Ezekiel 10
-Ezekiel sees the same living beings as he saw by the river
Chebar in this chapter while he is still experiencing the vision of Jerusalem
by the LORD’s Spirit. Over the heads of the cherubim (the angelic living beings
of the heavenly host of the LORD) there was something like a sapphire stone, in
appearance resembling a throne (Ezekiel 10:1). God spoke from here to the man
clothed in linen (see notes on Ezekiel 9) saying, “Enter between the whirling
wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire from between
the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” At that time the man entered into
the sight of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 10:2). This apparently was symbolic of the
purging of the sin in Jerusalem and the destruction that had come upon the city
gone bad with an unrepentant heart. Shortly after this prophecy was when
Babylon would come in an invasion and destroy the city by fire (2 Kings 25:9, 2
Chronicles 36:19).
-Now the cherubim were standing upright to the right side of
the Temple when this man clothed in linen entered. At this point the cloud of
God’s presence filled the inner court. Then, the glory of the LORD, represented
by the cloud, went up from the cherub (a singular of the cherubim) to the
threshold of the Temple causing the court to be filled with His glorious
brightness. The angels’ wings were heard as far as the outer court during this
motion, and they were compared to the sound of the Voice of God Almighty when
He speaks (Ezekiel 10:3-5). God now commanded the man clothed in linen to “Take
fire from between the whiling wheels, from between the cherubim,” and the man
obeyed by entering and standing by one of the wheels. A cherub now stretches
out his hand from between the cherubim and places some of the fire into the
hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out of the area
(Ezekiel 10:6-7). Ezekiel describes the cherubim at this juncture a little bit.
They appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings (Ezekiel 1:8;
10:8). The four wheels were again beside each of the cherubim, this time
described as having the appearance of a “Tarshish stone” (in Ezekiel 1:16 they
are described as having the appearance of sparkling beryl, which could be the
same thing, Ezekiel 10:9). They moved and had the same characteristics as what
he saw by the river Chebar, and they were called in his hearing “the whirling
wheels (Ezekiel 10:10-13).” Verse 14 shows a slight discrepancy as one of the
four faces of the cherubs from Ezekiel 1:10, there described as an ox or bull
to the left side, is now aligned with the appearance of the face of a cherub.
All the other faces sync with his former description. It is at this point that
Ezekiel identifies these as being the living beings from his time by the river
Chebar (Ezekiel 10:15). As they moved and ascended up, the wheels would go beside
them since “the spirit of the living beings was in them (Ezekiel 10:16-17).”
-“Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of
the Temple and stood over the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18).” When the cherubim
departed, they lifted their wings rising from the earth with the wheels continuing
to go beside them and stood at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD’s
House. The glory of the God of Israel hovered over them in the same manner that
Ezekiel had seen in Babylon at the river Chebar, which now allowed the prophet
to know that they were undeniably cherubim. They were identical is appearance
and movement (Ezekiel 10:19-22).
-*Application* Have you ever experienced a vision from the
LORD, which was difficult to comprehend? We need to cultivate the wisdom of the
LORD’s prophetic Spirit if we are to flow with His wisdom in these miraculous
occurrences. May the LORD give us His understanding by His grace as we conform
to His image. We, like Ezekiel, Daniel, Joseph, Paul, and other biblical
characters, can experience the deep things of God when we open up to His Spirit
as He alone wills and reveals.
Verse to Memorize:
Ezekiel 10:18
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