(HIS prophet was a native of Anathoth, a village TH about three miles from Jerusalem. He was called to the prophetic office in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign, before Christ 628, and continued to exercise it forty-one years. He was suffered to remain in Judea, when his countrymen were carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar, and he afterwards retired into Egypt. It is said that he was there stoned to death. We have, in the first chapter of the book which bears his name, an account of two remarkable visions: 'Then the Lord touched my mouth, and said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree. And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething-pot; and the face thereof is towards the north. Then the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.'-JER. i. JEREMIAH DRAWN OUT OF THE DUNGEON. (HE predictions of this prophet were generally of a T calamitous kind, and were therefore ill-liked by those concerned: he therefore got ill usage at their hands, and was on one occasion shut up in a dungeon by order of the king. But on the representation and remonstrance of an Ethiopian, he was at length removed. 'So Ebed-melech went into the house, and took thence old rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah, and said, Put these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine arm-holes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him out of the dungeon.'-JER. Xxxviii. ZEKIE E king of Judah, 598 years before Christ, and was placed, with many others of his nation, near the river Chebar, in Mesopotamia, where he was favoured with the divine revelation contained in this book. The boldness with which he reproved the idolatry and wickedness of his countrymen is said to have cost him his life; but his memory was greatly revered, not only by the Jews, but also by the Medes and Persians. This book contains the glorious appearance of God to the prophet, and his solemn appointment to his office. It is to be observed that the last twelve chapters of Ezekiel bear a strong resemblance to the concluding chapters of the Revelation of St. John. For the first vision of Ezekiel, see Ezekiel first chapter. HE hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me TH out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, Thou knowest. Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones, Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to : VISION OF DRY BONES. his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the flesh came up upon them, and the skin above but there was no breath in them. : 171 sinews and the covered them Then said He unto me, Prophesy, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.'— Ezek. xxxvii. |