Ezekiel 1:1-3
It was around the end of June, or early July of 593B.C. when Ezekiel was among the Exiles. The setting was near the Kebar(or Chebar) River where there was a Jewish settlement. This river was an aqueduct, pulling water from the Euphrates, that ran through Nippur, which was east of Babylon. Archeology discovered Babylonian tablets detailing the presence of this canal Chebar running through Nippur.
Ezekiel started the 5th year of exile when he begins to have 'visions of God'. This is the beginning of prophetic ministry. It marks a change in his life, when the heavens were opened and he began to hear and see messages from God. Just think what this must have been like. Even though he was a priest and had studied God's word and law, and even though he thought he knew of God and about God, he was suddenly blown away with what was taking place in his life. What a crazy amazing blessing to be about the business of everyday life and suddenly find yourself in the midst of a great work of God. But then again, isn't every work of God great? Isn't the work he desires in your life, the vision and words He desires to impart to you an equally profound message and work? Can it not be a similar amazing blessing in your life? I think it can, I know it can! Nothing in Ezekiel's previous experience prepared him for such a display of God's glorious presence and power. We see then, once again, God doesn't call the qualified, but qualifies the called. God would provide Ezekiel with all he needed when the Lord required it of him.
The "word of the Lord" appears many times (59 or so, depending how you count) in the book. The phrase marks the beginning of a vision or a emphasis to a specific part of a vision.
The hand of the Lord was upon him. This a figure of speech used to show the power of the Lord coming upon the man. His life and words are empowered by God. This phrase describes a physical power when God's hand is on Elijah and he outruns King Ahab's chariot (1 Kings 18:46). Ezekiel, his life and words and thoughts were in the grip of God.
Ezekiel 1:4-9
It seems as thought there had to be a certain amount of frustration on Ezekiel's part at trying to describe the indescribable. As a picture is worth a thousand words, a thousand words won't come close to this kind of picture. Ezekiel saw what is described as the chariot throne of God.
The appearance of God is accompanied by wind and clouds with flashing lightning. It came first like a windstorm from the north when other details became clearer. The 'flashing lightning' is 'fire taking hold of itself' seen as repeated flashes of lighting but could also be a self-sustaining blaze. The immense cloud from which the storm appeared was surrounded by brilliant light. The source of light is what looked like a fire (a consuming fire), but not just a fire but one appearing as molten metal. The word used for 'glowing metal' is only used by Ezekiel (here and 8:2) seems to mean it was a bright yellow or amber material.
Within the glowing fire was 'what looked like' four living creatures. This phrase is used 16 times by Ezekiel as he attempts to liken his visions to things people might understand. We can only wonder how good he might have done. The four living creatures were humanlike in form; so, we might think of them as having head, hands, feet, arms, legs, etc. But right away he describes them as having wings. If we look at Ezekiel 10, he describes them as Cherubim.
- Each had 4 faces
- Each had 4 wings that touched the wings of another.
- Legs were straight
- Feet like a calf, gleaming (only use of the word)
- Under the four wings was seen a human hand.
- They never turned because with four faces, they were always looking the way they went
These are real beings. That's hard to wrap our mind around.
Note: See also Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4.
Ezekiel 1:10-14
The faces of man, a lion, an ox and an eagle are believed by some to represent God's perfect nature.
- In a lion we find strength & majesty with patience and control
- In an ox we find diligent, relentless service, consistent service
- In the man we find intelligence, creativity, choice, emotion, love and °.
- In the eagle we see divinity, oversight,
Do these characteristics show omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscient? Or do they show the nature of the created being Cherubim? It's interesting and thought provoking that the same images are represented on the standards in the camp of the Israelites as they are camped around the tabernacle according to Rabbinical tradition.
Two wings covered their body, like Seraphim; seen as modesty, humility (Don't look at me, look at God!) The creatures move with the Spirit of God, in fire with lighting flashing, moving with the speed of lighting with the appearance of fire. WOW!
Ezekiel 1:15-18
Ezekiel moves to the wheels near the creatures, presumably seen as the wheels of the God's chariot. Take a look at Daniel 7:9 to see his description of the wheels. The Ezekiel 10 description uses another word to describe these wheels while also using the same one in 10:6. The wheels sparkled like Topaz; a word describing a stone but not known for sure. The same word describes heavenly beings in Daniel 10:6.
The wheel is seen as one wheel intersecting another at right angle. The wheel can go any of the four directions. The rims or structure and spokes of the wheel are of great height and awesome by nature. As if that weren't enough, they are full of eyes.
I assume that Ezekiel's mouth was hanging open as he was shown this. He probably didn't know what to do with this any more than we do. As he wrote it, he probably was thinking, 'everyone is going to think I've lost it'.
See 2 Chronicles 16:9 and Proverbs 15:3 for more on God's eyes.
Ezekiel 1:19-24
The wheels seem bound to the living creatures who are bound to the Spirit of God. Where the spirit goes, the creatures go. The same Spirit that animated the creatures, animated the wheels.
Above the creatures was this vault, the dome or expanse seen in the creation (Gen1:6). Yet it is seen in a different light, not a void, dark and lifeless, but sparkling and crystal. It is about this expanse we see the Spirit move with the roar of the rushing waters, the sound of the wings and the sound of the voice of God. When they stopped, their wings were lowered, work complete for the moment.
Ezekiel 1:25-28
Ezekiel heard a voice and his attention was drawn from the chariot to above it from which he heard a voice. He is careful to use likenesses because what he is seeing can't be described in a way we can clearly understand it. It looked like a throne above the vault, like lapis lazuli or sapphire; rich, brilliant, transparent blue. High above what looked like the throne was what looked like a man; careful not to say it was a man but only 'like a man'. The same word of 'glowing metal' that was used in verse four is used again as the likeness of the upper body. Surrounded by fire with an aura similar to a rainbow.
It's as if Ezekiel is saying that's the best I can do to describe the likeness of the glory of God. While the appearance was difficult to describe, he is very clear about his response and very clear about hearing the voice. He fell face down before the Lord, seemingly the only appropriate posture or a human in the presence of the Almighty.
©2019 Doug Ford
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