Ezekiel 1 Study Notes

1:11 Each creature had one pair of wings raised upward, touching the wing tips of the adjacent creature. This feature is identical to the cherubim over the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. The cherub in the most holy place also functioned as a symbolic footstool for the invisible throne of God (Ex 25:18-22; 1Sm 4:4; 2Sm 6:2; 2Kg 19:15; Ps 80:1; 99:1).

1:12 The chariot was directed by the Spirit, “the vitalizing principle of life that comes from God himself” (Daniel Block).

1:13 The fiery character of the living creatures (blazing coals of fire) is reminiscent of the seraphim of Is 6 who were also fiery winged creatures. Fire will figure in the punishment of Jerusalem in Ezk 10:2 (Ps 50:3; 97:3).

1:14 In Nah 2:4, the chariots appear “like torches; they dart back and forth like lightning.” Matthew 24:27 depicts lightning going from one part of the world to the other.

1:15-17 The wheels were built so that the chariot could travel in any direction.

1:16 The Septuagint took beryl to refer to a bright yellow precious stone, probably topaz.

1:18 The rims were the circumferences of the wheels. The eyes in the rims symbolized divine omniscience and watchfulness (2Ch 16:9; Pr 15:3; Zch 3:9; 4:10; Rv 4:6).

1:19-21 Note the repetition in these verses indicating that the wheels appeared to the prophet to be alive.

1:22-25 The word for expanse is the same as in Gn 1:6 (raqiaÊ»). It may signify a kind of platform on which the throne rested. Below the expanse the sound of the creatures was like the roar of a huge torrent, and above the expanse came the voice of the Almighty himself.

1:26 The lapis lazuli was one of the most prized stones in the ancient world.

1:27 Fire is often associated with the appearance of God (Ex 3:2-15; 24:17; Rv 4:1-5). The vision of the throne is similar to what Moses and the seventy elders observed on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:9-11). Numerous features of Ezekiel’s vision are repeated in John’s portrayal of the heavenly throne (Rv 4:2-8).

1:28 The rainbow in Ezekiel’s vision recalls the ancient covenant God made with Noah and the human race (Gn 9). The glory of the Lord is a visible manifestation of God (Ex 16:7; 24:16-17; 40:34-35). The glory of the Lord also refers to the “pillar of fire” that accompanied the Israelites in their desert wanderings (Ex 13:21-22; Nm 14:14). Clouds, like fire, are frequently associated with the appearance of God (Ex 19:16; Jdg 5:4). Ezekiel declared that he fell facedown. This is the posture a person assumed before a king in ancient times. The Bible teaches that man cannot see God and live (Ex 33:18,20); thus, God must reveal himself in a way that dims his full glory. What Ezekiel saw was not God in his essence, but a representation; hence, words like likeness and appearance pervade descriptions of God throughout the chapter. God did not manifest his full glory, but revealed as much as could be beheld by a mortal man. Even this partial unveiling of God’s glory was enough to overwhelm Ezekiel. When God visibly manifests himself, reverence and worship must follow, as biblical testimony from Moses onward makes clear (Ex 3:6; cp. Mt 17:1-9). The sound of God’s voice was like the voice John heard in his vision (Rv 1:15).