Ezekiel 1:24

24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the 1sound of abundant waters as they went, like the 2voice of [a]the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the 3sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.

Ezekiel 1:24 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 1:24

And when they went
In their ministrations, preaching the Gospel, and administering ordinances: I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters:
so the voice of Christ, which is no other than his Gospel preached by his ministers, is said to be as the sound of many waters, ( Revelation 1:15 ) ; which is heard a great way off, as the Gospel ministry is, even to the ends of the earth; thither the sound of the apostles' words reached, ( Romans 10:18 ) ; and which, as they move with great force, yield a pleasant sound of and may denote both the energy of the word, and the delightfulness of it: as the voice of the Almighty;
the Gospel being the word of God, and not of man; which is quick and powerful, and full of majesty, and works effectually in them that believe: the voice of speech;
an articulate voice, a human one, pronounced by men, whom God employs to deliver out his mind and will: as the noise of an host;
the church being militant, to whom they minister; so that their voice, in their ministry, is sometimes reproving, convincing, confuting, contending, and disputing, as well as teaching and instructing. The Targum is,

``and the voice of their words, when they confess and bless the Lord, the living everlasting King, is as the voice of the host of angels on high:''
when they stood, they let down their wings;
those two with which they flew, and with them covered their faces, or some part of their bodies, as ashamed of their own unworthiness and imperfections; or this may denote their having done their work, and finished their course.

Ezekiel 1:24 In-Context

22 Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads.
23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other.
24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
25 And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
26 Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Ezekiel 43:2; Revelation 1:15; Revelation 19:6
  • 2. Ezekiel 10:5
  • 3. 2 Kings 7:6; Daniel 10:6

Footnotes 1

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