THE STORYTELLER'S BIBLE
Act IV - The Prophets, Scene 3
Script by Bob Allen
For Four Voices 

Scene 3

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VOICE FOUR:          Jeremiah remained behind to minister to the remnant in Judah when Nebuchadnezzar 

                                  carried the nation off to Babylon in chains, but Ezekiel and Daniel experienced the 

                                  captivity first hand.  There in Babylon, Ezekiel became a prophet to the common 

                                  people who were laboring under the yoke of slavery to the Babylonians.  Daniel 

                                  became God’s messenger to Babylon itself, serving in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar, 

                                  Belshazzar and Darius.

VOICE TWO:            As a prophet to the common man, Ezekiel portrayed one of the most unusual styles of communication in all the days of the prophets.  Even the messages he received from God were unusual.

VOICE ONE:             Four faces and four wings, they gleamed like burnished bronze.

VOICE THREE:        Each had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion on the right and a face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

VOICE FOUR:          The living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.

VOICE TWO:            Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them.  And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also.

VOICE TWO:            Son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.  So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.  Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

VOICE ONE:             The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.

VOICE FOUR:          Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, “O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”

VOICE THREE:        So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.  And I looked, and behold sinews were on them, and flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.

VOICE TWO:            Thus says the Lord  God, “come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”

VOICE ONE:             Ezekiel’s method of presenting the Word of God to the people involved a variety of dramatic techniques.

VOICE THREE:        (LAY PRONE ON STAGE)  Painting a map of the city of Jerusalem on a brick and building a siege wall around the city complete with ramps and camps and battering rams.

VOICE FOUR:          Lying in the dirt next to his model of the city under siege for more than a year to symbolize the iniquity of the people and the judgment of God.

VOICE TWO:            Cutting off all his hair and destroying it in the sight of all the people, one-third by burning, one-third by the sword and one-third scattered to the winds.  Hiding just a few hairs in the hem of his robe to signify the puny size of the remnant when the judgment of God was complete.

VOICE THREE:        Digging a hole through the back wall of his house and moving out with a bag of clothes over his shoulder so that the neighbors would ask what he was doing and he could tell them that all of their relatives back in Jerusalem would also go into captivity for their sin.

VOICE ONE:             Refraining from any weeping or mourning at the death of his wife, to show the people how their overwhelming grief and sorrow would render them dumb and they would finally know that Jehovah is the Lord God.

VOICE FOUR:          In spite of his fantastic heavenly visions, in spite of his varied methods of calling attention to his message, in spite of his clear proclamation of the coming judgment and their need of repentance before a holy God the prophet Ezekiel faced the ultimate frustration of the man who tries to communicate publicly.  They lauded him for his eloquent delivery—but they refused to accept the message he delivered.

VOICE TWO:            You are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not practice them.

VOICE ONE:             So when it comes to pass—as surely it will—then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.

VOICE THREE:        (STAND)  Then they will know!  Those words could be applied not just to Ezekiel, but to each of the prophets.  The precise and complete fulfillment of Biblical prophecy stands as one of the prime evidences for the authenticity of Scripture.  The fact that the prophets proved to be right concerning events which have already taken place assures us that their prophecies concerning events yet to come will also be verified.

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VOICE TWO:            The first six chapters of Daniel are familiar territory to those raised in Sunday School.  Daniel in the Lion’s Den, his three friends in the fiery furnace and the great image of Nebuchadnezzar are etched on the flannelgraph boards of our childhood memories.  But not so chapters seven through twelve, an often uncharted wilderness of apocalyptic literature.

VOICE FOUR:          Apocalypse conjures up more than just its basic meaning of revelation.  Connotatively it suggests impending doom, a feeling that existence might come to an end at any moment.  Yet Daniel radiates with joy and optimism.  No matter what horrendous war machines are invented, no matter who arises to lead people into greater conflagrations, no matter how extensively the anti-Christ spreads his domination and conquest around the globe—God is still in control.

VOICE ONE:             Winds from four different directions turn a great ocean into a mass of churning waves.  From out of the waters of this turbulent, frenzied, chaotic storm climbs a succession of four beasts.  These are not normal beasts, like the ones God created in the Garden of Eden.  These are mutants, perversions of the creatures formed by God.  Bizarre, grotesque beasts, revolting to the human mind.  Each beast challenges the sovereignty of Almighty God, and the wickedness of each is limited by the very God whom their challenge confronts.

VOICE TWO:            The lion with wings of an eagle symbolized Babylon and decorated the walls of the many palaces in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace.  But this lion had its wings torn off and was given the heart of a man.  In spite of its great power, Babylon was not in charge of its own destiny.  Someone else was in control.  The wickedness of man throughout history has been limited by Almighty God.

VOICE THREE:        The bear, lumbering along with one shoulder raised higher than the other represented the Medo-Persian empire.  With three fresh ribs in his mouth, torn from the torsos of his enemies, the bear remained convinced that he controlled his own destiny.  Yet even the bear obeys instructions, he is told what to do.  Its wickedness, destructiveness and bloodshed are not unlimited.  The wickedness of man throughout history has been limited by God.

VOICE FOUR:          The leopard with four wings and four heads was another mutant, a horrible freak of nature.  Alexander the Great’s swiftness in conquering the world was well represented by a swift leopard with wings.  The division of his kingdom into four parts explains the mutant heads of the unusual creature.  The Greek empire seemed invincible, yet Daniel says that “dominion was given to it.”  The great, ravaging leopard remains under someone else’s control.  Alexander the Great and his four generals may not have acknowledged the sovereignty of God, but they were completely under His control.  The wickedness of man throughout history has been limited by God.

VOICE ONE:             The different beast.  The indescribable beast.  As strange as the first three beasts appeared, words failed Daniel for a description of  the look of the fourth beast.  Terrifying!  Frightful!  Devouring!  Crushing!  Trampling underfoot!  Large iron teeth and ten horns!  He was not just a mutant animal, he had metallic components suggesting a beast specifically prepared by man for the purpose of destruction.  The ultimate weapon in man’s wickedness and evil against mankind.  A mouth uttering great boasts.  A beast totally out of control?

VOICE TWO:            The scene shifts from the stormy seashore with beasts crawling onto the land.  A courtroom appears where a majestic, awesome, fear-inspiring Judge takes his seat upon a throne.  Although he has the appearance of a man, the “Ancient of Days” is immediately recognized as far more than simply a human judge.  The purity of His royal robes indicates perfect righteousness, a holy Judge.  His title and hoary head demonstrate age, an eternal Judge.  The fiery throne with a river of fire issuing from before it displays absolute purity, an awesome Judge.  The ten thousands standing before Him establish the scope of His authority, an absolute, sovereign Judge.  The wickedness of man throughout history has not gone unnoticed by a holy God.  He has limited man in his wickedness, He will sit on the throne as the Judge, and He will give the power over all kings and kingdoms to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

VOICES THREE/FOUR: (STAND) And to him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve him.

ALL:                           His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.

VOICES ONE/TWO: (STAND)  Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One;

ALL:                           His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.

VOICE ONE:             Beasts, no matter what their political allegiance, are only capable of beastly behavior.  Evil and war and destruction are inevitable—because sin has made beasts of all mankind.

VOICE TWO:            But we need not despair—because the wickedness of man throughout history has been limited by God.

VOICE THREE:        The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ.

VOICE FOUR:          To whom be glory and praise, forever and ever!

ALL:                           He is King of kings and Lord of lords.  Amen!

VOICE ONE:             Amen.