THE PROPHET EZEKIEL (JULY 23RD)
Edited by Bp. Joseph ( Ancient Church of the West ) In the sixth century before the birth of Christ, the Holy Prophet Ezekiel lived and prophesied. Born in the city of Sarir, Ezekiel was descended from the tribe of Levi. He was the son of Buzi, a priest, and followed in his father’s priestly footsteps. At the age of twenty-five, Ezekiel was taken captive to Babylon along with King Jechoniah II and many other Jews during the second invasion of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (2 Kings 24:14-16). While living in captivity by the River Chebar, Ezekiel experienced a divine vision at the age of thirty. This vision revealed the future of the Hebrew nation and all humanity. The prophet beheld a shining cloud with continual flashes of fire, and in the midst of the fire was something gleaming like bronze (Ezekiel 1:4). He saw four living creatures, each with four faces: a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (Ezekiel 1:10). Beside each creature was a wheel, and the rim of each wheel...
