Ezekiel the Prophet

Ezekiel was a prophet who lived during a hard time. His people had been taken from their home in Jerusalem. They were forced to live in a strange land called Babylon. Ezekiel was one of them. He lived among the exiles by a river far from home.

He was a priest, and he came from a priestly family. He was supposed to serve in the temple in Jerusalem. But the temple was destroyed, and the people were scattered. His life did not go the way he had planned.

God gave him a mission. God told him to speak to the people and tell them the truth. Even though they were far from home, God had not forgotten them.

Ezekiel did not choose to be a prophet. God called him, and he listened. He saw visions and heard God speak. He was not always sure how the people would react, but he obeyed.

He became a voice of warning and of hope. He told the people why they had been taken into exile. He also told them that one day, they would return.

His life was not easy. He had to say hard things. Many people did not want to listen. But he stayed faithful.

He lived in Babylon, not in his own land. He was with his people, sharing their suffering. He gave them a reason to hope.

He is one of the major prophets in the Bible. His life and message are still remembered today.

Learn more about the Book of Ezekiel here.

Ezekiel was born into a priestly family. He grew up learning about the temple, the law, and how to serve God. He probably thought he would one day serve in the temple like his father.

But before he could begin his service, everything changed. The Babylonian army came and took many people away from Jerusalem. Ezekiel was taken too. He ended up far from the temple he had trained to serve in.

When he was thirty years old, something strange happened. He had a vision. He saw the glory of God in a great cloud with fire and light. He saw four strange creatures with wings and wheels. It was a vision full of wonder.

That day, God called him to be a prophet. He was told to speak to the people of Israel in exile. God said they were stubborn, but Ezekiel must not be afraid.

Ezekiel did not run away. He did what he was told. He became a prophet, even though he had not planned to.

God told him to speak with words, but also with actions. Sometimes Ezekiel had to lie on his side for many days. Sometimes he had to act out messages to show people what was coming.

He also had to eat strange food and live in a very simple way. All of this was to show the people that they needed to change.

He was not a prophet in a royal palace or a holy temple. He was a prophet in a land of strangers. But God was with him there.

His call shows that God can use anyone, anywhere. Even in a foreign land, God still speaks.

Ezekiel lived in a town near the Kebar River in Babylon. The people around him were also exiles. They missed their home. They missed the temple. They wondered if God was still with them.

Ezekiel lived among them, sharing their pain. He spoke God’s word to them, even when it was hard. Sometimes he had to warn them. Sometimes he gave them hope.

He used many signs and actions to show what God was saying. He built a small model of Jerusalem and showed how it would be attacked. He shaved his head and beard to show what would happen to the people.

These actions were strange, but they had a purpose. They were ways to get people’s attention. They were ways to speak without words.

Ezekiel also had to do very sad things. God told him that his wife would die, but he was not allowed to mourn in public. This was a sign to the people that something terrible was coming.

People did not always listen. Many still hoped to return quickly to Jerusalem. Some did not believe Ezekiel’s warnings. But he kept speaking.

He did not live in comfort. He lived a simple and hard life. But he was close to the people. He showed them that God still cared for them, even far from home.

His life shows that being a prophet is not easy. But it is important. Sometimes the hardest messages are the ones we need the most.

Ezekiel suffered many things. He lost his home. He lost his chance to serve in the temple. He lost his wife.

He was given strange tasks. He had to do things that made him look foolish. He had to live in silence for a time. He was only allowed to speak when God gave him a message.

Many people did not want to hear him. Some thought he was too harsh. Others just ignored him. But he did not stop. He kept going.

God told him that his words were like a sharp tool, cutting into hard ground. That is not an easy job. But Ezekiel was faithful.

He had strong trust in God. Even when everything around him was broken, he believed God would keep His promise.

He spoke about a new heart and a new spirit. He said that God would gather His people again.

He saw a vision of dry bones coming to life. It showed that God could bring hope even when things seemed dead.

Ezekiel did not live to see everything come true. But he believed it would happen. He did his part. He left the rest in God’s hands.

His life teaches us that faith is not always about success. Sometimes it is just about doing what God asks, one day at a time.

The Church remembers Ezekiel as a faithful prophet. His life shows us that God does not forget His people. Even when they are far from home, He is near.

Early Christians saw meaning in Ezekiel’s visions. The four creatures he saw are often linked to the four Gospels. His vision of water flowing from the temple reminds us of the life that flows from Christ.

Ezekiel taught that God would give His people a new heart. This is something we still hope for. The Church prays for hearts that are open, honest, and full of love.

Ezekiel’s faith speaks to us today. He lived in exile, but he trusted God. He suffered loss, but he kept going. He had little, but he gave much.

We remember him as one of the great prophets. The Roman Martyrology honors him on July 23. Some other traditions keep his memory on April 10.

He did not speak only to his own time. His message still matters. He reminds us that God is with us, even in hard times.

He calls us to listen, to hope, and to follow God’s way, no matter where we are.

Ezekiel saw some of the weirdest visions in the Bible. Like, really weird.

One vision had four creatures with four faces each. That’s a lot of face time.

Another vision had wheels with eyes all over them. Spinning wheels. With eyeballs. Yes, that’s in the Bible.

He once laid on his left side for 390 days. Then on his right side for 40 days. That’s over a year of side-sleeping. Mattress not included.

God told him to cook food over cow poop. At first it was going to be human poop, but Ezekiel asked for a change. And God agreed. Talk about awkward prayers.

He once shaved his head and beard with a sword. A sword! Then he split the hair into thirds and burned, chopped, and scattered it. This was to show what would happen to Jerusalem.

He had to eat a scroll. Like, really eat it. It tasted sweet like honey, he said. Paper cuts on the tongue? No mention.

He lived during the Babylonian exile. So he was basically a prophet in a foreign land.

He was a priest too, so he knew all the temple rules. But God made him do some very non-temple things.

One time God made him silent. Like, mute. For years. He could only speak when God said so. Some people today probably wish they had that power.

Ezekiel’s wife died, and God told him not to mourn out loud. That was part of a prophecy too. His whole life was like a living parable.

He saw dry bones come to life. Yes, a whole valley of skeletons turned into people. The first zombie moment in Scripture.

He saw the glory of God leave the temple. Then he saw it return. Not many people get to see that kind of thing twice.

His visions were so strange, people thought he was a little off. Even ancient rabbis said his book was “hard to understand.”

He liked drama. Most of his messages came with costumes, street theater, and stunts.

His name means “God strengthens.” Which makes sense, because he needed a lot of strength to do all that.

Some people say the wheels in his vision inspired sci-fi UFO stories. Ezekiel: prophet or first alien witness?

He is a patron saint of preachers and prophets. Because he was always speaking God’s message, even if it sounded crazy.

He’s also a good saint for artists and poets. His visions were wild enough to spark a thousand paintings.

One of his symbols is the scroll—because he ate it. Another is the wheel, of course.