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Eze 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in
the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar,
that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
Ezekiel was a young man here among those that had been taken captive by the
Babylonians. God had not forgotten those who were still faithful to Him and
awaited the day of redemption. Just as with Daniel He did not leave them in
darkness but gave them a vision of that which is and that which was to come.
When God gives a vision it is usually for a purpose. He was commissioning
Ezekiel to be a messenger to the rebellious house of Judah.
If we desire to see dreams and visions straight from the Lord, it will be for a
purpose usually calling us into a service for God to give warning or to preach
the gospel. It is never for the purpose of exalting a person higher than someone
else. A real prophet of God usually suffers persecution for his message rather
than become a Lord over his brethren.
Eze 1:2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king
Jehoiachin's captivity,
We can assume that these captives had been there five years already. The story
of King Jehoiachin's captivity is in 11 Kings 24.
Eze 1:3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the
son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of
the LORD was there upon him.
Here we see another one chosen of God to be His messenger. He was already a
priest. Priests in the Old Testament were set apart to serve the temple and make
intercession for the people for sin. This was before the great High Priest,
Jesus Christ came to be the permanent intercessor between God and man. Before
that there was a need of priests to act as a mediator or intercessor because the
perfect way for men (women) to be cleansed from sin had not yet come.
Through Christ God made a wonderful way that each and every individual human
being, male or female can go to God with prayers and supplications directly
without a human intercessor. Although He still calls out pastors, prophets
and teachers for the perfecting of the assembly of believers, it is for the
purpose of leading individuals to Jesus Christ and helping them to establish
that one on one relationship with the Father for themselves. We should not
have to continually rely on human intercession like a priest. Our pastors
have a different type of service than the Old Testament priests did because
Jesus became the only mediator between God and mankind.
Exekiel was a priest but was also called to a prophetic office. Perhaps the
term, "The hand of the Lord was upon him" is similar to a more modern term of
"He was filled with the Spirit."
This river Chebar flows into the Euphrates and is north of Babylon.
Eze 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a
great cloud, and a fire enfolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out
of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
A whirlwind, most probably similar to a tornado but not doing any damage. Notice
this whirlwind came from the north. Many times in the bible we see judgment as
coming of the northern direction.
I'm reminded here of the cloud of fire by night and the cloud by day that was
with the children of Israel when they were delivered from Egypt and went into
the wilderness.
Eze 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living
creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
This is similar to the four beasts in Revelation chapter four. These are
probably cherubim. They resembled a man in appearance. We can remember that man
was made in the image of God so it is not strange to see angels or cherubim
resembling men in appearance.
How awestruck Ezekiel must have been at this time to have had the opportunity to
see a vision from heaven but we must remember that these types of visions carry
with them a great responsibility to obey whatever God is calling one into after
seeing the vision. They are always given for a purpose.
Eze 1:6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
Each being had four faces. The beasts in Revelation were only described as have
one face but each face was the same as all four faces described in Ezekiel.
I'm thinking that the Revelation beasts may be the same ones but John did not
see all four faces only one on each beast. That is only speculation on my part
though. It could be the one in Revelation was different than this one but I
believe them to be the same just being described by two different people.
If we take down accounts of witnesses to some accident or event, the accounts
will usually be similar but different in certain points. One person may notice
something that another witness missed. That is why God gives us such a great
cloud of witnesses to the message of the gospel. They all say the same things
but have a different way of saying it and some remember things others left out.
The bible is a fascinating book to study. I find that it can be its own
interpreter if studied diligently.
Ezekiel saw each creature with four wings whereas John saw each creature with
six wings.
Eze 1:7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was
like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished
brass.
Ezekiel first saw the color of Amber, a yellow-orange fire and the feet shined
like burnished brass as opposed to a dull brass.
John's vision of Jesus's feet was similar but I'm do not think this vision of
Ezekiel's is Jesus.
Revelation 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a
furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Eze 1:8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four
sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
Now we notice they had hands as well as wings. It might be that John noticed
more of the purpose of the beasts and Ezekiel noticed a more detailed
description of them.
Eze 1:9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they
went; they went every one straight forward.
This seems to indicate that they were joined together for a united purpose and
nothing would hinder them from that purpose.
The beasts in Revelation gave glory to God and their whole purpose seemed to be
to honor and praise God for His marvelous works of righteousness.
Eze 1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a
man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an
ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
I tend to take this vision literally and do not believe it represents the four
gospels or any other symbolic representation. I will only point out that the
different faces are like the different stages in the creation but since it
doesn't mention the fish or sea creatures it may not have anything to do with
symbolizing the creation.
He created the fowls first, the sea creatures second, the beasts and then the
domestic beasts. Last of all He made man to rule over all the rest. Whether
these cherubim represent any of those things is mere speculation. God can create
any type of beings He likes without us understanding what they are for.
Eze 1:11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two
wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
Eze 1:12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go,
they went; and they turned not when they went.
Eze 1:13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like
burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down
among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went
forth lightning.
Whatever these creatures were they resembled heavenly beings because of the
light and the brightness accompanying them.
Eze 1:14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a
flash of lightning.
They moved swiftly and quicly as lightning.
Eze 1:15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the
earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
Eze 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of
a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was
as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
Beryl could have been a bluish green or similar colors.
Eze 1:17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned
not when they went.
Eze 1:18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and
their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
Eze 1:19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when
the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
Eze 1:20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit
to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the
living creature was in the wheels.
These wheels that appeared as wheels within a wheel was where the spirit of the
creatures were. They were full of eyes. John described the creatures he saw as
full of eyes but did not mention any wheels.
Eze 1:21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood;
and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over
against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
Eze 1:22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature
was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads
above.
Eze 1:23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the
other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two,
which covered on that side, their bodies.
Eze 1:24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of
great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of
a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
This surely was an awesome vision similar to the one John Saw in heaven. John
also saw much light and brightness. He saw a see of glass resembling crystal.
Notice the firmament of crystal above the heads of the cherubim. I believe
Ezekiel saw similar scenes as John except for the 24 elders.
Eze 1:25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their
heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
John also heard voices, lightnings and thunderings from the throne of God.
Eze 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the
likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the
likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon
it.
He may be seeing God on His throne here showing that God is in control no matter
what situation Israel may find itself in. God still has a purpose and a plan for
the tiny nation of Israel even though they fail so many times. His promise to
Abraham though still stands.
Sapphire is a stone that reflects different colors. How beautiful this must have
been.
Eze 1:27 And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round
about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the
appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire,
and it had brightness round about.
Ezekiel got to see God Himself on His throne showing that God resembles men.
That makes sense seeing that we are made in His image.
Eze 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain,
so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of
the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face,
and I heard a voice of one that spoke. Rev 4:2 And immediately I was in the
spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
John also saw the appearance of a rainbow.
Rev 4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine
stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an
emerald.
The rainbow symbolizes the covenant God made with the man that He would not
destroy the earth with a flood like in the days of Noah. However, He still has
to bring judgment. He is getting ready here to send forth Ezekiel with a message
to the captives of Judah and since we are reading this today, it is for us also.
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