It reveals how god is manifested, how god moves, and how god administrates his. It is housed in the palatine gallery of palazzo pitti, florence, central italy. The work is remembered by renaissance art biographer giorgio vasari as property of a bolognese nobleman, vincenzo ercolani. It must be something as a vision we have received from the open heavens. Encounter divine dreams and visions in the book of ezekiel. The elders were involved in idolworship in the temple.
The visions ezekiel described are of heavenly, spiritual beings, not alien life forms. But with a little research into the biblical message, it becomes clear that ezekiels writing and visions were apocalyptic in naturevery similar to the writings found in both daniel and revelation. It is important to elaborate on a few points raised in this article. The two prophecies of ezekiel and daniel are found back to back in our english bibles, and the men who wrote these prophecies were contemporaries during the days of the exile of judah and israel. Ezekiels vision print 16x20 revelation illustrated. Many of the divine visions that ezekiel shares are relevant to gods plans for reconstructing the present world and restoring his people to our former days in the garden of eden. He was a contemporary of jeremiah, but his call to be a prophet came on the banks of the chebar in babylon ezekiel 1. When i began to extend the lines of adam kadmon beyond its perimeter, i recalled ezekiels chariot vision. The first section of ezekiel, which is all of chapter one, presents a vision of the appearance of the glory of the lord. Ezekiel the prophet lived among the jewish exiles in babylon. When ezekiel was 30 years old, in the late spring or summer of the year, he was living among the exiles by the kebar river in the land of the babylonians. Artwork page for vision of ezekiel, david bomberg, 1912 bomberg was closely associated with the vorticist group in london. He was a practical theologian whose nature was deeply introspective.
It was the fifth year of the exile of king jehoiachin when the word of god came to ezekiel. Ezekiel had his vision in babylon as one of the captive exiles ezek 1. Parallels between the visions of the book of revelation and the visions of the book of the prophet ezekiel. Both men see god on his throne, surrounded by heavenly attendants. This text is actually the primary source in the tanach for the mystical element of torah, known in the jewish vernacular as kabbalah. Some statements found in rabbinic literature posit that ezekiel was the son of jeremiah, who was also called buzi because he. Ezekiels prophetic vision of the future temple schmitt, john w. Ezekiel the prophet saw many strange visions during the course of his ministry, and one of them offers you a hope you might not have thought possible for yourself. Although the term holy is not used in ezekiel 1, the entire vision conveys the reality of the lords transcendence, his setapartness as the creator and ruler of all.
John in the book of revelation and the visions of the prophets ezekiel and daniel in the old testament prophet charts old testament compared to new testament charts list. I though of the reaching lines as wings extending from the paths of the tree of life, as echoed in the words of isaiah 6. The first ten chapters or so of maimonides guide to the perplexed book iii are dedicated to explaining. Oct 08, 2010 perhaps in a personal diary, he recorded the exact date on which the first vision occurred. Ezekiel then realized that this was the appearance of. Followers of this type of mysticism sought to recreate similar experiences and ascend into gods. Ezekiels vision of the lord is not unlike the vision john has in revelation 4. Ezekiel was one of the jewish people taken captive and living as exiles in babylon. The biblical book of ezekiel records seven visions of the prophet ezekiel, who was exiled from judah to babylon from 593 b. The prophet ezekiel was given an awesome vision when he was with the captives of judah at babylon in 594 bce. Ezekiels vision of a new temple bible student archives. Indeed, as joel rosenberg notes, the pervasive dominance of the i voice, the persistence of precise dates and of an almost purely sequential chronology and the private, literate and bookish manner of the language and idioms give the text much of the quality of a journal pp. It reveals how god is manifested, how god moves, and how god administrates his government through the four living creatures. The one in the 37th chapter speaks directly to the desperate plight of israel down through the ages.
Followers of this type of mysticism sought to recreate similar experiences and ascend into gods realm. The prophets vision concerns four living creatures that served as a type of chariot for the divine throne, the place from which the likeness of the glory of the lord spoke to ezekiel vv. Ezekiel, like jeremiah, is said by talmud and midrash to have been a descendant of joshua by his marriage with the proselyte and former prostitute rahab. He sees this contraption or vision move in all directions, which communicates to him that it can move in every which way. The book of ezekiel can seem vague and confusing for some readers, but with careful observation it contains key details god wants us to know about. Although some modern literalists explain this vision as spacecraft, it has a much deeper meaning. This is no god with whom we can trifle but the supreme sovereign who is to be adored for his glory and truth. The biblical book of ezekiel records seven visions of the prophet ezekiel, who was exiled. There he had a series of visions in which the heavens were opened, and which form the basis of much subsequent understanding of the divine nature including the book of revelation. The appearance speaks to ezekiel, who realises that it is god himself who speaks to him. Comparing his vision to babylonian iconography reveals that ezekiel saw a divine throne chariot of the heavenswidely described in the ancient biblical world. According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet ezekiel, exiled in babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571 bc, although it is the product of a. How was this prophecy relevant to ezekiels original audience and his overall prophetic message.
Ezekiels vision of a new temple we read from ezekiel 40. These wheels were associated with the four living creatures ezekiel 1. His style is rich with parables, signs, allegories, visions, imagery, and symbolic actions in order to dramatize his messages. The vision of ezekiel for an informed reading of ezekiel. 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 ezekiel 1.
On the fifth day of the fourth month, the heavens were opened. Ezekiel 1 nirv the lord gives ezekiel visions of his. Cooper installment 2 the call and commission of ezekiel. Notes on ezekiels vision chapters 1 and 10 of the book of ezekiel. All images are also avaliable in digital download for projection or other media use. Ezekiel 1 new international readers version nirv the lord gives ezekiel visions of his glory. In the visions of god brought he me into the land of israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. The nativity with the prophets isaiah and ezekiel, duccio di buoninsegna, th century. When i began to extend the lines of adam kadmon beyond its perimeter, i recalled ezekiel s chariot vision. Ezekiel is one of those books that was included in the bible to keep us humble. Ezekiels vision of the mystic wheel, fra angelico, c. First congregational church, ucc, cadillac, mi for private distribution only it has been said that every sunday worship service should be like pentecost. The heavens opened and the widely respected priest received a vision from god.
Ezekiels inaugural vision in my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while i was among the exiles by the kebar river, the heavens were opened and i saw visions of god. Purchased from the doffay couper gallery grantinaid with the aid of the morton bequest made through the contemporary art society 1970. It was the fifth year since he had been brought to babylon as. The lord gives ezekiel visions of his glory i was 30 years old. The biblical prophets those clasic distrubers of the false. Our results implied that the ezekiels vision, the oldest enigma, has is been interpreted by biological discoveries, dna is righthanded double helical molecule that composed by four kinds of nucleotides encoding the human biological body and basic emotion. Now we need to see the conditions for seeing the visions. Ezekiel continues to proclaim that judgment is, imminent, but the people will not believe. Known as mirkevet yechezkel, the chariot of ezekiel, the reading speaks of the revelation to ezekiel in which he saw the entire gamut of divine beings in what he describes as a chariot.
Ezekiels inaugural vision in my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while i was among the exiles by the kebar river, the heavens. Ezekiels first vision four living creatures accompany a. The story of the prophet ezekiel episcopal church of the. The wheel vision is part of the vision of the living creatures.
And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was. How was this prophecy relevant to ezekiel s original audience and his overall prophetic message. Ezekiel continued to have visions throughout his prophetic ministry. The visions and oracles of the prophet ezekiel by dr. Among the exiles in babylon, ezekiel shows that israel deserved this judgment, and also that gods justice creates. What i am ministering to you is not a theory, a concept, a teaching, a doctrine, or a kind of systematic theology from a seminary. Indeed, as joel rosenberg notes, the pervasive dominance of the i voice, the persistence of precise dates and of an almost purely sequential chronology and the private. What makes it theologically so dangerous in the eyes.
Ezekiel, the older of the two, was carried to babylon by nebuchadnezzar after his first invasion of the land of judah, when king jehoiachin was taken captive. After all, the primary occurrence at sinai was the the revelation of g. The glory of the lord entered the temple through the. Ezekiels vision of the four wheels dramatically illustrates the omnipresence and omniscience of god. How have different commentators interpreted and understood this imagery over the years. On one hand, he was the son of buzi, despised by others, but on the other hand, he was ezekiel, strengthened by god. What is the significance of ezekiels description of gods. Its intriguing description of the valley of dry bones was the subject of a popular song, dry bones, during the mid1950s. Furthermore, the word of god came to ezekiel expressly. King james version at times edited by myself to weed out archaisms below is a versebyverse brief running commentary on ezekiels vision in regard to whether what he saw was some sort of extraterrestrial craft or not. Some statements found in rabbinic literature posit that ezekiel was the son of jeremiah, who was also called buzi because he was despised by the jews. The reader of ezekiel is impressed immediately with the intensely personal nature of the writing. Both men describe lightning, brilliant light, creatures unknown to man, and a brilliant rainbow in the midst of the heavenly vision. Ezekiel 1 nkjv ezekiels vision of god now it came bible.
Ezekiel, a prophet to the exiles the book of ezekiel ezekiel was deported from jerusalem in 598 with some 10,000 elite of the city. Ezekiel was trained as a priest, but called to the office of a prophet at a time in the history of israel in which they were partially in captivity. In scientific category, the ezekiels vision was a dream or. Ezekiels vision of gods chariot became the biblical text most important to jewish mysticism. Ezekiel has a vision and is called to be gods messenger to the captive jews in babylon. Despite the above explanation of the connection between the haftarah and the holiday, a closer analysis still leaves room for discussion. Ezekiels vision of living creatures it was the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month of our captivity. This text is actually the primary source in the tanach for the mystical element of torah, known in. Of all the visions described in the bible, this one in the first chapter of ezekiel seems to be one of the most intriguing and hard to imagine. In a vision the prophet ezekiel sees the appearance of a man sitting on a throne shaped by four creatures. The vision i saw was like the vision i had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions i had seen by the kebar river, and i fell facedown.
No wonder, therefore, that those who believed that ezekiel s experience had a deeper meaning endlessly explored the text for hidden allusions and mystical messages. How are we to understand ezekiels bizarre vision of the chariot in its historical context. The sixthcentury illuminated syriac manuscript known as the rabbula gospels after the signed name of its scribe contains one of the earliest depictions of christs ascension into heaven. What is its place in the book of ezekiel as a whole. Ezekiel 1 ncv ezekiels vision of living creatures bible gateway. Ezekiel 1, new international version niv the bible app. This kind of vision, and especially the prophets description of the divine throne, bursts the limits of the ordinary and has a reality all of its own. The story of the prophet encountering god spawned merkavah mysticism, aptly named for the merkavah or chariot on which ezekiel rode to the heavens. May we recall this great vision of the lord that we might. The vision of ezekiel for an informed reading of ezekiel 1.
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