Comparing Ezekiel And Jeremiah

The downfall of Judah was a complex and lengthy political ordeal documented over several books of the Old Testament. Two prophets who give their own detailed reasoning for this downfall are Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Both prophets lived during a tumultuous transitionary period of Judah’s history during which Babylon began a systematic deportation and exile of Judah’s citizens. Where the prophets differ, however, is in their message to the elite of Judah in its waning days and their eventual exile.
One main point of difference between the prophets was their interpretation of reasoning for the fall of Judah. Jeremiah, a prophet who prescribed to the Deuteronomist traditions, is explicit in his message to the elite of Judah, that they have gone against the Sinai Covenant. He sees the Babylonian takeover of Judah as …show more content…
Jeremiah, who was prophesizing to the elite of Judah in Jerusalem, was unique in the way he tells Zedekiah to handle the imposing Babylonian threat. His message was to accept the takeover and eventual exile, lest they be killed. He urges Zedekiah to not form a rebellion against Babylon so that they may still live (Jer. 27:12-14). The portrayal of Nebuchadnezzar is that of a servant of YHWH; carrying out divine wrath against Judah for their above-mentioned transgressions (Jer. 27:6-8).
Conversely, Ezekiel’s message is instructing the elite of Judah, now in exile, that the concept of the Jerusalem ideology is still intact. He rationalizes that the Judite leadership is ultimately to blame, but that does not include the future generations of Judites (Ezek. 18:14-19). He is using this concept as a motivator for them to change, stating that there will be a future remnant. He later issued calls for the wicked of Israel to turn back (Ezek. 33:10-11), and explains that even the wicked will be spared (Ezek. 30:14-15) if they restore their pledge to