Ezekiel
Artist: Michelangelo- Sistine Chapel
1510
Ezekiel prophesied among the Judean exiles in Babylon. His visions of divine glory, judgment, and renewal made him a natural choice for the ceiling’s gathering of witnesses to God’s purposes. Michelangelo shows him as an alert participant rather than an isolated figure.
Ezekiel foretold a new heart and spirit for God’s people (Ezekiel 36:26–27) and pictured national restoration through the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). His vision of a shepherd from David’s line (Ezekiel 34:23–24) also contributed to later messianic expectation.
Ezekiel turns sharply toward a nearby figure, as though interrupted by urgent news. His broad shoulders and animated hands create a sense of conversation. The turning pose breaks the stillness of the throne and suggests a prophet responding to revelation.
