Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-06

During the coming quarter we will
consider In connection with the studies
In the Prophetic Teaching and Lead
ership of Judah" their Exile and
Restoration" The aim of these lessons
Is to help US discover and understand
the evidence Of the presence Of Gods
hand in the history Of Judah so that we
may detect His presence in our own
lives and the affairs of men.
Ezekiel, who was the son Of priest
and familiar with the worship Of the
temple, was carried into captivity and
exile with King Jehoiachin in the
eighth year Of Nebuchadnezzar. Ter
thousand leaders of the nation were
taken into exile at that time. They
were settled in the Tigris-Euphrates
valley, which Is one Of the richest agri-
cultural sections Of the world. These
two rivers furnished an abundance OF
water for an extensive system Of irriga-
ton for the cultivation of the crops and
for the use of the cities that dotted he
valley. They supplied the water for a
great net work of canals which provided
transportation facilities for persons and
produce between the great centers Of
population and the country districts.
The river Chebar. mentioned in to-
days lesson, was one of those navigable
canals that ran between Babylon and
the city OF Nlppur.-
The Jewish captives were settled in
q section that yielded many fold larger
crops than the rocky hills of Judah.
While Jehoiachin was imprisoned it is
evident that the exiles were permitted
| to keep their families intact and con-
tinue their religious life without hind
eralce from the state. Jeremiahs let
ter to them Jeremiah 29) implies that
there existed a state Of restlessneSs
among the eXileS who were not salts
fed with their privileges and oppor-
tunity for attaining prosperity He
opposed the work Of the agitators, who
Insisted that they would return to Judah
within two years, by urging that they
settle down, cultivate the land, real
their femilies. build homes and seek to
promote the peace OF the section where
they had been placed as exiles. Ezekiel
who is the outstanding personality of
the exile, shared the views of jeremiah
the prophet. This modest man COM
menced his career as a pastor and
prophet. working among the exiles seek
ing their moral improvement and spirit
ual development about seven years pre-
ceding the fell of Jerusalem.
The Prophets Vision.
While Ezekiel. q priest. banished
from performing his duty in the
Temple and an exile in the land
Of the uncircumcised, was consider
ing the problems presented by the up
roofing Of the people and their trans
fer to distant land, as we'll as the
significance Of the nations hasten
ing political downfall that Jeremiah
had predicted. there came to him q
vision Of Jehovah. No true prophet
ever sought the cffice any more
would seek to enter the ministry
today for personal profit or pleasure.
A vision Of Jehovah always preced-
ed a prophets call to enter the
prophetical service of God. Every
prophet has felt called of God personally
through hearing through the audible
voice Of Jehovah making known Gods
will. The spiritual call of the Almighty
is irresistible and calls fer a complete
surrender to the Divine will. This is
the secret Of the prophets power
Ezekiel was no exception, for in the
fifth year Of the exile the son of Buzz
tells how he was given a vision of Je-
hovah and called to enter His service
The fifth Of July, 362 BE-, Is said to
have been the day when the young pa
triotic priest saw the Lord. They had
been taught that Jehovah was the
God of judah and that He could not
DC WOESulpeu away from CIle temple,
which was destined to be destroyed
The humiliation of Judah and the COM
plete destruction of the pation's place
Of worship meant the disappearance Of
their accepted faith In Him as a local
diety. In that dark hour there was
given to Ezekiel q vision Of the glory
Of Jehovah that made the son of Buzz
recognize that Jehovah was not q local
diety but a universal God and that
Judaism had a worldwide mission. He
saw the cherubin, which served ss the
throne Of God and as symbolic of His
power. He saw Jehovah's glory going up
from and returning to rest upon the
chsribum. It was composed Of four
living beings, having mans, a lions,
a bulls and an eagles face apiece, and
resting upon q chariot that could move
in all directions without horses. In that
strange vision, Ezekiel saw all the at
tributes of Jehovah symbolized. The
human f1gure represented the divine
intelligence: the lions, the divine
power; the bulls, the generative or Gre
alive might of God; and finally, the
eagles, His omniscience or His provi-
dence. The wheels that turned in all
directions represent, in the Buddhist
religion, especially in the Hindus faith,
as here, the omnipotence OF Jehovah.
The Prophets Call.
A-NT kNU