Chapter 2

1 Ezekiel’s commission. 6 His instruction. 9 The roll of his heavy prophecy.

1. Son of man. Heb. benРФadam. This is God’s customary form of address to Ezekiel. The form occurs 93 times throughout the book. Daniel is the only other prophet so named, but the title appears in his book but once. The Hebrew has several words for man: (1) Хish, which refers to man as a male or husband; (2)Хenosh, which is a more general term, seldom used in the singular, more usually collective for the whole human race. It seems to comprehend man in his frailty, disease, and mortality. Jesus, who took upon Himself not the nature of angels, but of the human race after four thousand years of sin had left their stamp of degeneracy, is prophetically designated “Son of Хenash” (Dan. 7:13; Хenash is the Aramaic form of Хenosh); (3) Хadam, which describes man in a generic sense. God said, “Let us make Хadam in our image” (Gen. 1:26). Our English word “mankind” in many instances suitably translates Хadam; (4) geber, which describes man in his youthful vigor.

Ezekiel, addressed as “son of man” (benРХadam), is reminded of the fact that he is a member of the human race. It was through human channels that God purposed to convey His message of salvation to perishing souls. He could have employed other means. Angels might have been appointed His ambassadors. An audible voice from heaven might have been the evangel. But God desired to make man a sharer in the joys of unselfish ministry to others, and so He committed unto him the “word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). This task no “son of man” may shirk. Souls are either won or lost by the manner in which he relates himself to this responsibility. Thus, to be addressed as a “son of man” is a call to personal or public ministry in ardent passion for fellow creatures.

Stand upon thy feet. The vision of the glory of God had prostrated Ezekiel. In a similar manifestation of the power of God, Daniel declared, “There remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength” (Dan. 10:8). In the call to divine service these prophets were led first to feel their own weakness. Then divine power came and activated them, restoring to them physical strength and enabling them to receive the heavenly communication.

2. Entered into me. Prophecy is one of the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:28). The call to prophetic office is not by personal choice, but by divine appointment (see Num. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:28). The reception of the Holy Spirit, which imparts the prophetic ability, is the evidence of the genuine call. Any claim to the gift apart from this necessary prerequisite is false. When Ezekiel received his call, the Spirit entered into him, putting him into a condition that is called in prophetic language, “in the Spirit” (see Rev. 1:10; 4:2). While the prophet is “in the Spirit,” he may seem to take journeys to distant points, though in actuality he has not moved a step. Describing his vision of the third heaven, Paul admitted his inability to distinguish his vision from reality. “Whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth” (2 Cor. 12:2).

3. Children of Israel. Here begins the commission to Ezekiel. Basically, his message was to the exiles of Judah, however, in its wider scope it embraced the ten tribes who, more than 100 years before, had been carried into captivity by the Assyrians. Changing fortunes had given to Babylon and Media the territories of Assyria, so that when the Babylonian captivity swallowed up the remnant of Judah the 12 tribes were in a sense reunited, all now being under a foreign yoke (see Jer. 50:17, 18, 33).

A rebellious nation. Literally, “nations that are rebellious.” The word rendered “nation” is the one frequently translated “heathen.” So low had Israel sunk in her willful departure from God that she, who was to have been the royal nation, the kingdom of priests (see Ex. 19:6), is now addressed by the derogatory title “heathen,” and that with the additional epithet “rebellious.” The prophet is further reminded that Israel’s defection is of long standing.

4. Impudent. Literally, “hard of face,” meaning “obstinate,” “stubborn.” The term “stiffhearted” further emphasizes the stubbornness of nature. The Lord was painting a grim picture of Israel’s depravity. The picture was not overdrawn, as the prophet was soon to discover.

Thus saith the Lord God. The charge to Ezekiel is the divine commission to every teacher of the Word, to every expositor of sacred truth. God’s Word is not to be intermixed with human opinions. Private theories are fallible. Concerning divine matters, only those things that God has revealed can be definitely known as facts. All else is human opinion. With every wind of doctrine blowing and every species of interpretation abroad, men need the reassurance of a message backed by a “Thus saith the Lord God.” Such a declaration is the voice of authority. Ezekiel needed such a warrant. Judah’s doom was impending. His message came bearing the credentials from the highest authority.

5. Forbear. That is, neglect to heed. Compare the same formula in v. 7; ch. 3:11; cf. ch. 3:27. A failure to heed must not be attributed to an act of predestination. God’s plan of salvation embraces all: “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11); God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). All are given an adequate chance of salvation. Jesus is the light “which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). All possible influences consistent with free choice and the issues of the great controversy are brought to bear upon men to induce them to accept the proffered redemption. But it is for men to decide whether they will hear or whether they will forbear. The disobedient are without excuse. God will be able to say of every soul who is eventually lost: “What could have been done more … that I have not done?” (Isa. 5:4). Thus men destroy themselves by their refusal to accept the salvation of Christ (see 5T 120). As a culminating event in the great controversy the history of the world will be portrayed in panoramic view revealing to each soul his relation to the issues of the great conflict. As a result, all will acknowledge the justice of God and the adequacy of the grace offered them (Rom. 14:10, 11; Rev. 15:3; cf. GC 666–671).

Yet shall know.The crowning evidence that the prophet bears divine credentials is the fulfillment of his word. Yet even while he is delivering his message the Holy Spirit testifies to hardened hearts that the message of the messenger of God is from heaven. To the rebellious captives the Holy Spirit would send conviction that their course of obstinate impiety was unjustified. They might openly mock the divine messenger, but beneath the sneer of scorn would be deep-seated fear that the voice they were spurning was indeed the voice of God. Ezekiel’s messages would be either a “savour of death unto death,” or of “life unto life” (2 Cor. 2:16).

6. Be not afraid. Ezekiel’s opposition would come from rulers, priests, and pretended prophets. They would ridicule, misrepresent, accuse, and threaten the prophet, but through it all he was to avoid giving way to their attempts to intimidate him and to the discouraging fears that beset him on every side.

Briers. Used metaphorically of the opposition the prophet would encounter from those to whom he was sent.

7. Whether they will hear. See on v. 5.

8. Be not thou rebellious. There was danger that with so forbidding a prospect, Ezekiel would shrink from his responsibility. In so shrinking he would identify himself with the very rebellion he was sent to reprove. There was danger that he would be influenced by his environment of prevailing apostasy and that he would lose his sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. There is a subtle poison in the atmosphere of evil society. It is difficult for a man to be faithful among the faithless, especially when the faithless profess the same hopes and aspirations as he. That is why the greatest danger to the church is from within, not without. If those who are called to be leaders are themselves “rebellious,” like the “rebellious house,” then what else can be expected but a widespread departure from God? The history of the apostasy of Israel reveals the baneful result of what happens when men look to men and trust in human leaders who themselves are practicing evil.

Eat that I give thee. This is symbolic prophecy, and the prophet ate the scroll in vision, not in fact (see on v. 2). The figure is full of spiritual meaning. In order to impart to his fellow men, the teacher must first receive from God. Second, as physical nourishment introduced into the body becomes flesh, blood, and bones, so the message must be appropriated and become a part of the messenger. The teacher cannot be fitted for service by a superficial and uncertain acquaintance with his message. The message must sink into the depths of his nature, must penetrate his being, must enter into all the functions of his spiritual life. It must become an integral part of his thought and life.

9. An hand was sent. The hand may have been that of the four living creatures. It represented the intermediate agencies by which God imparts revelations to His servants the prophets (see Rev. 1:1). The messages themselves originate with God; hence the prophet is able to declare with conviction, “This is the word of the Lord.”

10. Written within and without. Books were anciently written upon skins or papyri sewed together to form long strips that were then rolled up. Normally these rolls were written on one side only. The one that was handed to Ezekiel was written on both sides, doubtless to denote abundance of subject matter. The message was no evangel of peace such as the angels brought to the shepherds of Bethlehem when Christ our Saviour was born (Luke 2:13, 14). Their message was “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10), but this was a prophecy of “lamentations, and mourning, and woe.” Yet the disclosure of the threatened calamity was the means God used to awaken sin-hardened hearts that He might heal them with the gospel balm. As Ezekiel’s work developed, it was often his privilege to temper his discourses of denunciation with appeals of proffered mercy.

Ellen G. White comments

1–10TM 213

7          Ev 77; GC 459; TM 233; 5T 20, 74, 263, 691; 7T 35; 8T 61, 69; 9T 227