Ezekiel 1-4

[wolfpurplemoon]

God pops by to see Ezekiel on a platform carried by winged creatures with four faces each and shiny wheels. I think Ezekiel needs to stay off the hallucinogens.

God feeds Ezekiel a scroll, sounds like a great way to memorise something.

It seems God is appointing a new prophet to give dire warnings to the people of Israel. You do know that the definition of madness is to keep doing the same action and expecting a different result.

Ezekiel has to bear the punishment for the people of Israel by lying down for a day per year that Israel has forsaken God, that's 390 days apparently. God keeps grudges, that much is clear.

Comments

Acid trip came to my mind too.

[k2rider78.livejournal.com]

I've been told by religious teachers that many things such as the platform carried by winged creatures even the numbers such as 390 days has symbolic meanings pertaining to the culture at the time it was written.

In this specific case though I'm at a loss to the meaning other than what you already stated.

Re: Acid trip came to my mind too.

[wolfpurplemoon]

If these prophets weren't on drugs then they definitely had something going on, either they're crazy or con artists, I continue to find it odd that God only ever talks to them when they are alone, it's just too convenient.

Re: Acid trip came to my mind too.

[zen-says.livejournal.com]

haha,,, not an acid trip,,,,

in chinese mythology, dragons, many heads/faced creatures existed througout the ages, greek, the 3 heads dog cerebus (?), in thai temples, winged creatures are aplenty and 4 face buddha, a famous shrine and hinduism, a 9 heads snake shelter for the god,,,,

no, ezekiel was not on acid, God introduced him to different cultures,,,,,

also 390 days means 390 days, nothing symbolic, just like God created the world in 7 days,,,,,, thats why you get the duckbill playtapus

Re: Acid trip came to my mind too.

[zen-says.livejournal.com]

come on ,,,,,, also

Eze 4.12 Eat the food as you would a barley cake; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel."

I am not sure it is a joke or what. Very specific recipe, very strict diet plan on the weight of food and time to eat, and use shit as fuel? The poor indians uses cow dung for fuel somethings,,,, where is ezekial to find humn shit and bake the cake in the times square? imagine getting your neighbor to contribute and stack up shit.

What a Godly sick humor

[zteccc.livejournal.com]

Ezekiel is a prophet living in the Babylonian empire after the first round of people from Judah had been taken captive. Ezekiel saw visions from God (presumably, since each prophet is a distinct individual, they receive information in different ways). Ezekiel spends much time with allegorical descriptions, he uses simile extensively to describe the indescribable. It is likely that the vision of the creatures might be a human attempt to perceive something non-human (a seraph or angel in its native form for example). The humanoid figure on the throne is presumably a representation of God.

God is sending Ezekiel to talk to the people of Israel. Once again, God is attempting to reach out to the people. Despite the imagery of eating the scroll, God is telling Ezekiel to internalize the message, that the message is as sustaining as any food.

God makes Ezekiel responsible for spreading the message. Ezekiel's responsibility extends to spreading God's word. The people are responsible for acting on the word.

Ezekiel, while living in Babylonia, is told what is going to happen to Jerusalem (about 5 years prior to it happening). Ezekiel's prophecies are visual in nature, rather than using words, he is using examples so that the people from Israel, who live near him in Babylonia, can see what is coming, and likely so people from other cultures, also exiled with him, can see as well (the Babylonians carried away many people and forced them to live together, there wasn't a common language between many of the people, so visual representations instead of speeches or written words, were very important).

Unclean food was a huge sin for the Jews. This visual example of what they faced would have had a great impact. This likely was also used by God to make an impression on Ezekiel. By suggesting so outrageous, Ezekiel would have to be very certain that the message was from God and that this was very serious.

-- Jeff