Commemoration DAY of
the Holy Prophets Ezekiel, Ezra,
and Zechariah, Father of John the Baptist
Ezekiel
Although Ezekiel was a contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah, whereas the information we have about Jeremiah is abundant and well established, what we know about Ezekiel is comparatively little and uncertain. He is not mentioned in any other book of the Bible, and even in his own lengthy book very little is said about him. His name itself appears only twice in his book, whereas Jeremiah’s name appears ten times in his.
All the information we have about Ezekiel comes from the first few verses of his book:
“On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, while I was among the exiles by the River Chebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. It was the fifth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin. And the word of God came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar, and there the hand of the Lord was upon me” (Ezek. 1:1–3).
We understand the above-mentioned “thirtieth year” as referring to his age—that is, he was thirty years old. The River Chebar is considered to have been a tributary of the Euphrates near Babylon. King Jehoiachin was one of the last kings of Jerusalem. In 597 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar carried him into captivity in Babylon together with the entire royal household, the elders of the people, and the inhabitants of the city—more than ten thousand people in all (2 Kings 24:10–16). The Prophet Ezekiel, therefore, was among these captives. Thus, his call to prophecy took place in 592 B.C., while he was living in exile in Babylon.
God says to him:
“Son of man” (this form of address is used for Ezekiel throughout his book, about 87 times), “I am sending you to Israel, a rebellious people.… When you say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ they will know that a prophet has been among them. Whether they listen to you or refuse to understand is not important, for they are a rebellious people. But you, son of man, must not be afraid of them or of their words. Though they rebel against you and you feel as though you are among scorpions, you must never fear whatever they may say to you, nor be terrified by their threatening looks. You must deliver My messages to them, whether they listen or refuse. But you, son of man, must listen to My messages and not be rebellious like them. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
“And I saw a hand stretched out toward me holding a scroll. It opened it before me.… It was written on both sides and contained lamentations, mourning, and woe. Then He said to me: ‘Son of man, eat what is offered to you; eat the scroll, then go and speak to the children of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and He gave me the scroll. And He added: ‘Son of man, swallow this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.’ And I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey” (2:3–9; 3:1–3).
The meaning of this final, vivid image is that Ezekiel lovingly and willingly accepts God’s call, even though his duty would be to lament the rebellious nature of the people, pronounce woes upon them, and oppose their wrongdoing.
The divine voice concludes:
“Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman over the house of Israel. You shall hear messages from Me and warn them. If I say to the wicked that he shall surely die, and you do not warn him so that he may turn from his evil way, that wicked man shall indeed die for his wickedness, but I will require his blood from you. But if you warn the wicked and he does not turn from his evil way, although he shall die because of his wickedness, you shall be free from blame” (3:16–21).
Thereafter follow, one after another, mysterious and symbolic visions, proclamations, and prophecies against Israel and the seven surrounding nations. Particularly notable is Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, which, through the divine breath, come back to life and rise again (Chapter 37).
In his book of forty-eight chapters, there are no further references to his personal life. Holy Scripture also gives us no information concerning his death. According to one Armenian Synaxarion, he was killed by his own countrymen and buried in Babylon.
Alongside his messages of condemnation, Ezekiel also has words of hope and encouragement. For example, although he prophesies that the Israelites will be taken captive into foreign lands, God says:
“I shall gather you again from the lands where you have been scattered and shall give you the land of Israel once more. And when they return to their land, they shall remove from it all the abominable practices and defilements of idolatry. I shall give them another heart and put another spirit within them. I shall remove the heart of stone from them and give them a heart of flesh, so that they may walk according to My commandments, keep My laws, and carry them out. They shall be My people, and I shall be their God” (11:16–21).
It is through Ezekiel that God says:
“I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he turn from his evil ways and live” (33:11).
His prophecies “against the shepherds” of the people are particularly severe (Chapter 34). The final chapters of the book contain prophecies concerning the salvation and restoration of his people. Although Ezekiel places great emphasis on individual responsibility in a person’s fall and restoration, he also believes strongly in the importance of the collective character of his people. This becomes particularly evident in his detailed description of the worship of the restored people (Chapters 40–48).
There is no direct quotation from the Prophet Ezekiel in the New Testament. Nevertheless, the combined prophetic and priestly spirit expressed in his book forms part of the foundation upon which the renewed religion proclaimed in the Gospel is built.
Ezekiel is commemorated together with Ezra and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, on the third Tuesday following the Feast of the Assumption.
Ezra, or Esdras
Ezra was a scribe and priest descended from Aaron.
“During the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, a man named Ezra came from Babylon.… He was a skilled scribe in the Law that the Lord God had given to Israel through Moses. And the king granted him everything he requested, because the hand of God was with him. In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, a number of Israelites came with Ezra from Babylon to Israel, including priests, Levites, psalmists, gatekeepers, and servants of the Temple” (about two thousand people). “…Ezra had set his heart on studying the Law of the Lord and putting it into practice, and on teaching everyone God’s commandments and judgments” (Ezra 7:1–10).
It is believed that the above-mentioned King Artaxerxes reigned from 404 to 359 B.C. Thus, the seventh year of his reign, and the beginning of Ezra’s activity, would correspond to approximately 397 B.C.
Ezra returned under a special royal decree in which he was highly praised and everyone was instructed to provide him with whatever assistance he required (Ezra 7:11–26).
Ezra’s principal reform was the dissolution and annulment of marriages with foreigners and the strict prohibition against Israelites marrying foreigners (Ezra, Chapter 9). He then compiled the entire Law of Moses and read it in the Temple from sunrise until noon (Neh. 8:2–8).
Nothing is said concerning the end of Ezra’s life. The Armenian Church commemorates him together with the Prophet Ezekiel on the third Tuesday following the Feast of the Assumption.
Zechariah and Elizabeth
They are the parents of John the Baptist. Although Elizabeth’s name does not appear in our liturgical calendar, on the basis of the Gospel and historical evidence, we have considered it appropriate to include her among the saints of the New Testament.
In the Gospels, both are presented equally as righteous and observant people:
“They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord” (Luke 1:6).
Historically, and to the present day, Elizabeth has long been numbered among the saints commemorated by the other ancient Churches. It therefore remains difficult for us to understand why she is absent from our own calendar. If Zechariah is included in the calendar because he was the father of John the Baptist, then Elizabeth, as the mother of the Great Forerunner, has the same claim to commemoration.
Both belonged to priestly families and had been deprived of the consolation of having a child, for, as the Gospel says, “Elizabeth was barren.” Among the Jews, barrenness was considered one of the greatest misfortunes.
Elizabeth is presented as a relative of the Holy Virgin Mary. The Gospels do not specify the exact nature of their relationship. Where the Gospels are silent, tradition supplies further details. According to tradition, they were the daughters of two sisters; thus Jesus and John were descendants of two sisters.
We may say that the curtain rises on the “drama” of the New Covenant on the sacred stage of the Gospel with the appearance of Zechariah, as he offers incense in the Temple of God.
While performing this sacred duty, Zechariah receives a vision:
“An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled and overcome with fear at the sight.”
But to calm his fear, the angel said:
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.”
Such news seemed unbelievable to Zechariah, so he said:
“How can I be certain of this, since my wife and I are already old?”
The angel was not pleased with this doubtful response and answered him sternly:
“I am Gabriel, who stands continually in the presence of God to carry out His commands. I was sent by God to bring you this good news. But since you ask for a sign in order to believe, from this moment you shall become mute and shall not be able to speak until what I have told you comes to pass.”
When Zechariah came out of the Temple, his tongue was already bound, and he attempted through gestures to explain the reason for his delay. Everyone understood that something supernatural had occurred.
When the days of his service in the Temple were completed, he returned to his home outside Jerusalem. Tradition identifies his residence as the village of Ein Karem, not far from Jerusalem, where his house is said to have been preserved to this day and converted into a church. Armenians call this village “The Birthplace of John” (Hovhannu Tsnund), and we once had churches there as well, though over time they passed into the hands of the Latins.
Elizabeth conceived and gave thanks to God because He had “looked upon her and taken away her reproach.”
When the Holy Virgin visited her after the Annunciation, “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,” and, addressing Mary, cried out in a loud voice:
“Blessed are you among women,
And blessed is the fruit of your womb.
How is it that such grace has come to me,
That the mother of my Lord should visit me?
For when I heard the sound of your greeting,
The child in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed is she who believed
That what the Lord had spoken would be fulfilled.”
(Luke 1:42–46)
Two humble souls, filled with supernatural joy, speak to one another in poetic language. The Spirit of God—the Spirit of prophecy and inspiration—which had been silent for nearly three or four centuries, suddenly descends upon humanity once again, beginning with these two humble women, who truly speak in the language of the prophets.
The same occurs with the mute Zechariah. After his child opens his eyes to the light of our world, the bonds upon Zechariah’s tongue are also loosened. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he prophesies and says:
“Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel,
For You have visited us
And brought salvation to Your people…”
Then, addressing his newborn son, he says:
“And you, child,
Shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
You shall go before the Lord
To prepare His ways,
And to guide our feet
Into the way of peace.”
(Luke 1:67–69)
From this point onward, the mission of Zechariah and Elizabeth having been fulfilled, they withdraw from the scene, yielding their place to their illustrious son. Having glimpsed the dawn of the rising of the Sun of Righteousness, they peacefully close their eyes.
In the Armenian Church, Zechariah is commemorated together with Ezekiel and Ezra on the third Tuesday following the Feast of the Assumption.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
~ Ezekiel 18:30-32 ~
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.
~ 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 ~
Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him"— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 23:34-39 ~
Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' "