Ezekiel’s Vision by the River Kebar
Old Testament prophetic books often begin with a...
Old Testament prophetic books often begin with a “call narrative” that gives details of the prophet’s commissioning to his office (e.g., Jer 1:4–19). The prophetic call narrative demonstrated that the prophet’s words were legitimate, showing that he spoke as the Lord’s ambassador. It often introduced themes that his prophecy would address in greater detail, just as the overture to a symphony introduces the musical motifs that form the basis for the composition that follows. The focus of Ezekiel’s call narrative is the Lord’s impending judgment of his people.
The opening verses locate the prophet’s ministry among...
The opening verses locate the prophet’s ministry among the exiles from Judah who had been carried off to Babylon.
1In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.†
2On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin— 3the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans† by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
The Four Living Creatures
The language of this opening vision is that...
The language of this opening vision is that of theophany, a physical manifestation of God (see study note on Deut 1:33). It was difficult for Ezekiel to describe what he saw, as is evident from his frequent use of “looked like,” “something like,” and “seemed.” The overall effect is nonetheless clear and menacing; verbs of motion are combined with symbols of judgment to warn that God’s judgment will inevitably fall upon rebellious Jerusalem.
4I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,†
At the center of the fiery cloud were...
At the center of the fiery cloud were four living beings, each having four faces and four wings. Four is a number of completeness; these composite creatures summed up the created order.
5and within it was the form of four living creatures.
And this was their appearance: They had a human form, 6but each had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.
8Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings, 9and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.
10The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.
These fiery creatures had both wings and legs,...
These fiery creatures had both wings and legs, enabling them to move like . . . lightning in any direction. No one could run away from such fearsome beasts. In the similar vision in ch 10, they are identified as cherubim, agents of divine judgment.
11Such were their faces.
Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. 12Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.
13In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.
The Four Wheels
15When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
It would be impossible to build a physical...
It would be impossible to build a physical chariot in which each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. This picture depicts a chariot that could travel equally well in any direction, symbolizing God’s freedom of movement in judgment.
16The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel. 17As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved. 18Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
The chariot was infused with the spirit of...
The chariot was infused with the spirit of the living beings, and the whole assembly moved as a single entity.
19So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
20Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
The Divine Glory
The surface like the sky, glittering like crystal...
The surface like the sky, glittering like crystal separated the realm of God’s presence (heaven) from the realm of humanity (earth). References to the sky, the cherubim (see study note on 1:11–14), and the rainbow (1:28) remind us of the opening chapters of Genesis and suggest that the narrative about to unfold concerns the destruction of what God had created, followed by its re-creation. Just as God destroyed the world he had made with a flood and then restored it through Noah, Ezekiel’s world was also being unmade and restored.
22Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal. 23And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body.
24When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty,† like the tumult of an army.
When they stood still, they lowered their wings. 25And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.
On the throne of God was a figure...
On the throne of God was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. Ezekiel’s ability to describe the scene was overwhelmed by the magnificence of the sight. This human form revealed the Lord’s overpoweringly radiant glory that had once filled the Tabernacle and the Temple as a visible manifestation of God’s presence (cp. Dan 7:9–10; Rev 1:12–17). While God’s awesome presence in human form comforts his faithful people, it signifies inevitable judgment for those who are disobeying him. This vision presages God’s coming to earth as a man in Jesus Christ.
26Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man. 27From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.
28The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.