Chapter 2
The Lord speaks to Ezekiel:
1 And he said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." [Eze 2:1 ESV]
Ezekiel and Jesus use this title "Son of man". Why these two? Surely volumes are written speculating on this. Or maybe not. This verse:
3 And he said to me, "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. [Eze 2:3 ESV] Surely these were also Jesus' primary mission field. The rebellious people of Israel. Beyond that, it is hard to compare a people in Babylonian captivity with the Jews of Jesus day. They were at least in Jerusalem, though under Roman rule.
So it comes back again with the comparison to Jesus:
5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. [Eze 2:5 ESV] Surely this was also true of Jesus.
2022 - Of Jesus, it was the confirmed miracles that showed he came from God, and that surely confirmed him as a prophet among them. Did Ezekiel do miracles? How many and how well know? This might be a key link between Ezekiel and Jesus. I don't think we have any record of either Isaiah or Jeremiah doing a miracle. Nor the other contemporaries of Ezekiel - Daniel, and Zechariah. So again, miracles would be a critical link between the two.
2023 - I think it was Elijah that did all those miracles, not Ezekiel...but I will be watching for that this year.
2022 - This verse:
1 And he said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." [Eze 2:1 ESV]. Who is speaking...If we go back to 1:26, there is a likeness with a human appearance. Then 1:28b says this:
28 ...Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. [Eze 1:28b ESV]. It would be difficult to argue that the voice is coming from anywhere other than this likeness of the glory of Jehovah. Only the likeness of Jehovah could be seen, for no man sees God and lives. That's likely why Ezekiel is so careful to say "the likeness of" in each case. He recognized that he was seeing vision, not actuality.
2022 - Then this:
2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. [Eze 2:2 ESV]. An Old Testament indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps a key to the miracles. Isn't there a verse where the Spirit is said to be in Christ? I need to put that verse here also.
The Spirit (upper case used in the ESV) enters Ezekiel and sets him on his feet. God tells Ezekiel he is/will be a prophet to a rebellious house, and whether they listen or not, they will know a prophet has been among them.
A scroll in a hand is spread before Ezekiel, written front and back.
Symbolically, the scroll contains the message, the word, the prophecy that Ezekiel is to speak to the rebellious nation of Israel. He must ingest it first, and then speak it back, as we shall see in the next chapter.
2024 - This verse:
10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. [Eze 2:10 ESV]. If we make the comparison above that Ezekiel and Jesus are both called "Son of Man" because they appeared in similar times to rebellious Israel, and because both would be confirmed as messengers of God (I am keeping an eye out for the confirmation of Ezekiel, and believe the miracles confirmed Christ), then we have to note that their messages are quite different. Ezekiel's message is lamentation, morning, and woe, and Jesus' message is that the kingdom is nigh. I see no way to make Ezekiel's message and Jesus' message the same. Even the message of John the Baptist was to repent and be baptized because the kingdom was there. I need to consider, as I go on with this book, that I may have the "connection" between Ezekiel and Jesus all wrong...though Chapter 2 here surely seems to confirm that I have it right...except for the content of their messages. Those to whom they each appear have much in common. Downtrodden, disillusioned people who have been/are being misled by their religions and civil leadership. They have little hope in the world, and must look to God. Ezekiel's audience was oppressed by Babylon, in actual captivity. Jesus' audience was oppressed by Rome, captive in all but name.