New Album Info from Eric on AOL

[Troy Harris]

[B

On Mon, 4 Nov 1996, John A Swartz wrote:

> >we haven't decided on a title yet, but the one sticking the most
> >right now is "Ezekiel's Wheel"
>
>
> O.K., I don't have my Bible handy at work - but isn't this a Biblical
> reference?  I'm not up on my Old Testament too much, but I seem to
> remember some sort of song about Ezekiel and some wheel (and the line
> "way up in the middle of the Earth" - think it might be a Negro
> spiritual song).  Anyone got any insight there?  I do know Ezekiel
> was a prophet.
>
> John
>
  OK,

 To clear up a little on the whole Ezekiel thing here goes.

 First, yes, he was a prophet in the Old testament times, who was prophesying
during the Babylonian exile and was exiled himself in 597 BC.  He was a
priest of the Old Covenant, and therefore was a Levite.
 This particular vision in question (In Chapter 1) probably to be dated
in the year 593 BC.  The background to his prophetic ministry is Judah's
(Southern state of Isreal) apostasy following the death of the last good
King, Josiah, in 609 BC.
 The vision that Ezekiel has in itself has many different symbols.  These
symbols speak to the reader of God's majesty and powerful workings across
the world.
 To best understand them one must be entirely familiar with the study of
biblical hermeneutics, with particular reference to prophetic/apocalyptic
literature.
 This is why many misunderstand the meaning.
 Von Daniken (Sp?) is one of those.
 Ezekiel's wheel is part of a vision revealing God, not a flying saucer.
Even though Eric Von D. is entitled to his opinion, it does not deal with
the text and at best is fanciful.
 The wheel represents, according to biblical orthodoxy, moving and
working.  In the vision it shows in symbolic form this attribute of God.

 Hope that helps.


  Troy