Ezekiel 3:14

‘So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Yahweh was strong upon me.'

Ezekiel repeats and amplifies his reference to the Spirit in Ezekiel 3:12. He was lifted up and carried away by the Spirit (see also Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 11:1; Ezekiel 11:24; Ezekiel 43:5), his first experience of this type of travel. This was thought of as a ‘normal' method of transport for prophets (1 Kings 18:12; 2 Kings 2:16), possibly because they tended to suddenly appear and disappear, although no actual example is known for earlier prophets, unless we count 2 Kings 2:11. But compare Philip in Acts 8:39 -note there the Old Testament ring of ‘the Spirit of the Lord'.

This was his first experience of the Spirit acting in such a way, and along with the vision he had seen must have shaken him to the core. No wonder he went ‘in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit'. He was greatly disturbed both spiritually and emotionally.

Alternately many see his bitterness and heat of spirit as referring to his feelings about his own people in the light of what God had told him (compare Jeremiah 6:11). This is supported by the word ‘bitterness', which is very strong, and would directly tie in with the hand of Yahweh being strong upon him, as he went to carry out his mission. He was still under the influence of his vision.

For ‘the hand of Yahweh was strong upon me' compare Ezekiel 1:3 which resulted in his vision, and Ezekiel 3:22 where he again has a vision. See also Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 33:22; Ezekiel 37:1; Ezekiel 40:1. All refer to remarkable experiences.