Ezekiel 1

15. one wheel--The "dreadful height" of the wheel ( Ezekiel 1:18 ) indicates the gigantic, terrible energy of the complicated revolutions of God's providence, bringing about His purposes with unerring certainty. One wheel appeared traversely within another, so that the movement might be without turning, whithersoever the living creatures might advance ( Ezekiel 1:17 ). Thus each wheel was composed of two circles cutting one another at right angles, "one" only of which appeared to touch the ground ("upon the earth"), according to the direction the cherubim desired to move in.
with his four faces--rather, "according to its four faces" or sides; as there.was a side or direction to each of the four creatures, so there was a wheel for each of the sides [FAIRBAIRN]. The four sides or semicircles of each composite wheel pointed, as the four faces of each of the living creatures, to the four quarters of heaven. HAVERNICK refers "his" or "its" to the wheels. The cherubim and their wings and wheels stood in contrast to the symbolical figures, somewhat similar, then existing in Chaldea, and found in the remains of Assyria. The latter, though derived from the original revelation by tradition, came by corruption to symbolize the astronomical zodiac, or the sun and celestial sphere, by a circle with wings or irradiations. But Ezekiel's cherubim rise above natural objects, the gods of the heathen, to the representation of the one true God, who made and continually upholds them.

16. appearance . . . work--their form and the material of their work.
beryl--rather, "the glancing appearance of the Tarshish stone"; the chrysolite or topaz, brought from Tarshish or Tartessus in Spain. It was one of the gems in the breastplate of the high priest ( Exodus 28:20 , Solomon 5:14 , Daniel 10:6 ).
four had one likeness--The similarity of the wheels to one another implies that there is no inequality in all God's works, that all have a beautiful analogy and proportion.

17. went upon their four sides--Those faces or sides of the four wheels moved which answered to the direction in which the cherubim desired to move; while the transverse circles in each of the four composite wheels remained suspended from the ground, so as not to impede the movements of the others.

18. rings--that is, felloes or circumferences of the wheels.
eyes--The multiplicity of eyes here in the wheels. and Ezekiel 10:12 , in the cherubim themselves, symbolizes the plenitude of intelligent life, the eye being the window through which "the spirit of the living creatures" in the wheels ( Ezekiel 1:20 ) looks forth (compare Zechariah 4:10 ). As the wheels signify the providence of God, so the eyes imply that He sees all the circumstances of each case, and does nothing by blind impulse.

19. went by them--went beside them.

20. the spirit was to go--that is, their will was for going whithersoever the Spirit was for going.
over against them--rather, beside or in conjunction with them.
spirit of the living creature--put collectively for "the living creatures"; the cherubim. Having first viewed them separately, he next views them in the aggregate as the composite living creature in which the Spirit resided. The life intended is that connected with God, holy, spiritual life, in the plenitude of its active power.

21. over against--rather, "along with" [HENDERSON]; or, "beside" [FAIRBAIRN].

22. upon the heads--rather, "above the heads" [FAIRBAIRN].
colour--glitter.
terrible crystal--dazzling the spectator by its brightness.

23. straight--erect [FAIRBAIRN], expanded upright.
two . . . two . . . covered . . . bodies--not, as it might seem, contradicting Ezekiel 1:11 . The two wings expanded upwards, though chiefly used for flying, yet up to the summit of the figure where they were parted from each other, covered the upper part of the body, while the other two wings covered the lower parts.

24. voice of . . . Almighty--the thunder ( Psalms 29:3 Psalms 29:4 ).
voice of speech--rather, "the voice" or "sound of tumult," as in Jeremiah 11:16 . From an Arabic root, meaning the "impetuous rush of heavy rain."
noise of . . . host--( Isaiah 13:4 , Daniel 10:6 ).

25. let down . . . wings--While the Almighty gave forth His voice, they reverently let their wings fall, to listen stilly to His communication.

26. The Godhead appears in the likeness of enthroned humanity, as in Exodus 24:10 . Besides the "paved work of a sapphire stone, as it were the body of heaven in clearness," there, we have here the "throne," and God "as a man," with the "appearance of fire round about." This last was a prelude of the incarnation of Messiah, but in His character as Saviour and as Judge ( Revelation 19:11-16 ). The azure sapphire answers to the color of the sky. As others are called "sons of God," but He "the Son of God," so others are called "sons of man" ( Ezekiel 2:1 Ezekiel 2:3 ), but He "the Son of man" ( Matthew 16:13 ), being the embodied representative of humanity and the whole human race; as, on the other hand, He is the representative of "the fulness of the Godhead" ( Colossians 2:9 ). While the cherubim are movable, the throne above, and Jehovah who moves them, are firmly fixed. It is good news to man, that the throne above is filled by One who even there appears as "a man."

27. colour of amber--"the glitter of chasmal" [FAIRBAIRN]. [HENDERSON]. Messiah is described here as in Daniel 10:5 Daniel 10:6 , Revelation 1:14 Revelation 1:15 .

28. the bow . . . in . . . rain--the symbol of the sure covenant of mercy to God's children remembered amidst judgments on the wicked; as in the flood in Noah's days ( Revelation 4:3 ). "Like hanging out from the throne of the Eternal a fing of peace, assuring all that the purpose of Heaven was to preserve rather than to destroy. Even if the divine work should require a deluge of wrath, still the faithfulness of God would only shine forth the more brightly at last to the children of promise, in consequence of the tribulations needed to prepare for the ultimate good" [FAIRBAIRN]. ( Isaiah 54:8-10 ).
I fell upon . . . face--the right attitude, spiritually, before we enter on any active work for God ( Ezekiel 2:2 , Ezekiel 3:23 Ezekiel 3:24 , Revelation 1:17 ). In this first chapter God gathered into one vision the substance of all that was to occupy the prophetic agency of Ezekiel; as was done afterwards in the opening vision of the Revelation of Saint John.