Let the Prophets Speak

God turns His wrath against the false prophets, magicians and sorcerers among the men and women of Israel. You will be lost, and your mempory will be lost. Any chance the people may have had to repent and mend their ways was ruined by your false assertions of hope and peace. Those of you who had no courage to tell the people of the consequences of their actions, will suffer the most from those sam...

God asks Ezekiel to perform another symbolic act, to enact the exile of the people of Jerusalem, and the ill-fated attempt of its' King to sneak off during the night. the people still don't listen, thinking that with time, the prophets and their prophecies will fade and die. God says no, the time is now, there is no more waiting. The proophecies are beung fulfilled at this very moment.

In this stirring chapter, God teaches Ezekiel that He will leave Jerusalem, and reside with His people in exile. There He will be a "small Temple" a "mikdash me'at" and He will reside among them until it is time to bring them back home. Then the people will gather in Israel with a humble heart, one dedicated to unity and living in God's ways.

In this terribly graphic and ominous chapter, Ezekiel describes his vision as God's presence is lifted by His chariot out of the Temple. This represents God's "journey" from the Temple to Babylon. The people have defiled His Temple, it is no longer God's house. The fires taken from God's chariot will now consume and destroy the desecrated House of God.

Ezekiels virtual journey to the Temple in Jerusalem continues, as he now witnesses the departure of God from the cherubs. As God leaves, he instructs the destroyers to begin the defilement of the temple and show no mercy to the sinful people of Jerusalem. Those who do show remorse however, are marked and spared.

God takes Ezekiel on a flight to Jerusalem to see the extent of the corruption that has overtaken the people. The temple itself is being defiled in the worst possible way. Ezekiel invokes the images of Deuteronomy in his attempt to get the people to hear his message.

Ezekiel continues to try and convince the people that the time of destruction of Jerusalem is upon them. The time is now, not in 100 years or in some distant future, but now. Individuals can save themselves if they learn the proper lessons, but the Temple and the people residing in Israel are doomed. Only in Babylon will the salvation sprout one day, but all that sprouts in the land of Israel now...

Ezekiel reminds the people that all of this has been predicted in the Torah many years ago. This should come as no surprise. "It was not for nothing that I told you all of this!", God reminds the people (See verse 10 in this chapter).

God continues to ask Ezekiel to do another symbolic act, this time to teach the most awful lesson of all. A terrible destruction is going to befall the people of Jerusalem, and very very few will survive.

God asks the prophet to perform several symbolic acts to convey the message of the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel displays his humility and that he is suffering alomg with the people.

God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman over the Jewish people. You must deliver the message, and the people will choose if they want to listen and avert catastrophe, or if they will ignore it and suffer the consequences. We learn that every individual is responsible for his/her deeds regardless of the surrounding environment, and the watchman is responsible to deliver the warnings.

Ezekiel cannot bring himself to eat the bitter scroll, so God has to feed it to him. He then eats it as if it was sweet as honey, though its' contents were anything but sweet. God says, once you internalize this message, then speak my words to the people. Though they are stubborn and obstinate, you will be just as stubborn as they.

Ezekiel is overwhelmed by his vision, but God tells him that he can listen. Internalize this message. Speak to the people whether they listen to you or not. Tell them my message, and do not be afraid of them. God gives him a scroll full of suffering, and tells him to eat it, though Ezekiel is understandably reluctant.

Ezekiel has his inaugaural vision, of God traveling in His spectacular chariot. The images are fantasic and indescribable, and the prophet is overwhelmed with awe. One thing is clear, God has left the Temple, and His presence is to be found elsewhere. The vision is in babylon, signaling the exlied Jews in babylon that god's presence can be found among them, even without the Temple in Jerusalem.

A short introduction to help us put this very important work in historical context. Ezekiel is the only major prophet to address the community in exile, from the vantage point of exile.

Daniel is confused, he hears all of these visions, but he still cannot comprehend their meaning. The angel answers, that the meaning will not be comprehended by anyone until the end of days. Then and only then will all the world see those that preceded them resurrected. The righteous will shine for posterity, and the wicked will be forever shamed.

The angel continues the visions of the apocalyptic battles of the future.

The angel tells Daniel of future wars and alliances, treachery and rebellion. The cycle of history will go on for a long time.

Daniel fasts and prays as the deliverence promised by God seemed to be failing. He is answered by a vision of an angel of immense power and fire and strength. the angel says that he has been struggling on behalf of the people of Israel with the powers of Persia and will soon have to struggle with Greece as well. But only with the help of Michael will he be able to save israel. "Who is as powerful...

According to Daniel's calculation, the seventy years of exile of babylonia should be over, but the people of Judea remain in exile. In one of the most moving prayers in the Bible, Daniel beseeches God to end teh suffering of His people. Gabriel once again appears and explains that although God is listening to his prayers, and adores them, things aren't going to be so simple.

Daniel has another vision, this one of a powerful ram being battered by a flying unicorn from the west. The imagery and the meaning of it all is explained to Daniel by the angel Gabriel.

What is this beast? What do my visions mean? Daniel approaches the angel and gets an explanation, and we learn a bit about the future course of human history.

Daniel has a fantastical dream, and he fortells the cycles of history and human Kingdoms. The only one that will be forever, is the ultimate kingdom that will one day be led by the one chosen by God. The Kingdom of God will be the pinnacle of world history.

In another famous biblical chapter, Daniel becomes the victim of the jealousy of the other nobles. Using a tactic that would become a standard tactic of antisemites in future years, they forced Daniel to choose between his religion and his King. Daniel chooses God, and finds himself in the lion's den.

In one of the most famous chapters of the Bible, the King Belshazzar calls a giant durnken party for his noble men. within the drunken sex, revelry, and abuse of the vessels of God's Temple, a hand appears, and writes a mysterious message on the wall. Only the queen has the sense to call Daniel and ask him for help. Daniel rebukes the king, and predicts the downfall of the kingdom of Babylon.