My Name Is Ezekiel...

From the Exile to the Glory of the Restoration: A Prophet’s Chronicle

To the faithful scattered among the nations,

Grace and peace to you from the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar, where the hand of the Lord came upon me. I am Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, once a priest in the temple of Jerusalem, now a prophet in the land of our captivity.

As I pen this letter, the dust of Jerusalem's fallen temple still clings to my soul, and the cries of Judah echo in the chambers of my heart. I was among those carried away during the second deportation, in the reign of Jehoiachin, when the glory of Zion was exchanged for the chains of Babylon.

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In the fifth year of exile, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. The voice of the Almighty called me to a task weighty and fearsome, to be a watchman unto the house of Israel, declaring, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 3:17, ESV).

With a spirit obstinate as the people I was sent to, I proclaimed the Lord's judgments and His promises. Through me, the Lord spoke parables, performed signs, and showed visions that were as strange as they were profound. I lay on my side for 390 days to bear the iniquity of the house of Israel, and for 40 days for the house of Judah, symbolizing the years of their punishment (Ezekiel 4:4-6).

In my solitude, the Lord revealed the depths of Israel's sin, the idolatry that defiled His sanctuary, and I wept bitterly for the abominations that brought desolation upon our people. The word of the Lord was a fire in my bones, consuming me, and I could not—would not—keep silent.

I prophesied to mountains and valleys, to dry bones in a desolate land, and witnessed the Spirit of life bringing sinews, flesh, and breath to form a great army from the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-10). Such was the promise of restoration for Israel—a resurrection of hope, a covenant of peace, a future where the Lord would be our God and we, His people.

But the years have also shown me visions of the New Temple, a river flowing from its threshold, bringing life to the places long barren. I have measured its gates, its courts, its walls, not as an architect but as a witness to the promise that God's glory shall return to us, even more magnificent than before (Ezekiel 40-48).

I have seen the glory of the Lord departing from the temple but also the assurance that it shall return, filling the temple with the cloud and the whole earth with His glory (Ezekiel 43:4-5). In this, I find an unwavering hope: though we are in exile, our God has not abandoned us. He is the Good Shepherd who will seek out His sheep and gather them from the countries where they have been scattered (Ezekiel 34:11-13).

To you who are faithful, I charge you to remember the Lord in a foreign land, to keep your lamps trimmed and your hearts prepared for the returning glory of the Lord. Let the law of the Lord be ever upon your lips, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of the nations. Stand firm in the hope that our God will not leave us as orphans; He will come to us.

Though we weep by the waters of Babylon, let us not forget Jerusalem, for the Lord has not. In the fullness of time, He will bring us back to the place where His name dwells. Until then, may you walk in the statutes of the Lord, keeping His judgments and doing them.

From the heart of exile, with eyes set upon the promise of our return,

Ezekiel, son of Buzi, servant of the Most High God.

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