Ezekiel Eats the Scroll
Chapter 3
“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth” (Ezekiel 3:1-3).
The Lord had a word of correction for Israel, which was to be given through the Prophet Ezekiel. This would not be and easy task for the prophet, but the Word was necessary to deliver the truth about their sinful condition. The Bible says: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Israel had a history of avoiding the truth from God’s prophets. They preferred to listen to the false diviners and teachers who gave them hope and encouragement to continue in their sins with no desire to change. They loved the prophets, priests, and rulers who would not address sin, but endorse it, similar to what is taking place in many of today’s pulpits and government-backed offices. Rather than denounce sin, they desired it. Instead of correcting it, they tolerated it. In place of teaching holiness, they practiced idolatry. Therefore, the Lord had a lot to say about Israel’s spiritual condition, which led them into physical captivity, and soon, the rest of Judah would find themselves in a similar situation.
The Lord told Ezekiel to eat the scroll placed before him in this vision. After this, he was to deliver the Word of the Lord to the people. Yet, why was it important for Ezekiel to eat the scroll? Before a man or woman of God can truly deliver a message from the Lord, they must digest the Word themselves. Ezekiel had to first be in the presence of the Lord to get the Word from the Lord to deliver it to the people of the Lord. The Bible says: “But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds” (Jeremiah 23:22). In the previous text, the Lord rebuked the lying prophets who claimed to speak in His name but had not embraced His presence to get an authentic Word from Him. They falsely prophesied what the people wanted to hear and had not digested a true Word from the Lord. They had not been called to prophesy, just as many of today’s self-proclaimed prophets have not been called by the Lord.
Many of today’s prophets and teachers are not preparing the church and world for the coming of the Lord, which will also result in precursor judgments. Instead, they teach a hundred remixes on money, prosperity, motivation, and other feel-good ideologies, which do nothing to help the person’s soul nor promote spiritual growth when in a sinful condition. While these leaders of authority are much to blame, so are the people who invite this demonic spirit of seduction that runs contrary to the Spirit of God. The Bible says: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Therefore, Ezekiel was directed to eat the scroll, which contained the Word of God, first so he could deliver it to the people. The Apostle John had also been ordered to eat the scroll shown during a vision while on the Isle of Patmos. The Bible says: “ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings’ ” (Revelation 10:9-11).
The Apostle John had been given a similar directive to eat the scroll shown in his vision because he had to absorb the Word of God before he could relay it to others in print or verbally. Those who have been called to the five-fold ministry must pray, study, read, and worship in private before they can effectively minister in public. Many church leaders are running off of mere talent and education instead of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. They may speak the Word, sing the Word, talk the Word, and publicly pray the Word, but fail to have the Word active and living inside of them. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, many people want the giftings without spending time with the Giver.
Once again, the Lord told Ezekiel to fill his stomach with the scroll containing the message he would give to the people. When the Lord provides word, dream, or revelation twice, it means that it has been established, as was the case with Joseph and Pharaoh’s dreams. The Bible says: “The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon” (Genesis 41:32). Therefore, Ezekiel had been ordered to eat the scroll twice, which meant that the words written on the scroll were firmly established and would be fulfilled. For Ezekiel, the scroll being sweet signified that he welcomed and received the Word from the Lord in all due humility. But we can see from the Apostle John that the Word was also sour once it hit the stomach because of the rejection and unpleasantness for whom it was meant, and often the recipients’ reaction and response to the messenger.
“He then said to me: ‘Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you’ ” (Ezekiel 3:4-6).
Ezekiel had been commanded to deliver a message to Israel, a people that were not strangers but of his own heritage. Delivering a Word to strangers may have been easier because they may have listened out of curiosity. Yet, the Lord told Ezekiel to be His mouthpiece to his own people, which was more challenging. Similarly, Jesus was familiar with rejection from His own people when He came to earth. The Bible says: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11). Imagine being the Creator of the world but being rejected by the very people you created. This is exactly what Israel had done. They rejected the Lord their God and the prophets He had sent to warn them of their wicked ways. Yet, the Lord was once again sending a prophet, Ezekiel, to deliver another message so they could understand the error of their ways.
Today, many people do not heed the warnings from the Lord’s true messengers. They choose to have closed ears and disregard any words forewarning about the lateness of the hour. They call God’s messengers legalistic, gloom and doomers, fearmongers, tin-foil-hat wearers, conspiracy theorists, and much more. Such rebellious people choose to live in ignorance as they have been blinded by the pillow-soft false prophets who make them feel comfortable in their sins instead of preaching the message of repentance, forgiveness, and righteous living. Even so, the Lord will deal with both as they have been blinded by the god of this world and have chosen to walk in darkness. The Bible says: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
“But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people” (Ezekiel 3:7-9).
The Lord already knew that Israel had a contempt for His prophets, thus had a disregard for Him. They hated and mistreated the true prophets of God because these were men who did not go along to get along. They were uncompromised and revered the Lord. They stood up to kings, priests, and all who did not honor the Lord. They could not be bought off or bribed, for they feared God over man. Therefore, the Lord wanted Ezekiel to be alert and informed about what he would face. The Lord’s seemingly harsh description of Israel was not unwarranted, for they had proven what they thought of the Lord through their rebellion against Him time and time again. Israel was unyielding to the Lord, so He did not hold back in His rebuke of their characteristics.
To be a true prophet to Israel required someone who was just as determined, strong-willed, and resolute as they were. This role was not for the weak, timid, or faint at heart. A jelly-back, spineless prophet, much of what we see today, would not have made it during those times because the Lord’s rebukes would have caused them to either bend under pressure and comply with what was popular due to Israel’s lack of reception, or stand for God regardless of what persecution came their way. The Bible says: “…Israel, learn this: The time of punishment has come. The time has come for you to pay for the evil things you did.’ But the people of Israel say, ‘The prophet is a fool. This man with God’s Spirit is crazy.’ The prophet says, ‘You will be punished for your terrible sins. You will be punished for your hate.’ God and the prophet are like guards watching over Ephraim, but there are many traps along his way. And people hate the prophet, even in the house of his God” (Hosea 9:7). It’s no wonder the Lord was not delicate regarding His description of Israel. They were a stench to His nostrils. Therefore, Ezekiel was forewarned regarding the hardships he would endure. Nevertheless, the Lord was going to strengthen him by making him as resilient as they were.
“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen’ ” (Ezekiel 3:10-11).
It was important for Ezekiel to have the Lord’s words hidden within his heart, meaning that he had to listen intently to what the Lord was saying. The psalmist said: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). Just as Ezekiel had to deliver a Word to the people from God, it was important for him to listen carefully to what the Lord had to say, so he would not be speaking of his own accord, but was relaying the Word just as the Lord had given.
Many modern self-professed prophets claim to receive a word from the Lord, only to have their prophecies be unfulfilled, causing disappointment to the supposed recipient(s). They promise money, houses, marriages, children, promotions, and more if one plants a seed into their ministries, but one must discern if that man or woman actually receives a Word from the Lord. Too often, many of their prophecies have failed to manifest, and then the recipient of the prophecy is blamed for having a lack of faith or misunderstanding the given word. Yet, the Bible says: “The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19). Unless the given word is conditional, it will not fall to the ground if truly from the Lord.
The Lord told Ezekiel to give the Word to the exiled regardless of whether they listened or not. Ezekiel’s job was not to convince them that he was a true prophet, but only to deliver the message. A Word from Lord will never contradict who He is but will be in agreement with His written Word. The Bible says: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Therefore, if the people wanted to know if Ezekiel was a true prophet of the Lord, all they had to do was compare what He said to what they knew about God.
“Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing. It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound” (Ezekiel 3:12-13).
The Word from the Lord had come to Ezekiel in a vision, and it was now time for him to do as the Lord had instructed. This task could not be done within his own strength, so he needed the Spirit of the Lord to help him get into place to accomplish all the Lord had commanded. Therefore, the Spirit helped him to arise as there was a rumbling sound behind him. A similar sound was heard on the day of Pentecost. The Bible says: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1-2). The Holy Spirit is described in Christian theology as the Paraclete, the One who helps. The term Paraclete(παράκλητος) is mentioned four times in the Gospel of John, referencing the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) and once in 1 John 2:1 in reference to Jesus.[1] Thus, the Holy Spirit helped Ezekiel to rise to his feet to begin the work commissioned for him.
As we discussed earlier, the four living creatures had the Spirit inside them, and they moved as the Spirit moved. Similarly, shouldn’t we, as Christians, operate with the same mindset and authority to move as the Spirit moves and works within us? Of course! The Bible says: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:16-18). The flesh would have us be silent and not spread the Gospel of Christ for fear of persecution and offense. Nevertheless, we have been commissioned to speak the truth about God’s love, repentance, and turning away from sin in the Spirit of love, just as Ezekiel was commissioned to do.
“The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed” (Ezekiel 3:14-15).
Ezekiel was lifted and taken away with the Lord’s hand upon him. Yet, the prophet’s demeanor was filled with displeasure. These feelings that Ezekiel had could have been for a couple of reasons. First, he would have to prophesy to those who would knowingly reject him. It is not always easy to follow the tasks the Lord gives us. Yet, we must do so out of obedience. God repeatedly warned Ezekiel that he would be going amongst rebellious people. Therefore, Ezekiel knew that he would not be well-received, which was Israel’s history regarding the prophets. The Bible says: “But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16). So the office of the prophet required courage and perseverance that could only be received from the Lord then and today.
Second, Ezekiel may have felt the burden of the people’s many sins as they were displeasing to the Lord. He may have experienced a holy indignation regarding Israel’s disregard for the Lord and His righteous decrees. The Bible says: “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). To love God is to hate evil in all its forms. Therefore, this could have been one of the reasons Ezekiel’s distress was evident after having a vision from the Lord.
The problem with many in the church today is that there is an absence of hating sin. Compromise, conformity, inclusion, and delusion have become the national anthem for many who call themselves followers of Christ. Yet, this is unacceptable before the Lord. No one will enter Heaven with a spirit of compromise regarding the Word of God, as was made evident in Jesus’ rebuke to the church of Pergamum, which had the Nicolaitan spirit. The Bible says: “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Revelation 2:14-16). No spirit, other than those filled with the Spirit of God, will enter Heaven. Leaders in the five-fold ministry may want to take note of this as all who claim to be anointed and appointed by God are not actually called, but will be whipped with many stripes all the same should they misrepresent God and lead His people astray. The Bible says: “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes” (Luke 12:47).
*Nicolaitans (Νικολαιτής, -αί) is used to describe some of the early church members and their leadership who held to the doctrine of compromise, self-indulgence, and other heresies the Lord despised. Early church fathers, such as Irenaeus, argued that Nicolaus of Antioch, one of seven men chosen as a deacon to serve in Jerusalem and a proselyte, had apostatized and turned away from the truth, causing others to follow.[2]
Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman
“At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me’ ” (Ezekiel 3:16-17).
During biblical times, being a watchman was an important responsibility for military men. It could mean life or death for the nation. Watchmen were responsible for safeguarding the towns and cities from surprise enemy attacks, which were very common. The term watchman (צָפָה) in Hebrew means to keep watch, look out for, and to spy.[3] Watchmen were often stationed on the city’s walls to oversee it and announce when an enemy was approaching so others could prepare for the impending attack. Similarly, Ezekiel was tasked with being a spiritual watchman on the wall to give warnings from the Lord. Therefore, at the end of seven days, after his vision and return to where the other exiles resided, the Lord spoke again for him to begin his new prophetic role.
In America, we rely on our military to protect and keep the nation from harm. Unfortunately, we have had questionable politicians who have seen possible threats coming across our borders but have failed to prevent and eliminate the threat. As a result, murder, drugs, rapes, sex trafficking, and more have infiltrated our borders. Even in many of today’s pulpits, the shepherd is supposed to be the watchman on the wall to prevent demonic wolves from misguiding and scattering the flock. Unfortunately, most have allowed the spirit of cowardness to prevent them from being the shepherds they are supposed to be; thus, the sheep are being spiritually harmed and neglected. Yet, the Lord covers those who are willing to listen and heed His voice. The Bible says: “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15).
“When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself”
(Ezekiel 3:18-19).
Ezekiel was called to warn the people regarding their wicked ways. It was not an option or something that he could be selective about. He had to give all the warnings and words of correction the Lord would have him relay to the people. Failure to do so would mean they would remain spiritually ignorant and blissful in their sins. Even more so, Ezekiel would have blood on his hands should he have failed to do as the Lord commanded, for God does not desire sinners to die in their sins, but He gives everyone a chance to repent and turn to Him. The Bible says: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Unfortunately, many within the five-fold ministry are failing to be watchmen on the wall, while people are on their way to spend eternity with Satan and his angels. Yet, those who correctly preach and teach what the Lord has given can only pray that their God-given messages are heeded and people will turn to Christ. Even so, after doing what God has commanded, should one reject the Lord, their blood will not be on the obedient servant’s hands.
“Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself” (Ezekiel 3:20-21).
Once again, the Lord gave Ezekiel the warning concerning himself that he must deliver the warnings that the Lord would give him. Failure to do so would make him a party to their sins, which he would be held accountable for. However, he would not be punished if he obediently gave the warning, whether they heeded it or not. Now, here is something that those who believe in once-saved, always-saved need to pay attention to.
If a person were considered righteous but returned to their evil ways, it would be as if they were never saved. The Bible says: “ It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud’ ” (2 Peter 2:21-22). Therefore, the Word lets us know that even if you were righteous at one point in your life, should you turn away from God, it would be as if you had never known Him. There is only salvation in Christ IF you continue in Him. However, for those who wish to apply the verse as believing that the person who turned away was never truly saved, once again, that would be incorrect ideology. The above verse compares a dog returning to its vomit and a pig returning to mud play. You cannot return to something, or somewhere you have never been.
“ ’The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you’ So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown’ ”
(Ezekiel 3:22-23).
Ezekiel is once again preparing to receive a Word from the Lord. The Lord had his hands on Ezekiel to direct him to a place where he would receive the message. It is important for all called to service only to go where the Lord tells them. Doing anything outside God's will is possibly forfeiting His protection. Ezekiel had to go to the Lord’s secret place to receive the instructions and message the Lord intended for him to have. Like Ezekiel’s first dream, the glory of the Lord was so heavily upon him that his automatic response was to fall facedown.
What is your response to the Lord’s presence? Have you ever felt His presence? If so, did the Lord’s presence cause you to be in a state of worship before Him? Numerous biblical characters fell before the Lord and His messengers whenever in His presence, such as John the Revelator. The Bible says: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last’ ” (Revelation 1:17). There is a heaviness of righteousness when the glory of the Lord enters the room. However, imagine how it would be for the Lord to withdraw His hands of protection and leave a person, place, or thing? Yes, God can leave where He once resided. The Bible says: “She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel"—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband” (1 Samuel 4:21). Eli, the high priest’s household was cursed, as he failed to do enough to prevent his sons from defiling the temple with their blatant disregard for the Lord’s people and His sacrifices. This resulted in the Lord departing from Israel, thus the meaning of Ichabob.
“Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people”
(Ezekiel 3:24-26).
The Lord had a tremendous word for Ezekiel to do. Biblical scholars have explained the Lord’s instructions in various ways, such as being symbolic or literal, but here is what is best understood by this particular text. Whether this text is literal or symbolic, we will explain it as being both for the sake of context. Either way, the meanings relate to Israel’s spiritual and physical condition. Ezekiel’s being bound with ropes symbolized Israel and Judah being in captivity spiritually and physically, as well as how they were going to treat him by closing their ears to the truth due to the message of correction God had for him to give. Yet, God was able to break the chains that had bound them, if and when they would return to the Lord. The Bible says: “For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor” (Isaiah 9:4).
“But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people”
(Ezekiel 3:27).
Ezekiel had to say what the Lord had told him to say. He could not speak words other than what the Lord wanted him to speak. Even so, the Lord had him to know that regardless of whether they listened, it would be up to them to heed the warning. They were rebellious, and the Lord knew they would not embrace Ezekiel’s warnings. Nevertheless, the Lord never sends judgment until He has given a warning first through His prophets. The Bible says: “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
[1] Marius Nel, "The Notion of the Holy Spirit as Paraclete from a Pentecostal Perspective," In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi 50, no. 1 (2016): e1-e8, doi:10.4102/ids.v50i1.2095.
[2] Bible Gateway Editorial Staff, "Nicolaus - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway," BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages, last modified 2023, https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Nicolaus.
[3] Strong's Concordance, "Strong's Hebrew: 6822. צָפָה (tsaphah) -- to Look out or About, Spy, Keep Watch," Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages, last modified 2023, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/6822.htm.
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