Ezekiel's Vision, Its Important Message for Me

Ezekiel was born into the priestly tribe of Aaron. As a descendent of Aaron he would have the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies in the magnificent Temple of Solomon. He would light the candle stick and burn the incense in the Holiest place on earth.

From childhood Ezekiel had been schooled in the law of Moses. He was trained in all the ritual sacrifices. He had envisioned a life of service in the temple, like his father before him. He had waited patiently, knowing priests did not serve in the temple until they were 30 years old.

Before Ezekiel turned 30, with tears of anguish, he joined the 10,000 captives hauled off to Babylon in 598 BC. His tenderest hopes had slipped from his grasp somewhere along the 1600-mile march to Babylon. Now he and his family were living among heathens. The people of Babylon did not know the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Babylonians did not appreciate the Lord’s tender mercies to Israel when He brought them out of captivity through the Red Sea.

Now Ezekiel was 30. All his hopes had been dashed against the rock of reality. He would never serve in the magnificent Temple of Solomon. He would never perform sacrifices to the Lord. He would never be clothed in the priestly temple garments.

To learn more about Solomon’s Temple see: Solomon’s Temple

Ezekiel’s Vision

At this moment Ezekiel’s heart must have ached, his soul troubled. He had planned his whole life to serve the Lord in Solomon’s temple, now that dream was gone. I imagine he took his dilemma to the Lord and cried out in agony “Lord, why me? I would have served you faithfully. I would’ve been a good priest.”

The Lord comforted Ezekiel with several visions. In one of Ezekiel’s visions he saw God sitting on a throne in the temple. The throne of God floated on a platform with wheels and four unique animals, one on each corner of the platform. The platform rose carrying the Lord out of the temple toward the east.

My thoughts are that Ezekiel’s visions were the Lord’s way of reassuring Ezekiel. In the first vision God revealed symbolically that He was no longer in the temple at Jerusalem. The Lord had moved east to be with his people in Babylon.

In another vision Ezekiel was shown the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple demolished and burned. Therefore, Ezekiel knew if he had remained in Jerusalem he would never have served as a priest in the temple of Solomon.

In one vision Ezekiel saw the future temple to be built in the last days in all its glory. As a special privilege he was allowed to measure the millennial temple. With Ezekiel’s measurements, the Jews are planning to build a new temple someday where the original temple once stood.

God had a new plan for Ezekiel. The new plan was for him to serve the Lord in Babylon.

Ezekiel’s Important Message for Me

Ezekiel’s message to the Jews in Babylon was to build their houses and plant their gardens. The Lord wanted the Jews to thrive where they were planted.

Sometimes I feel like Ezekiel; I make plans, I organize my project. I think I have it all figured out. However, my plans fall apart. I wonder why God had not helped me with my plan.

Then I realized God must have a different plan for me. His plan may not be what I wanted. Yet, it is what God thinks is best for me.

If my thoughts about Ezekiel’s vision are correct the Lord’s message to me is to serve Him where I am. I don’t need to go somewhere else. I can help my neighbors and share the gospel. God doesn’t usually ask me to do magnificent things. It is often the small things that make the biggest difference.

There are people I can serve here and now, even in our modern Babylon. I can share the love of Christ. I can become the disciple Jesus wants me to become. I can follow God’s plan for me.

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