The vision described so far in the first chapter is the basis upon which the rest of Ezekiel’s prophecy is built. Its message, as we have tried to show, was:-
- The angelo-cherubic chariot was very soon to bring into the land of Israel the judgments of God.
- This was not simply a question of the punishment of evil doers, but, more important, was intended to bring about the preservation of a remnant through whom the purpose of God would continue.
- This purpose of God was represented by that which the cherubic chariot bore aloft – the appearance of a man, which was “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh”. Yahweh’s purpose is that ultimately His glory will be manifested in members of Adam’s race – “ALL THINGS” will be subject unto the “son of man.”
When Ezekiel saw this vision he fell upon his face (1:28). This is interesting because the prophet is STILL SEEING THE VISION; but he evidently at this point becomes more than an onlooker – he becomes himself a part of the vision; he sees himself falling down and subsequently rising to do God’s bidding.
Son of Man, Stand upon thy Feet
Whilst he is thus prostrated before this “vision of God” he hears a voice. “Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee” (2:1). Ezekiel is called “Son of man” some ninety times and undoubtedly there is a reason for it.
The Hebrew words translated “Son of man” are BEN ADHAM, and they occur many times in the Old Testament. Three examples follow:
“… who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man (Heb. ENOSH) that shall die, and of the son of man (Heb. BEN ADHAM) which shall be made as grass” (Isa.51:12).
“No man (Heb. ISH) shall abide there, neither shall a son of man (Heb. BEN ADHAM) dwell in it” (Jer. 49:18).
“What is man (Heb. ENOSH), that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man (Heb. BEN ADHAM), that thou visitest him?” (Psa.8:5).
In each of these quotations it is clear that the phrase “son of man” stands for mankind as a whole as descended from Adam; and the 8th. Psalm as expounded by the apostle in Hebrews ch.2 shows that it is God’s purpose that ultimately “all things” will be placed under the feet of BEN ADHAM, as we have already seen. The son of man is thus, in the final sense, not an individual, but a group of people redeemed from Adam’s race. This son of man consists of “many sons” who are being brought to glory by God (Heb.2:10). In the vision of ch.1 we saw that these “many sons” in whom the glory of Yahweh is to be manifest are represented by the likeness of ADHAM upon the throne (1:26).
But here in Ezekiel ch.2:1 “Son of man” is used of an individual. The fact that Ezekiel is called”Son of man”connects him immediately with the One on the Throne. The Glory of God which ultimately is to be manifested in the redeemed sons of Adam was to be manifested in the prophet then. He was to be to Israel in God’s stead, speaking God’s words, revealing God’s character and, as far as Israel were concerned,causing God’s judgments to be brought upon the disobedient nation.
There is more to it than this. In the part that he plays in the vision the prophet is representative of THE Son of Man – the individual Son of Man who would be raised up as the “Captain of our salvation’: Of this one we read in Psalm 80:17,
“Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.”
Here we have the same idea as with the seed of Abraham – there is both a singular and a plural. Before the Son of Man, the redeemed of Adam’s race, could be raised to the position depicted in Psalm 8, it was necessary that an individual be raised up, himself a son of Adam, through whom this could be accomplished.
Ezekiel, Son of Man (= God will strengthen the Son of Man) in the vision,represents this one in Psalm 80 made strong for the outworking of the purpose of God.
The prophet prostrate before the vision of Yahweh’s glory – the spirit entering into him and causing him to be strong and stand upon his feet beginning his ministry amongst the people of Israel, seems to be paralleled by the Lord Jesus prostrating his flesh in the waters of baptism; the spirit descending upon him at the beginning of his ministry. Psalm 8 declares “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” – the flesh profits nothing. Those who attain to the status of the “Son of man” in the age to come will do so, not because they are sons of Adam, but because they have undergone a spiritual regeneration mental and moral during the days of probation, and physical at the resurrection. This part which Ezekiel plays in the vision speaks of this process which has commenced in all true Christians,who like their Lord have submitted to the waters of baptism – the process of spiritual regeneration.
In the Wilderness of Israel
Having been thus strengthened Ezekiel is instructed as to the work before him. The mission of Jesus was “unto the Lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt.15:24). Ezekiel was sent (cf.Jesus, the Apostle, i.e. one sent, of Hebrews 3:1) to the children of Israel in the captivity (ch.3:11 and ch. 2:4). His work was to be difficult. He was being sent to a people who were “impudent” (2:4) “stiff hearted” (2:4) “a rebellious nation” which throughout their history had persistently transgressed against Yahweh who had chosen them and blessed them (2:3). Ezekiel’s message to these people would fall on deaf ears, but “whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear” (2:5) Ezekiel must declare the message of Yahweh.
“Thou shalt say unto them, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD” (2:4).
The words which Ezekiel spoke were to be proclaimed as the words of Yahweh Himself (see also verse 7). As in the case of Jesus so it was with Ezekiel, “he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God” (Jno. 3:34).
There would no doubt be a remnant in Israel who would respond to the preaching of Ezekiel, but for the most part he would be rejected. But he is given the assurance (verse 5) “they . . . shall know that there hath been a prophet among them”. When the terrible calamities overtook Israel – when these Jews of the captivity heard of the fall of Jerusalem and saw the captives arriving to join them in exile – they would be compelled to admit that Ezekiel was God’s prophet.
Meanwhile, Ezekiel’s mission was to be difficult, but he is exhorted in ch.2:6
“Son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions…… “
The words rendered “briers” and “thorns” occur once only in Scripture and are not the usual Hebrew words for briers and thorns. But their association with “scorpions” seems to support the idea that here we have a group of things to be found in the wilderness (see Deut. 8:15). Israel is frequently presented in Scripture as a barren wilderness, and Ezekiel is to witness in this wilderness. Micah speaking prophetically of Israel at the time of Jesus declared,
“The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity” (Micah 7:4).
The same was true of Ezekiel’s day. Ezekiel was the watchman (ch.3:17) and the day of judgment of which he spoke subsequently burned up the thorns and the briers in Israel.
Ezekiel eats the Roll
All these things are taking place in the vision. The cherubic chariot with the glory of Yahweh is still before the prophet, and he is now strong and filled with the spirit and standing upon his feet. He has been commissioned to share in the things about to take place in Israel by speaking to the people of God’s impending judgments. At this stage Ezekiel sees a new development in the vision.
“When I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; and he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein Lamentations, and mourning, and woe.” (2:9,10).
We do not imagine this to be a separate vision of a detached hand bringing the roll to the prophet. The word “sent” in verse 9 is the same as that rendered “put forth” in Gen. 3:22, and there can be no doubt that the hand put forth in Ezekiel’s vision belongs to the “appearance of Adham” on the throne. This roll which he saw in the hand of the representation of Yahweh’s glory on the throne becomes part of Ezekiel because, as we shall see, he eats it.
The book is opened so that Ezekiel can see it,and being opened he sees written therein “Lamentations, and mourning, and woe”. In Jerusalem Jeremiah in obedience to God caused “a roll of a book” to be written.
“Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations…” (Jer. 36:2).
Jehoiakim caused this roll to be burned, but ultimately the roll—the word of God in the mouth of Jeremiah—would burn up him and his people.
“Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shalt certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? Therefore thus saith Yahweh of Jehoiakim king of Judah; he shalt have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them,and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them” (Jer. 36:29-31).
This was the message that Ezekiel saw written in the scroll before him—God’s word concerning the impending judgment of Israel.
Jeremiah declared,
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” (Jer.15:16).
It was to be the same with Ezekiel. He is commanded, “Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll…” and the subsequent comments show that this was a taking in, an eating, of the word of Yahweh –
“Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.” (v.10).
He was to faithfully deliver Yahweh’s message to the people of rebellious Israel. It was God’s word,and taking it in was a pleasurable experience; Jeremiah found it to be “the joy and rejoicing” of his heart, and Ezekiel comments, “It was in my mouth as honey for sweetness” (3:3).
“How sweet are thy words unto my taste” rejoiced the Psalmist (119:103), “yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” This is the experience of all who are called to share in the things of the Kingdom, but the responsibilities which this knowledge brings often introduce bitterness into the lives of God’s servants. This was the case with John (Rev.10:10) and it was the case with Ezekiel, who rose to his responsibility and “went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit” (3:14).
The responsibility of those who have enjoyed the pleasurable experience of eating God’s word is demonstrated by Jeremiah; he too, as we have seen, ate the word and found it to be sweet to the taste, but he also found it to be as bitterness in his belly (see Rev.10:10) as emerges from a consideration of Jer. ch.6. In verse 11 the prophet laments,
“I am full of the wrath of Yahweh; I am weary of holding it in Therefore,”Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the old folk and the very aged.” (R.S.V.).
Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, we too, if we have truly eaten the word of God,will see our duty is to pour it out in warning and exhortation, an exercise which will bring bitterness to us.
Further Instruction
This section of Ezekiel’s prophecy is very similar to ch. 2:1-8. In it the prophet is further instructed concerning his work as Israel’s watchman,and prepared for the rejection that he would suffer at the hands of this people. Verse 6 is interesting. The prophet was to be sent to the house of Israel
“not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.”
The same sentiment was expressed by the Lord Jesus who conducted his ministry among these same people of Israel. He declared,
“Woe unto thee . . . for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matt.11:20-24).
The reference in Ezekiel to the people of a strange speech reminds us of the description of the Gentile invader of Israel in Deut 28:49. When Israel rejected the Son of man, thus filling up the cup of their iniquity, this fierce Roman nation came in judgment against her, and “Jerusalem (was) trodden down of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24).
The interesting thing is that the down treading of Israel by the Gentiles saw the introduction of opportunity for the Gentiles to “hearken” to the message of salvation. From that time to the present day there has been “the times (Gk.KAIROS = opportunity) of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) and many have indeed “hearkened”, as God speaking to Ezekiel indicated they would. There is then the interesting indication in these words to the prophet of the purpose of God with the Gentiles.
In Revelation Ch.10 there is a vision which in previous studies we have noted bears many similarities to the vision of Ezekiel. In this chapter John too eats a book which is in his mouth sweet as honey, and commenting upon this the angel says to him,
“Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” (Rev.10:11).
By this time, in the outworking of the purpose of God, Yahweh was provoking Israel to anger by those who were not a people, (Deut 32:21), and they “hearkened”.
The Adamant to destroy the Impudent
In verses 7 & 8 there is an interesting play on words which does not appear in the English. “An the house of Israel are IMPUDENT and hard hearted.” This word IMPUDENT is the Hebrew chEZEK metsech which literally means ‘strong of forehead’. The word chEZEK is the same as the prophet’s name – EZEKiel. God is saying to the prophet, with this interesting play upon his own name, “An the house of Israel are STRONG of forehead…” BUT
“I have made thy face STRONG (Heb. chEZEK) against their faces, and thy forehead STRONG (chEZEK) against their foreheads” (v.8).
He was indeed made strong by EL (God) – EZEK-i-EL.
Thus strengthened for his work in Israel,he was to be, verse 9 tells us, “As an adamant harder than flint”. The word rendered “adamant” signifies ‘a thorn’ and is usually translated as thorn or brier. But it is used on occasion as a figure for hardness or sharpness,and so in Jer. 17:1 it is rendered “diamond”—”The sin of Judah is written with . . . the point of a diamond”. This seems to be the idea here in Ezekiel. The people of Israel were like flint—”They have made their faces harder than a rock” (Jer.5:3),—but Ezekiel had been made strong by God, and as a diamond is used to cut flint, so the prophet speaking the word of Yahweh would cut the people of Israel to pieces. Compare Matt. 21:42-44.
The Vision ends
This first of Ezekiel’s visions thus comes to a close. The spirit lifts him up. The glory leaves. He is once again with the exiles by the River Chebar. And here he begins to experience the bitterness of his ministry, although he is very conscious of the strengthening hand of Yahweh.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One