{"id":75521,"date":"2020-06-03T13:33:53","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T10:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=75521"},"modified":"2020-06-03T13:33:53","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T10:33:53","slug":"ezekiels-spiritual-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/ezekiels-spiritual-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Ezekiel\u2019s Spiritual Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"75521","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":62571,"related_cahpter":"495","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"He becomes a medium for the message, like Moses\r\n\r\n","content":"

Ezekiel 43 contains a powerful vision in which the prophet describes the Third Temple, the conditions that are inviolate pre-requisites for it to be built, as well as the dedication service that will inaugurate its utilization.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the course of this revelation, the prophet twice refers directly to God, Whose voice he hears (verses 19, 27). However, in another verse, an \u201cIsh\u201d (<\/span>man<\/span>) is described as standing next to Ezekiel: \u201cAnd I heard speech addressed to me from the Temple, though (<\/span>the<\/span><\/em>) \u201cIsh\u201d was standing beside me… \u201c (6). This noun serves as the antecedent for additional indirect references (v. 7 and 18.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can this \u201cman\u201d be further identified, and his role in the prophetic revelation clarified?<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Radak and Metzudat David suggest that this \u201cman\u201d is possibly the same angel who had earlier begun to speak with Ezekiel, and who had been tasked with showing the prophet the dimensions of the future Temple, as well as explaining to him the purposes of some of its features: \u201cHe brought me over to it (<\/span>the land of Israel<\/span><\/i> on a very high mountain<\/span><\/i>,) and there, standing at the gate, was an \u201cIsh\u201d who shone like copper. In his hand were a cord of linen and a measuring rod\u201d (40:3).<\/span><\/p>\n

But Abrabanel and Malbim are less concerned with <\/span>who<\/em> <\/span>this \u201cIsh\u201d is, and comment instead on <\/span>how<\/em> <\/span>the prophet was receiving the Divine vision, paralleling none other than Moses\u2019 experience within the Tabernacle, with the \u201cIsh\u201d serving as a \u201cfoil\u201d for this purpose:<\/span><\/p>\n

Abrabanel: \u201cSince the Divine Presence dwelt there, the prophecy came to him from there, as it had come to Moses from the Tent of Meeting (Num. 7:89). And the text (in Ezekiel) states: \u2018\u2026speech addressed to me from the Temple\u2026\u2019 as if He was speaking to Himself, and the speech reached him\u201d (Ezekiel).<\/span><\/p>\n

Malbim: \u201cUntil this point, he had received prophecy via the angel, who was holding the implements for measurement\u2026 But now, Ezekiel heard (the Voice) speaking to him from the Temple, as it is stated: (Numbers 7:89) \u201cWhen Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he would hear the Voice addressing him from above the cover that was on top of the Ark of the Covenant between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him.\u201d <\/span>
\n<\/span>Regarding Ezekiel\u2019s statement, \u201c\u2026(<\/span>the<\/span><\/i>) \u201cIsh\u201d was standing beside me\u201d\u2014for the angel did not enter into the Holy of Holies, the place of God\u2019s Glory, but rather stood beside him, and both received equally the speech of the Divine Presence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Abrabanel and Malbim, Ezekiel 43 constitutes a manifestation of spiritual growth on the part of the prophet, where he \u201cgraduates\u201d from having served as a receptacle for an angel\u2019s instruction, to an actual intermediary for God\u2019s messages, emulating the paradigm of Moses, \u201cthe father of the prophets\u201d (Vayikra Rabba 1:15).<\/span><\/p>\n

Image: Ezekiel Prophesying by Gustave Dor\u00e9, engraving (ca. 1866) \/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":75530,"id":75530,"title":"ez43-ezekiel prophesying - dore","filename":"ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/ezekiels-spiritual-growth\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":75521,"date":"2020-06-03 10:32:47","modified":"2023-06-27 05:27:42","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":800,"height":996,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore-241x300.jpg","medium-width":241,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore-768x956.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":956,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore.jpg","large-width":800,"large-height":996,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore.jpg","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":996,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore.jpg","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":996,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":996,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez43-ezekiel-prophesying-dore-337x420.jpg","home_baner-width":337,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Ezekiel\u2019s Spiritual Growth","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"He becomes a medium for the message, like Moses","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":{"ID":75530,"id":75530,"title":"ez43-ezekiel prophesying - 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