The Kingdom of Judah has always been at the crossroads of super powers such as Egypt and Assyria, the Greeks of Alexander the Great and the Persians or the Romans and the Seleucid Empire.[1] This required wise statesmanship on the part of the leaders of Israel and Judah. Sadly, history has shown that too often kings made bad decisions. The result of their rebelling against God and the warning voices of the prophets terminated into the scattering of both Israel and Judah to the four corners of the earth. The Babylonian Exile or Captivity involved three major waves of Jewish captives being carried off to Babylon from the Kingdom of Judah over a period of years. The deportations started after the defeat of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar II at Carchemish about 605 BC.[2] It was at this time that Daniel and his three friends were taken to Babylon (Daniel 1:1–2). The newly sustained king of Judah, Jehoahaz only lasted three months before Pharaoh Necho II took him to Egypt as a hostage. The Pharaoh appointed the brother of Jehoahaz as a puppet king. His name was Jehoiakim. When Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, Jehoiakim was taken captive, put him in chains, and carried off to Babylon (2 Kings 24:1; 2 Chronicles 36:6). A son of Jehoiakim named Jehoiachin was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar II. He was only eight years of age and after a year he also was taken to Babylon. In 596/7 BC. Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah as the ruler of Judah and Ezekiel was sent into exile in Babylon with his family, the king’s court, and as many as twenty thousands of carpenters, masons and skilled laborers. The last deportation was in 586 BC when the Babylonians destroyed the Temple at Jerusalem and carried Zedekiah off to Babylon.
The three deportation waves:
- 606 BC First wave of deportation of Jews to Babylon included Daniel and many of the children of nobles and royalty i.e. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
- 598 BC Jehoachin becomes king of Judah and a year later in 597 BC the Second wave of deportation to Babylon includes Jehoachin, Ezekiel and twenty thousand masons, carpenters and skilled laborers.
597 BC Zedekiah becomes king of Judah.
593 BC Ezekiel begins to prophesy. Notice that Ezekiel begins to prophesy seven years before the final destruction of Jerusalem, but he does it from Babylon near the Chebar River [canal] surrounded by his fellow captives. This was the historical backdrop of Ezekiel’s prophesies.
- 586 BC The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. Jerusalem’s walls and gates were burned with fire and the third wave of Jews were deported to Babylon. Those who were left in and around Jerusalem were put under a governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar II named Gedaliah. He was a righteous and kind Jewish governor who cared for the poor and tried to keep the peace. The people who were left were primarily farmers and those who cared for the vineyards. The seat of government was moved to Mizpah [watchtower], 8 miles north of Jerusalem. However, scattered throughout the province were Jewish bands of rebels who sought to attack anything and anyone who represented Babylon. A Jewish rebel leader named Ishmael killed Gedaliah, kidnapped the Prophet Jeremiah, and fled to the Nile delta in Egypt.
Teachings of the Prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel taught the Jewish captives in Babylon and sent prophetic letters to Jerusalem. Prior to the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel message was one of repentance and a scattering of the Jews. He was a man of visions. Ezekiel’s first vision is one of the Celestial Realm with God sitting on His thrown [Chapters 1&10]. (See video below). Another famous vision of Ezekiel was the Resurrection and the Valley of Dry Bones [Chapter 37:1-14]. In particular he taught the importance of individual righteousness in the midst of a wicked society and the consequences of sin and idol worship [Chapters 13-14, 18].He elaborated on the downfall of princes and false prophets in Jerusalem and the ultimate demise of Judah. He joined with Jeremiah in saying that the Jews would be carried away captive to Babylon. He also predicted the destruction and overthrow of all the nations surrounding Judah including Ammon, Edom, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt. [Chapters 25-32]. One of the most quoted chapter is that of the responsibility of the watchman on the tower [Chapter 33].
After 586 BC Ezekiel’s message included “Hope” [Ezek. 33:21] for a return of the scattered Jews to their homeland under the care of the Good Shepherd [Ezek. 34:1–10,23, Matt. 18:12–14; John 10:11–18 ], If the wicked person will “turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; …“He shall surely live, he shall not die…“None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him.” (Ezek. 33:14–16, D&C 58:42). As the righteous remnant repents the Lord will give them a “new heart…a new spirit” [Chapter 36:25]. The Book of Mormon as the “Stick of Ephraim” and the Bible as the “Stick of Judah” come together to bear witness of God’s “One Shepherd.” [Chapter 37:15-28]. Ezekiel describes the final battle between the Chosen People verses Gog and Magog preceding the Second Coming. [Chapters 38-39]. In a heavenly vision Ezekiel sees the Temple of the Lord including the Holy of Holies and the Spirit of the Lord filling the Temple. [Chapters 40-46].Waters come forth from the Temple and heal the waters of the Dead Sea and the house of Joseph is given a double portion in the new Land of Promise. The land is redivided among the Tribes of Israel. [Chapters 47-48].
There is an article in the September 1990 issue of the Ensign by Keith H. Meservy titled , “Ezekiel, Prophet of Hope.” That is worthwhile for those who want more information on the messages of Ezekiel.
[1] The Seleucid Empire was the Persian kingdom of the Macedonian dynasty of the Seleucids, whose rule began with the collapse of Alexander’s empire and faded away between Roman and Parthian growth of power in the 1st century BCE.
[2] There were two battles at Carchemish fought between the Egyptians and the Assyrians. In 609 BC the Jewish King Josiah was wounded and later died at the hand of the Egyptians at Megiddo who were on their way to Carchemish and a victory against the Assyrians in 608 BC. Three years later in 605 BC the Assyrians defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish and began conquering all the territory down to Egypt requiring the conquered city-states to pay an annual tribute. This included Judah.