Following the destruction, however, Yechezkel’s message became one of empowerment. He taught that all was not lost; God would never abandon the Jewish people. Yechezkel stated that the nation’s collective revival could only come through a spiritual resurgence on the ground level. This gave each individual Jew a tremendous sense of responsibility for his own conduct, while at the same time fostering a feeling of accountability toward the nation as a whole.
Yechezkel’s most famous prophecy of hope and restoration was his Vision of the Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37). In this prophecy, Yechezkel finds himself placed by God in the midst of a spacious valley. The valley was full of the dry, lifeless bones of hundreds or perhaps thousands of slain, unburied victims. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 92a) records an opinion suggesting that these were men from an early stage of the current exile who had been murdered by their Babylonian captors.
An awful silence fell over Yechezkel as he surveyed this scene of desolation and death. Suddenly, God asked the prophet, “Can these bones live?” God then instructed Yechezkel to “prophesy” to the bones that they would soon be reconnected and covered with flesh, after which they would be brought to life. Immediately, the tens of thousands of bones began to connect, “bone to its bone”. Sinews, muscles, and flesh then surrounded them. After their physical framework was restored, God infused the breath of life within them.
The message of the prophet is clear. The Jewish people had expressed a sense of despair and disillusion, lamenting that “our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off!” God responded with a message of optimism and renewal. “I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.” Do not feel rejected. I am still with you. You will be successful in your new land and will eventually be brought once again to Israel.
He also intimated this idea of return when he vividly recounted a personalized tour of a future Temple he received at the hands of an angelic guide. Understanding that this vision was not to be realized immediately, Yechezkel encouraged his brethren to construct mikdashei me’at (small sanctuaries or synagogues) as a means of maintaining a close connection with God in exile. They were local places of prayer and study that would help keep the Jews focused on their spiritual mission until their final return to Israel.
Years later, after the Babylonian ruler Evil-merodach released Yechanya from prison, the former king of Judah remembered Yechezkel and his contributions to the Jewish people. Accompanied by scores of thousands of Jews, Yechanya built a tomb over his grave, and a synagogue nearby. Jews from far and near made an annual pilgrimage to Yechezkel’s tomb and prayed at his grave. The synagogue was a popular location for worshippers and students of the Torah.
Why Didn’t They Listen?
It’s difficult for readers with benefit of hindsight to understand the stubborn refusal of the people to listen to the prophets. We, who continuously crave for clarity and certainty in our daily lives, would rush at the opportunity to hear the word of God directly from the prophet. So why didn’t they?
Several explanations have been offered to address this question.
“It’s so hard to listen” – It’s neither easy nor desirable for people to hear the implication that personal and communal change is in order. Thus, the prophets were painted as forecasters of doom. Their predictions of exile and destruction fell largely on deaf ears.
“How could He do this?” – During this entire period, the world was divided into two theological camps. The overwhelming majority of the world was comprised of pagans. The Jews alone were monotheistic. Everyone knew the Jews were different. How then, the Jews argued, could God destroy His own house and terminate His sole source of representation in this world?
