It is possible that the book of Ezekiel is a prophecy of the harvest church. Chapter 1, verse 3, suggests in the meaning of the proper names employed that this might well be the case: Ezekiel means “Whom God will strengthen” (meaning uncertain) – perhaps suggesting Rev. 3:20. Buzi means “contempt” – certainly the attitude with which the Babylonish world views the harvest church. Chebar means “extent of time,” the appropriateness of which needs no comment.

The purpose of this article is to suggest a prophetic meaning for the first two verses of Ezekiel. If the suggestion seems reasonable, the article will, we trust, act as a catalyst for an energetic student who likes to work with dates and harvest history. If the following suggestion be a valid one, Ezekiel may open up beautifully as a detailed chronology of our experiences. (The verses which would need chronological-prophetic identification are: Ezekiel 8:1; 20:1; 24:1; 26:1; 29:1; 31:1; 32:1; 40:1.)

As Ezekiel opens his book, he makes mention of a “thirtieth year.” Yet he does not explain his dating – a fact which immediately invites our curiosity. One thing is certain, the date being pinpointed is an auspicious date: “the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” Fortunately, in verse two, Ezekiel supplies sufficient information so that we can compute the origin of the elusive thirty years of verse one.

The fifth year of Jehoiachin’s captivity is also the fifth year of Zedekiah’s reign (2 Kings 24:12, 15, 17). Zedekiah reigned eleven years and his reign terminated in 607 B.C. Therefore, the fifth year is six years previous, or 613 B.C. If 613 is the 30th year since an important date, we need merely go back 30 years to 643 B.C. which must be the important date. It is; 643 is the 18th year of King Josiah – a year which witnessed:

• the cleaning and repairing of the Temple;
• great religious reform in Israel;
• Josiah’s Great Passover;

Now the guessing begins. If 643 is typical, of what like event or date is it typical? Perhaps the Great Passover is one key. Jesus said he would partake anew with his disciples in the kingdom. In 1878 he would have had that opportunity. (A very great passover!) 1878 seems like a likely date also for an antitypical temple repair and religious reform.

If this assumption be correct, 613 (the year of Ezekiel’s vision) would have 1908 as its antitype, in which year September 25th was the Jewish New Year. The fourth month, fifth day of the month, would then be January 1, 1909. Question: Did any vision happen then due to the heavens being opened? Answer: Seemingly yes! In the January 1, 1909 Tower appears the first of about a two-year series of articles clarifying the covenants. This is not insignificant. The effect on the church was profound. It also seems significant that at least one of the many explanations of Ezekiel 1 deals with the wheels as representative of the series of covenants and ages about which the Divine Plan revolves. Therefore, 613 and 1908 would both have shown visions of the glory of God as never before revealed. The date parallelism grows more convincing yet as we realize that 607 (the end of Zedekiah’s reign) parallels 1914 in this reckoning -making all of these parallel dates 2520 years apart. If there be validity in this attempt we pray the Lord will bless the ability of others to build on it.

– Contributed

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