Source: Marvin A. Sweeney, Reading Ezekiel: A Literary and Theological Commentary, Reading the Old Testament Series (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated, 2013), 1–21.
1. Ezekiel Priest, Prophet, Paradox.mp4
Orientation to the Book of Ezekiel.wav
The book of Ezekiel, authored by the Judean priest and prophet Ezekiel ben Buzi exiled to Babylonia in 597 BCE, is a complex yet compelling part of the Hebrew Bible. It records Ezekiel's bizarre and powerful visions, which began when he turned thirty, the age he would have started serving in the Jerusalem Temple. These visions detail the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple as a necessary purification and culminate in the promise of a restored temple and renewed creation (Ezekiel 40–48), reflecting his Zadokite priestly background. The text's structure is largely defined by chronological formulas that trace his twenty years of prophetic ministry, aligning with the expected span of a priest’s active service. Ultimately, Ezekiel's theology asserts that YHWH deliberately orchestrated Jerusalem’s destruction to purge a defiled temple and sanctify the divine name, making the book foundational for both Jewish mysticism and apocalyptic thought in later traditions.
Mention the prophet Ezekiel, and the first things that come to mind are often the Bible’s most bizarre and spectacular images. We think of the celestial throne-chariot borne by four-faced, winged creatures; the vision of God’s glory departing the Jerusalem Temple; or the haunting valley where a nation’s dry bones rattle back to life. For many, Ezekiel is the prophet of impenetrable strangeness, a visionary whose message is lost behind a veil of surreal imagery.
But behind these perplexing visions lies a remarkably coherent and influential figure whose life took a profound and unexpected turn. The strangeness of his book isn't random; it’s the language of a priest trying to make sense of a world where his sacred purpose has been rendered impossible. In fact, Ezekiel's elite Zadokite priestly training is the master key that unlocks his entire project—his theology of divine power, his legal arguments, and even his mystical visions.
This article pulls back the curtain on the prophet, revealing five of the most impactful and counter-intuitive truths about his mission and legacy. Based on modern scholarship, these insights recast Ezekiel from a perplexing visionary into one of the most pivotal thinkers in religious history, demonstrating how his priestly identity informs every facet of his work.
Ezekiel wasn’t just a prophet; he was born and trained to be a priest. As a member of the elite Zadokite priestly line, his entire life was oriented toward one goal: serving at the altar of the Jerusalem Temple. This sacred service was set to begin at a specific time, and the chronology of his life reveals the profound personal crisis that launched his prophetic career.