One of the most haunting scenes in the Hebrew Bible is Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory leaving the Jerusalem temple. In Ezekiel 10–11, the prophet watches the glory of the LORD (kavod YHWH) mount a chariot borne by cherubim and depart eastward into the wilderness. The temple, the center of Israel’s covenantal life, stands abandoned.
The Book of Mormon presents a striking echo of this imagery. Nephi, son of Lehi, is commanded to retrieve the plates of brass from Jerusalem and carry them into the wilderness. These plates, containing the law, prophets, and genealogies, functioned as a kind of portable sanctuary, symbolically taking God’s presence out of the doomed city and into exile with a faithful remnant.
What makes the parallel even more powerful is this: Nephi and Ezekiel lived at the same time in Jerusalem. Ezekiel was taken into Babylonian exile around 597 BCE; Nephi’s family around the same time as the Babylonian crisis deepened. These two prophets, one in the Bible, one in the Book of Mormon, had experiences that ran profoundly parallel. Where Ezekiel saw God’s glory leaving the temple in vision, Nephi effectively enacted in lived history Ezekiel’s very vision of God moving into the wilderness.
Ezekiel’s Vision: God’s Glory Departs
Ezekiel lived during the Babylonian crisis of the sixth century BCE. Taken into exile as a young priest, he received visions of God’s presence and judgment. The most devastating came in Ezekiel 10–11:
- The glory of the LORD rose from the temple threshold.
- It mounted a fiery chariot, borne by cherubim.
- It paused on the Mount of Olives, then departed eastward into the wilderness.
This departure was unthinkable. Since Solomon’s day, the temple had been regarded as God’s earthly house, the place where heaven touched earth. But Ezekiel saw that covenant unfaithfulness had driven God away. The temple was no longer a sanctuary; it was an empty shell awaiting destruction.
The vision declared a staggering theological truth: God’s presence was not captive to the temple. He could depart it at will, traveling with His people even in exile. In a world where gods were thought to be tied to their statues or sanctuaries, Israel’s God demonstrated freedom and sovereignty.
Nephi’s Act: Covenant Carried into Wilderness
While Ezekiel was seeing visions by the River Chebar in Babylon, Nephi was living with the consequences of having fled Jerusalem. His family had been warned of the city’s impending destruction. Like Ezekiel, they faced the question: what happens when the center of covenant life, the temple, no longer stands?
For Nephi, the answer was embodied in the plates of brass. Commanded by God, he risked his life to obtain them from Laban (1 Nephi 3–5). The plates contained:
- The Law of Moses – Israel’s covenant charter.
- The writings of prophets – God’s voice of warning and promise.
- Tribal genealogies – their identity within Israel’s house.
By carrying these plates into the wilderness, Nephi ensured that the essence of Israel’s covenant life did not perish with the city. The plates became a mobile tabernacle, a covenant throne comparable to the ark of the covenant in Israel’s first wilderness journey.
And here is the crucial point: Nephi’s act was not merely parallel to Ezekiel’s vision. It was the historical enactment of it. Ezekiel saw in prophetic vision that God’s glory would leave Jerusalem, moving eastward. Nephi’s family physically carried the covenant word of God eastward into the Arabian wilderness. The vision became reality.
Covenant Presence: Ark, Tabernacle, Plates
To appreciate the full depth, we need to set Nephi and Ezekiel against Israel’s earlier covenant symbols:
- Ark of the Covenant – Contained the law, symbolized God’s throne.
- Tabernacle of Moses – Mobile sanctuary, “tent of meeting” in the wilderness.
- Ezekiel’s Chariot – Vision of God’s mobile glory, free from temple walls.
- Plates of Brass – Written law and prophets, serving as mobile covenant center.
All testify to one truth: God’s presence is not fixed to stone but moves with His covenant people.
Chart: Ezekiel’s Vision and Nephi’s Enactment
| Theme | Ezekiel’s Vision (Ezekiel 10–11) | Nephi’s Enactment (1 Nephi 3–5) |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Babylonian exile; Jerusalem temple defiled and doomed | Jerusalem collapsing; Lehi’s family exiled into wilderness |
| Divine Presence | Glory of the LORD (kavod YHWH) departs the temple | Plates of brass (law + prophets) carried into wilderness |
| Symbol of Presence | Chariot-throne, cherubim, mobility of God | Brass plates as covenant throne; portable tabernacle |
| Direction of Movement | Eastward; across the Mount of Olives into wilderness | Eastward; across Arabian wilderness toward new land |
| Theological Message | God is not bound to the temple; He is free and mobile | God’s presence remains with His people through covenant word |
| Outcome | Temple abandoned; promise of new heart and covenant (Ezek 11:19–20) | Covenant preserved; remnant becomes new Israel in promised land |
A Shared Theology of Exile
Seen together, Ezekiel and Nephi bear united witness:
- God’s mobility – His presence can leave the temple and travel into exile.
- Covenant over geography – What defines God’s people is not a place but His covenant word.
- Eastward movement – Both the vision and the act trace an eastward path into wilderness, the symbolic space of exile and new beginnings.
- Hope for renewal – Ezekiel promises a new heart and covenant spirit; Nephi preserves the law and prophets so that covenant life can flourish in a new land.
Where Ezekiel articulated the theology of exile, Nephi enacted it.
Demythologizing the Ancient World
The significance of this cannot be overstated in the ancient cultural context. Surrounding nations believed gods were tied to their images and temples. If a city fell, its god was thought to be defeated. Babylon famously paraded captured divine statues into their temples as symbols of conquest.
Israel’s God was different. Ezekiel saw Him depart Jerusalem freely, sovereign and undefeated. Nephi carried His covenant word eastward, untouchable by Babylon. In both cases, the message was clear: God is not captured by empire. He goes where He wills, and He remains with His covenant people.
Covenant Theology and Remnant Hope
Both Ezekiel and Nephi anchor their accounts in covenant theology:
- Ezekiel emphasizes internal renewal: God will give His people a new heart and spirit, restoring covenant faithfulness even in exile (Ezekiel 11:19–20).
- Nephi emphasizes preservation of the covenant documents: the plates of brass safeguard the law and prophets so that Israelite identity continues in a new land.
Both together give the full picture: covenant faithfulness requires both renewed hearts and preserved covenant word.
The Book of Mormon’s Participation in Exile Theology
The Book of Mormon consciously situates itself in this stream of Israelite thought. By framing the plates of brass as a mobile covenant center, it joins Ezekiel in declaring that God’s presence is not locked to Jerusalem. By having Nephi physically enact what Ezekiel saw in vision, it dramatizes Israel’s conviction that exile is not abandonment but transformation.
The Book of Mormon thus adopts, adapts, and extends Israel’s exile theology: God’s glory leaves Jerusalem, but His covenant lives on among a remnant in a distant land.
Conclusion: Vision and Enactment
Ezekiel saw it in vision; Nephi lived it in history. Ezekiel beheld the glory of the LORD leaving the temple and moving eastward. Nephi carried the covenant word eastward into the wilderness. One was the prophetic image, the other the enacted reality.
Together they testify that God’s presence dwells not in stone buildings but in His covenant word and with His covenant people. When the temple lies desolate, the covenant still lives. When the ark is gone, the plates remain. When Jerusalem falls, God is still enthroned among His faithful remnant.
Ezekiel gave the vision. Nephi gave it flesh. Both declare the same truth: in exile, God begins again.
