Today, I was studying in Ezekiel 1 and wanted to share some thoughts with you about what I read. The story of Ezekiel begins when he was in exile in the land of Babylon. He was sitting by the river Chebar, with some of the other exiles when this vision appeared to him. It is not necessary since it is a vision to believe that the others around him saw this vision.
Ezekiel sees the glory of God that surrounds his throne. These beings are the seraphim and cherbim that were around the throne of God. In this chapter, the throne is not mentioned until verse 26. There is an expanse between the cherb and the throne. There is a rainbow of emerald around the throne Revelations 4:3. Compare this to what is said in Revelatons 4:7-11. These creatures that Ezekiel is seeing are worship leaders day and night near the throne of God. We can see them as literal beings, but there is a lot of symbolism here as well.
The creatures are describes as having human form, yet they do not turn or walk like we do. They go straight ahead and don't turn. They have four faces and eyes all around. It describes them as like burnished bronze and like having a coal of fire in the midst of them that darts back and forth between the beings. They have wings that cover feet and that touch one another. The vision must have took Ezekiel's breath away. You see something similiar in Isaiah's call in Isaiah 6:2-3. Bronze was typically symbolic in the Bible as the judgment of God.
You should notice how many times the number four is used here. Four is symbolic in the Jewish faith of representing the creative work of God. How many different times do we see four used in creation. There are four seasons, four directions on the compass, there are four angels keeping watch over the earth Rev 7:1, there was four rivers flowing out of Eden. You should notice that there are four faces. These faces represent the eagle (flying creatures), the bull (domestic creatures), lion (the king of all wild animals) and mankind (all humans). Again, showing God's dominion over all of his creation.
You should also notice the eyes. The eyes were all over the creatures and represent how God sees everything. Matthew 10:26 says that there is "nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known." Psalm 44:21 tells us that God knows the secrets of the heart. God knows motive and judges correctly based on facts and not spin. There are no secrets with him.
Why is all this important? I think it begins to reveal the righteousness and holiness of God. That God is someone who is not like us. That God is holy and demands that his people be holy. I also think that this is a picture of pure power. Ezekiel was in exile and needed to be reminded that the final word for things did not rest with the Babylonians. The Babylonians don't even exist any more. God's still on his throne however. For a people who felt rejected and abandoned it was important to remember that God saw what was going on and had the power to do something about it. That despite all the lies and spin in our society that God sees, knows and judges. That God will make it right one day.
This is the way that God begins to reveal his glory to Ezekiel as he calls him to mission. He wants Ezekiel to remember this vision so that he isn't afraid when trouble comes Ezekiel 2:6. In Ezekiel 1:26-28 we finally get to the throne and the one on the throne and he looks like fire. If you compare this vision with the others in scripture the similarities are there such as in Revelations 1:13-16 and Revelations 4:2-3. God is a consuming fire and a jealous God (Deut 4:24). He jealously desires the love and attention and devotion of his people.
Ezekiel sees the glory of God that surrounds his throne. These beings are the seraphim and cherbim that were around the throne of God. In this chapter, the throne is not mentioned until verse 26. There is an expanse between the cherb and the throne. There is a rainbow of emerald around the throne Revelations 4:3. Compare this to what is said in Revelatons 4:7-11. These creatures that Ezekiel is seeing are worship leaders day and night near the throne of God. We can see them as literal beings, but there is a lot of symbolism here as well.
The creatures are describes as having human form, yet they do not turn or walk like we do. They go straight ahead and don't turn. They have four faces and eyes all around. It describes them as like burnished bronze and like having a coal of fire in the midst of them that darts back and forth between the beings. They have wings that cover feet and that touch one another. The vision must have took Ezekiel's breath away. You see something similiar in Isaiah's call in Isaiah 6:2-3. Bronze was typically symbolic in the Bible as the judgment of God.
You should notice how many times the number four is used here. Four is symbolic in the Jewish faith of representing the creative work of God. How many different times do we see four used in creation. There are four seasons, four directions on the compass, there are four angels keeping watch over the earth Rev 7:1, there was four rivers flowing out of Eden. You should notice that there are four faces. These faces represent the eagle (flying creatures), the bull (domestic creatures), lion (the king of all wild animals) and mankind (all humans). Again, showing God's dominion over all of his creation.
You should also notice the eyes. The eyes were all over the creatures and represent how God sees everything. Matthew 10:26 says that there is "nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known." Psalm 44:21 tells us that God knows the secrets of the heart. God knows motive and judges correctly based on facts and not spin. There are no secrets with him.
Why is all this important? I think it begins to reveal the righteousness and holiness of God. That God is someone who is not like us. That God is holy and demands that his people be holy. I also think that this is a picture of pure power. Ezekiel was in exile and needed to be reminded that the final word for things did not rest with the Babylonians. The Babylonians don't even exist any more. God's still on his throne however. For a people who felt rejected and abandoned it was important to remember that God saw what was going on and had the power to do something about it. That despite all the lies and spin in our society that God sees, knows and judges. That God will make it right one day.
This is the way that God begins to reveal his glory to Ezekiel as he calls him to mission. He wants Ezekiel to remember this vision so that he isn't afraid when trouble comes Ezekiel 2:6. In Ezekiel 1:26-28 we finally get to the throne and the one on the throne and he looks like fire. If you compare this vision with the others in scripture the similarities are there such as in Revelations 1:13-16 and Revelations 4:2-3. God is a consuming fire and a jealous God (Deut 4:24). He jealously desires the love and attention and devotion of his people.
