Ezequiel belonged to a family of priests, and he himself was a priest. We know that he was married, but surprisingly his wife died. This death became a warning sign for God's people. As his messenger, Ezekiel was marked in a special way by God. Ezekiel preached the word of God in Babylon. A part of the people of Judah had been taken there as slaves, after this empire defeated and destroyed the city of Jerusalem. However, this messenger of God who had also been taken to Babylon, had his own house there, and in it the leaders of the slave people gathered to receive advice. Some think this represents the beginnings of synagogues, centers of worship for God's people. In the year 597 before Christ, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had the city of Jerusalem surrounded. He did not destroy it that year, but took several of the leaders of the kingdom of Judah as slaves. Among them was Ezekiel, who was 30 years old when he began to preach God's message to the Jews, who had been taken as slaves to Babylon. It is thought that he preached between the years 593 and 571 before Christ.:
Ezekiel's preaching is directed to a people who no longer have land, freedom or hope. Ezequiel to a town that no longer has land, nor freedom, nor hope. Ezequiel preaches to people who live enslaved far from their country. God encourages him with his spirit in a very special way, and requires him to study the word of God and soak up it. His major responsibility was to point out the terrible wickedness of the people. He also preached that each one is responsible for his own wickedness, and that every person who continues to sin will die. Ezekiel is perhaps the first preacher in exile. He is the first messenger of God to proclaim a message to the people who live as slaves in Babylon. He no longer has to warn or threaten that an enemy will come and destroy Jerusalem. Therefore his message should present something new for a new situation. Ezekiel also has a vision in which he sees a valley with a pile of dry bones. In that vision, they begin to come together and take on new life. This vision serves as a sign for the people of Judah, who were trapped in Babylon. In the future, the people would return to their land and would be a free nation with the possibility of growing, Ezequiel