the influence of the new situation it lost much of its original, philanthropic, and social character and became instead a ceremonial institution.  In faithfully observing it the exiles felt that even in captivity they were paying homage to their divine King.  The more it took the place of the ancient feasts and sacrifices, the more they forgot that the sabbath was God’s gift to toiling man rather than man’s gift to God.  From the Babylonian exile, also, probably dates that custom of assembling on the sabbath to read the ancient scriptures which represents the genesis of the later synagogue and its service.

IV.  The Prophecies of Ezekiel.  The priest-prophet Ezekiel was the interpreter, pastor, and guide of the Babylonian exiles.  He met their problems and proposed the solutions which became the foundation principles of later Judaism.  His prophecies fall naturally into four distinct groups:  (1) Chapters 1 to 24, which recount his call and deal with the issues at stake in the different Judean communities in the critical years between the first and second captivities.  They represent the prophet’s work between the years 592 and 586 B.C. (2) Chapters 25 to 32, include seven oracles regarding Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, and Egypt, the nations which had taken part in the destruction of Jerusalem or else, like Egypt, had lured Judah to its ruin.  The complete destruction of these foes is predicted, and chapter 32 concludes with a weird picture of their fate, condemned by Jehovah to dwell in Sheol, the abode of the shades. (3) Chapters 33 to 39 contain messages of comfort and promise to Ezekiel’s fellow-exiles in Babylonia and in the distant lands of the dispersion.  They are dated between the years 586 and 570 B.C. (4) Chapters 40 to 48 present Ezekiel’s plan for the restored temple and service and for the redistribution of the territory of Canaan, and his belief that Judah’s fertility would be miraculously increased.  This plan is definitely dated in the year 572 B.C., two years before the prophet’s death.

V. The Resurrection of the Dead Nation.  Ezekiel dealt with the problems of his fellow-exiles concretely and from a point of view which they could readily understand.  He fully realized that if the faith of the people was to be saved in this crisis a definite hope, expressed in objective imagery, must be set before them.  With the same inspired insight that had prompted Jeremiah to purchase his family estate in the hour of Jerusalem’s downfall, Ezekiel saw that Jehovah would yet restore his people, if they would but respond to the demands of this crisis.  His message was, therefore, one of hope and promise.  In the memorable chapter in which he pictures a valley filled with dry bones, he aimed to inspire their faith by declaring that Jehovah was not only able but would surely gather together the dismembered parts of the nation and impart to it new life and activity.  The prophet was clearly speaking of national rather than of individual resurrection.  Like Jeremiah, he anticipated that the tribes of the north and south would again be united, as in the days of David, and that over them a scion of the Davidic house would rule as Jehovah’s representative.  He also assured them that Jehovah would come again to dwell in the midst of his purified and restored people.