"But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." –Ezekiel 2:8
Ezekiel is introduced to us as a man God has called to be a faithful voice for Him, calling His people away from sin and its self-destructive results. God sends Ezekiel in spite of Israel's entrenched rebellion and unfaithfulness to God.
In this introduction to Ezekiel's call, God gives him a vision of the throne to strengthen his resolve to be faithful to the extremely difficult call placed before him. This call will require him to leave Israel and journey to Babylon to speak God's Word of repentance and reconciliation to the Jewish people taken into captivity.
In this effort to cure this poisonous cancer that brought so much anguish upon Israel, God galvanized Ezekiel with a vision of His glory (1:26-28), and also filled Ezekiel with the Holy Spirit (2:2). This very same Spirit of God was leading everything Ezekiel saw going on around the throne of God (1:20). Next, in preparation, God asked Ezekiel to eat the scroll that represented the words God wanted him to boldly proclaim.
These three things: a vision of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God, are what we all need if we are to reach a backslidden Church and a lost world in our own generation.
They have been the source of the transforming and empowering work of God throughout the ages. In seeing Him we are empowered to become more and more like Him. The empowering work of the Holy Spirit and His Word add to our effectiveness. Having been equipped by God, we too can be sent to a backslidden and lost world.
Make it your aim today to hear His voice for our own time. Our world desperately needs it!
Ezekiel's Vision of God
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, 3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.
v. 1 in the thirtieth year – This probably refers to Ezekiel's age. He was from a priestly line and 30 was the age when priests began their ministry (Num. 4:3). among the captives – The northern Kingdom of Israel had been conquered and taken captive by Assyria in 722 BC. Ezekiel is from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, which remained free until it was conquered by Babylon in 601 BC. They took many captives to Babylon at this time including the prophet Daniel (Dan. 1:1-2). The prophet Jeremiah ministered in Jerusalem during this time (Jer. 1:1-3) and a puppet government under King Jehoiakim was allowed to exist for three years (2 Kings 24:1) until he died. Then Jehoachin his son became king and soon after the Babylonians besieged the city. Jehoachin surrendered and he and the remaining government and religious leadership, including Ezekiel, were carried away into captivity in Babylon in 597 BC (2 Kings 24:10–16). the River Chebar – A manmade canal between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Ezekiel was settled in this region. | visions of God – Ezekiel had a series of visions. Visions are dream-like and used by God to show the prophet things that will happen in the future, or to get a glimpse into heavenly or spiritual things. v. 2 the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity – about 592 BC v. 3 to Ezekiel the priest – Priesthood descended from father to son, so both Buzi and Ezekiel were priests. the hand of the LORD was upon him there – Even though Ezekiel and the Israelites had been carried off captive, God was still with them. Psalm 137 says, "By the waters of Babylon we laid down and wept." God was judging His people and they began to understand their sin. He continued to speak to them and show that He is still in control and using the situation to fulfill His purposes. |
4 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves' feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. 8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.
v. 4 a whirlwind – God spoke His judgment to Job out of a whirlwind and the image is used throughout the OT as a symbol of judgment. great cloud with raging fire – In these verses, Ezekiel is trying to describe this complex vision of the glory and throne of God as it is approaching. He is attempting to describe heavenly things which have no earthly equal, and is forced to use limited earthly language and comparisons to try and describe and relate what he sees to us. v. 5 four living creatures – These are perhaps the same or similar creatures that are seen in the visions of Isaiah 6:2-3 and Revelation chapters 4 through 6. | the likeness of a man – A human-like form as opposed to an animal. v. 6 four faces, four wings – This is difficult to imagine exactly what it looks like, but the description of creatures with four faces (man, lion, ox, and eagle) are also seen in Revelation 4:7. v. 12 went wherever the spirit wanted to go – the movement of this whole throne and glory is controlled by the will of the Spirit of God. |
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. 19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. 24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings.
26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
Ezekiel Sent to Rebellious Israel
So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
v. 13 burning coals of fire – a bright, glowing, intensity seems to color all that Ezekiel sees. v. 15 a wheel – The entire burning throne and image of glory seems to rest on and above these wheels and the living creatures with four faces. v. 16 beryl – A crystal mineral found in different colors. Here, it is likely to be pale green to gold in color. a wheel in the middle of a wheel – The wheels may turn on the same axis, or perhaps were set like a gyroscope. v. 18 rims were full of eyes – These may have been literal eye shapes representing God's all-seeing nature, or it may have been reflections or sparkles in the beryl as the wheels moved. v. 19-22 – The four spirits are controlling the movement of the wheels. v. 22 firmament – The expanse or dome shape, the boundary layer of the sky above. A word used only 17 times in the OT, four times in this immediate description (Gen 1:6-8, 14-20). | v. 24 noise of many waters – The vision is dominated by the sound of the wings. The sound is found again in 43:2 also as the glory of God approaches. v. 26 a throne – The central feature of the fiery cloud. appearance of a man high above – No specific shape or description, just burning amber color above and fiery brightness all around. v. 28 the glory of the Lord – This Glory was said to accompany the Israelites in the desert and was later seen in the tabernacle and temple. It is important element in Ezekiel, mentioned 11 times. It is seen departing the Temple in chapters 9-11 and returning to the restored Temple in chapter 43. I fell on my face – Ezekiel is struck by the vision, trying to describe what he sees, but at the sound of the voice he falls down in worship. |
1 And He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you." 2 Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. 3 And He said to me: "Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 4 For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' 5 As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
6 "And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."
9 Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
Ezekiel 2 v. 1 Son of man – literally, "son of Adam." This is a humbling title to remind Ezekiel that he is just like the men he is prophesying to, and that he shouldn't become prideful in his position as God's messenger. Ezekiel is addressed by this title 93 times in the NKJV bible. Ezekiel's name is only mentioned twice in the entire book (Eze. 1:3; 24:24). I will speak to you – Ezekiel is not inventing the message, but must communicate what God says. v. 2 the Spirit entered me – Ezekiel's ministry is initiated by the Spirit coming upon him. His power and authority comes from God's Spirit working in and through him. v. 3 rebelled against Me – The suffering the nation is not the result of natural circumstances or forces of history but is because of their collective rebellion against God personally. v. 4 impudent – contemptuous or cocky boldness, disregard of others Thus says the Lord God – Ezekiel is not to be mistaken as an angry social critic or a commentator speaking his own opinion or analysis. He is to clearly announce to Israel that his message is God's word to them. | v. 6 do not be afraid – God is telling Ezekiel in advance that he will face intense opposition and rejection. He will be tempted to fear, but must be bold because the message is the Lord's. briers...thorns...scorpions – Graphic pictures of how Israel will oppose, wound, and painfully sting Ezekiel for preaching. v. 7 whether they hear or whether they refuse – God's truth must be delivered, and His message communicated regardless of the response of the hearers. v. 8 Do not be rebellious – Ezekiel may be tempted to avoid the confrontation his message will provoke. But he must not rebel from the responsibility or soften the message. Eat what I give you – He is not told in advance what it will be like. His obedience is immediately tested (3:3) in contrast to the rebelliousness of his people. v. 9 a scroll of a book – This contains God's message Ezekiel is to communicate. It is both written and spoken to Ezekiel, and he will both write and speak to Israel. v. 10 lamentations and mourning and woe – The message will not be light and easy, but one of sorrow, grieving, and warning because of the sin of Israel. |
