Ezekiel

EZEKIEL

His Life. His life remains a mystery. We do not know when he was born. During his childhood and youth, he likely learned about Josiah’s reforms, his tragic death, the fall of Nineveh, and the rise of the new Babylonian Empire. Coming from a priestly family, he was trained in the temple, where he served until his exile. During this time, he received his prophetic calling.
His activity is divided into two stages, separated by a violent break. The first stage lasted seven years and ended with the fall of Jerusalem. During this period, his role was to systematically dismantle all false hopes, denouncing and helping people understand that trusting in Egypt and Hezekiah is futile, that the initial deportation is just the beginning, serving as a prelude to the ultimate catastrophe. The fall of Jerusalem confirms that his prophecy was accurate.
An enforced silence falls, almost more tragic than the previous phase. These seven months are a mournful pause, lacking rites or words, without comfort or compassion.
The prophet begins the second stage by delivering his oracles against the nations. At the same time, while stripping away all human hope in other powers, he affirms God’s judgment throughout history. He then offers a new hope based solely on God’s grace and faithfulness. His earlier oracles gain new meaning, and he enhances them by adding new conclusions and additional oracles of pure hope.

The Author of the Book. What we understand today as the Book of Ezekiel is not solely the work of the prophet but also that of his followers. It includes various additions, such as theological reflections, legislative fragments at the end, and clarifications inspired by previous events. All these elements help to shape the overall structure of the book.
Its structure is clearly outlined by the main themes corresponding to different periods of his activity: before the fall of Jerusalem (chapters 1–24), oracles against the nations (chapters 25–32), and after the fall of Jerusalem (chapters 33–48). This organization provides a framework of threat and promise, tragedy and restoration. Additionally, this structure is reflected in individual chapters through insertions or by moving material from the second period to earlier chapters; likewise, material from later chapters is sometimes moved to the beginning to create a unified view of the prophet’s work from the start.
The book can be seen as a unified whole containing sections that are not fully harmonious. In comparison, it resembles a cathedral with three Gothic naves, decorated with Baroque chapels featuring funeral monuments and statues of piety.

Religious Message. Reading this book reveals the admirable energy of the word that interprets history to recreate it, reflecting a divine action born from the rightful suffering of its people, ultimately resulting in a pure gift of resurrection. This message presents Ezekiel as the prophet of ruin and reconstruction, emphasizing the newness he uniquely highlights in the so-called “Apocalypses of Ezekiel” (38–39), where he envisions the new reign of the Lord and the renewed people joyfully recognizing the Lord in Jerusalem, the city of the temple.
The central theme of Ezekiel’s preaching emphasizes each individual’s responsibility to answer for their actions before God. The deeds that ultimately determine whether someone is saved or condemned depend on the justice they show to the poor and oppressed. In a society where the exploitation of the vulnerable is common, Ezekiel stands out as a defender of the hungry and the unclothed—those suffering injustice and hurt by the greed of usurers. He courageously speaks out against the abused and mistreated, consistently calling for conversion. Without rights and justice, true conversion remains unattainable.