the reign of Jehoiachin, king of Judah (II Kings 24:10-16). I could stop there, because so little is actually known about Ezekiel's personal life. The question arises, WHY? Why is so little known about the personal life of one of the four greatest major prophets in the Old Covenant? I think it is because Ezekiel is not about Ezekiel. Ezekiel is ALL about God.

Although there are no physical discriptions of Ezekiel, I think a relatively accurate mental picture of the man can be formed, based on his life as a prophet. Since prophets essentially wore similar garb, it seems safe to picture Ezekiel in a long flowing robe of sheep's wool, possibly brown or tan in color. Perhaps he even wore a belt. Living in a desert environment close to the Euphrates River, he can be pictured with a deep tan and rough skin. Surely he had long hair, more than likely with a few tangles and a beard which harbored some degree of desert sand, as would his brown, loose fitting sandals.

But, you know what? I would like to look into Ezekiel's face - into the face of this man of God who had seen the Shekinah Glory of the Lord. Ezekiel looked beyond the sufferings of Messiah to the glory that would follow. He saw His suffering. He saw His glory. Indeed, this would be reflected in his visage. It would be seraphic. Listen to Ezekiel through tear-filled eyes and a strong, authorative voice as he prophecies to closed ears and dead hearts.

The Book of Ezekiel covers, prophetically, an enormous amount of time: from Ezekiel's prophecies regarding the Jews' seventy years in captivity; the destruction of Jerusalem; to chapters 38 and 39 which fortell the future Rapture and Trubulation period; to Armageddon; and, finally in chapters 40-48, the Millennium Temple and Kingdom. Ezekiel was not only a prophet to the Jews of the Old Testament, but he is also speaking across time to us today.