Ezekiel identifies himself
The book opens by naming Ezekiel as the son of Buzi, a priest living among the captives by the river Chebar in Babylon (Ezekiel 1:1-3). Unlike some biblical books whose authors are not named, Ezekiel gives a clear personal setting for his ministry.
Ezekiel writes in the first person at key moments, describing what he saw, heard, and was commanded to do. The book presents him not merely as a recorder of events, but as a man personally called by God to speak to a displaced and grieving people (Ezekiel 2:1-5).
The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
A priest called as a prophet
Ezekiel came from a priestly family. Priests served in connection with worship at the temple in Jerusalem, so exile in Babylon meant a deep loss for him and for the nation. Yet God met Ezekiel far from Jerusalem and gave him a new task: he was to be a watchman, warning the people and calling them back to God (Ezekiel 3:17).
His priestly background helps explain why the book pays close attention to the temple, holiness, sacrifice, and God’s presence. But Ezekiel’s message was not limited to religious rituals. He spoke about personal responsibility, justice, idolatry, leaders, families, and the future of God’s people.
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
Writing from exile
Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry began after many people from Judah had been taken to Babylon, before Jerusalem itself was finally destroyed. He dates several visions carefully, linking them to the reign and captivity of King Jehoiachin (Ezekiel 1:2). Those details place his work in the early sixth century BC.
At first, Ezekiel warned that Jerusalem’s coming judgement was real. The people could not rely on the temple, their history, or hopeful rumours while continuing in rebellion against God. After Jerusalem fell, his message increasingly held out restoration: God would gather his people, give them new hearts, and renew them (Ezekiel 36:26-28).
How the book came together
The traditional and most straightforward reading is that Ezekiel himself wrote or preserved the visions, dates, messages, and symbolic actions recorded in the book that bears his name. The repeated phrase describing the word of the Lord coming to Ezekiel fits a prophet carefully passing on what he received from God (Ezekiel 6:1).
Some modern scholars discuss whether disciples or later editors arranged parts of the book. Christians may differ on details of how the material was collected, but the book itself consistently centres on Ezekiel’s prophetic calling and testimony. Its central claim is clear: God spoke to his people through Ezekiel in exile.
Why Ezekiel still matters
Ezekiel can feel strange at first. It contains vivid visions, acted-out messages, hard warnings, and hopeful pictures of renewal. Still, its heart is wonderfully steady: God is holy, human sin matters, and God has not abandoned his people.
The prophet’s life also shows that God’s presence is not confined to a familiar place. Ezekiel encountered God in Babylon, among people whose world had fallen apart. Reading the book slowly, beginning with its opening chapters, can help you see both the seriousness of God’s judgement and the depth of his promise to restore.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.