Ezekiel: please explain

Let’s deal with Isaiah and three children before we talk about Ezekiel Their names are...
Speedy Prey – Quick Spoil (aka atonement),
A Remnant Shall Return (aka redemption)
Virgin’s Child, Emmanuel (aka God Is With Us)

Isaiah’s prophecies seem to relate to three different periods, so the scholars like to suggest there were three different Isaiahs. I am not too concerned about whether there was one very gifted and farsighted prophet, or three separate prophets masquerading as Isaiah. It is not really all that important.

What is really important is the content of what is being said.
The first Isaiah (chapters 1 to 39) talks to the kings of Israel and Judah (the kingdom had been split after Solomon’s reign) about one hundred and fifty years before Assyria conquered Israel and Babylon conquered the kingdom of Judah, capital Jerusalem, about a hundred years later.
Their silver (in other words, their spirits) had become dross (Isaiah 1:22). It would have to be refined in the atoning fires of foreign invasion.
He prophesies these events (Isaiah 7) using the names of three children which translate as…
I’ve been thinking ‘bout Isaiah and the children that he spawned There was “speedy prey, quick spoil” Speedy Prey – Quick Spoil : the name implies that the citizens of Israel (and later Judah) would be conquered and scattered throughout the world.

Think of that as the atonement process.
I’ve been thinking ‘bout Isaiah and the children that he spawned There was “speedy prey, quick spoil” and “a remnant shall return” A Remnant Will Return: the name implies that a small part of the population of Judah will return to the land of Israel from the countries to which they had been exiled or in which they have sought refuge. Think of that as redemption I’ve been thinking ‘bout Isaiah and the children that he spawned There was “speedy prey, quick spoil” and “a remnant shall return” And then there was the virgin whom a child did bring to birth Emanuel, God with us, and a comfort to the earth. Immanuel meaning God is With Us. Think of that as meaning, God will remain faithful to his promise to Abraham (and David)

That though he uses the refining fires of atonement to purify the people of Israel before his messiah redeems them, he will never turn his back on his chosen people.
The first two would seem to be Isaiah’s own children and the third was born of a virgin. That’s why you have seen that name on Christmas cards. Once again the scholars tell us that it was a young woman but not necessarily a virgin, and once again I cannot be bothered wasting my time working out who is right.
So much for the first Isaiah. That’s all you need to know to deal with the chorus in the song, “Ezekiel”, but it might be worth the effort to look at some other things Isaiah talked about, before proceeding...
A Messiah with two different aspects:
Suffering Servant - Atonement - the Great Tribulation of Israel
A conquering Hero - Redemption - the Day of the Lord
In chapters 40 to 55 Isaiah seems to talk about a Messiah who will be more a suffering servant than a conquering hero rescuing the Jews from their enemies. This suffering servant will demonstrate the atoning process. The need to be stripped of all health, wealth and happiness before one can see God.
But there will also be a force for good that will redeem the people once they have known the bitter experience of atonement.

In fact the narrative makes it clear that the real conquering hero is not the suffering servant, who has been crushed by the forces of evil Babylon. The real redeemer is Cyrus, the ruler of Persia, who conquers Babylon and allows the Jews to go back to Israel. (44:28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." ' 45:1 This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armour, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut Only a relatively small number take advantage of this offer – the Remnant that Return.  And this remnant has been
subjected to the refining fires of atonement but not as silver is refined (Isaiah 48:10).

The refining process that will make them like pure silver is yet to come (Psalm 66:10). When that happens they will
know and speak the words of the LORD that are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6) The third Isaiah (chapters 56 to 66) seems to talk about what the conquering hero Messiah accomplishes. The ideas of a millennium are culled from these prophecies.

Kicking back on my living room Saw a form like to a man, I was in swoon Waist down he was like flaming fire But he turned to molten metal, as you looked higher 

Reached out and took me by the hair To the north gate of the temple – it was Satan’s lair To the desolating sacrilege that I did see Then the glory of Jehovah it spoke to me Saying, “Envy, jealousy radiate In the evil that my people here do perpetrate They will drive me far from here, from my sanctuary But things yet more detestable you will see”  I’ve been thinking ‘bout Isaiah and the children that he spawned There was “speedy prey, quick spoil” and “a remnant shall return” And then there was the virgin whom a child did bring to birth Emanuel, God with us, and a comfort to the earth. Then he brought me to the entrance of the outer court To a hole in the wall, at least that’s what I thought Said, “Dig still further til you come unto a door, Enter through that portal, tell me what you saw” So I came into a room with murals all around There were creping things, and monsters and idols there I found There were hypercritic holy men with censers wafting clouds They were worshipping the idols in the dark that did enshroud There were reaching out for comfort in the sirens empty charms Finding loneliness and loathing in cold, unloving arms Seeking not the holy presence, soon departing from the land Then the glory of Jehovah spoke of worse things, yet at hand  I’ve been thinking ‘bout Isaiah and the children that he spawned There was “speedy prey, quick spoil” and “a remnant shall return” And then there was the virgin whom a child did bring to birth Emanuel, God with us, and a comfort to the earth. Meanwhile back at the northern gate The woman spent their days with words of hate Mourned the passing seasons and the sun’s depleted rays And slaughter of John Barleycorn in summer’s golden haze Deeper in the sanctuary twixt altar and the porch Their men lay prostrate to summer’s fiery torch Backs toward the temple, faces to the east Intent upon the vicious acts on which they all would feast Then the glory of Jehovah spoke to me with strident voice ”I will crucify all pity, let them live with their own choice. Though they cry to me for sustenance and shelter from the storm I will turn my back upon them til their spirit be reformed.”  I’ve been thinking ‘bout Isaiah and the children that he spawned There was “speedy prey, quick spoil” and “a remnant shall return” And then there was the virgin whom a child did bring to birth Emanuel, God with us, and a comfort to the earth. Then he called his guards to order, each with weapon in his hand And his glory left the temple, and departed from that land His linen clad offsider, not a soldier but a scribe Bearing nothing but a writing kit, the guards all by his side Placed a seal upon the righteous heads of all of them that mourn And grieve at all the evil done, await the righteous dawn Then he summoned all his guards to go forth into the city And kill without compassion, and slaughter without pity And visit death upon the heads of all of them that did not bear the seal Who criticized the destitute and pity did conceal Filled the country with their bloodshed and the cities with the lust Piled the corpses in the temple left them bleeding i the dust I’ve been thinking ‘bout Isaiah and the children that he spawned There was “speedy prey, quick spoil” and “a remnant shall return” And then there was the virgin whom a child did bring to birth Emanuel, God with us, and a comfort to the earth.

First we think about Isaiah and three children