Textual Basis

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

Son of man 1:1-28

Perhaps it is not that our God is hard to see with human eyes. Perhaps it is not that he has come in dreams. Perhaps it is not that he has revealed himself unto the prophets, his servants, the choicest of men and the rest of us are left waiting for and wanting for then. Perhaps it is not measured in the strength of our sigh nor yet in that tiny babies cry. Perhaps it is not measured in the distance we walked nor the time gone by. Perhaps like Zechariah we too had just gotten caught up there in serving the Lord. Perhaps like Elizabeth it was something foreign and estranged to us both. Perhaps at times we too had felt captive, locked out of heaven, and enslaved to man. Surely though our God had once heard. Surely at the time of his choosing he would return. Surely all that that would be left to be seen was his hand all along expressed in our hopes, our fears, and our dreams. Just as with them too were not the times and us also resting with him. After all, it is he who had broken us in and cast us out from his land. Strange thing at a time like unto this that our God should come in.

2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

Easier still just to blame others as though they had comitted some sin or some error and been carried off of his throne. After all, it was at his orders it seemed. How well we too knew that again, that perhaps it was just the king who had sinned. There were still those who had maintained themselves pure and still escaped from his sin. Unseen to all just as the name Ezekiel suggests it abode still within. At times unseen and unlooked for it flared up again. Though were it not only natural that a man should seek unto God. After all, he was the Creator, Sustainer of all that had been. Thusly should we not have reflected him again. One day certainly as in the days of our bondage, with its long hard labor so grim as long ago in Egypt there had been a constant reminder of his dwelling for then. Thusly, in the service and in the day to day lives we just remembered the Lord. Not as though of Babylon where some had hung their harps on the willows and sang. Instead, we like Ezekiel and his fathers had taught, were kept busy indeed. In fact it was all that we had known. This occupy till he comes business and what with all he had planned. Surely this would be the day our Savior returned.

4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

At this point poor little old Ezekiel was just sitting here minding his business when this whirlwind returned. In fact, I had never seen anything like it not that we had ever heard. In fact, here was this heavenly company that was busy instead. They seemed to be working together at first quite possibly under command of the Lord. It was hard to say then for sure, only that they turned at but the breath of his Word. Thusly, these went about in singular service though what exactly it was hard to explain. Each of the creatures then, if you could call them that though they looked like a man, and as of yet we had some semblance of God in our midst, at least as much as was gained. The wings certainly were suggestive enough of the angels. Yet certain other things of their person from the burnishing of brass in a furnace meant that they had spent time with his person. The appearance of faces meant they had kept their identities and were not as the cherubim before him or those above which had covered their faces and with two they had flew. Thus was their shame not readily apparent having kept the breath of his Word. Still these had spent enough time with his person to have been looking like him in spirit at least if not the creatures then later as it were seen. The covering of the bodies above and below suggested somewhat that each one had then sown that the shame of their nakedness appeared not in this world. Though our God in his mercy and goodness was able to change all that with much time and much service to him. Perhaps our perceptions were faulty at least or we had not then too had we known how it was to be out by a river for cleansing and in keeping ourselves unspotted then from this world and in things that were seen on this precious day that our Savior returned. Though like him of course, in them it were seen but the breath of his Word and their turning not aside for any of the singular purposes of man.

13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.

18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

In fact, so singular were these creatures that they were bound in service to him, much as a woman is to a man. Thusly in the rings, the symbol of their service is seen. If you think we had it bad for the errors of man, imagine being betrothed to the Lord or in any way honored for. Their not turning also seemed to honor their mission in that the wheels their harvest was seen. Consider if you will one of these just lifting up from the earth. Then as the time of the harvest of men would come around with the shaking of spears and of sythes and a rattling of all things as unto the Lord. Indeed, it was he that had made the harvest for be it ever so terrible now and again so as to include the harvest of men. Thusly appearaed a pattern at random though to us it was seen spread out in motion. That is each one honored not their ownselves but the God who was watching. In fact, the eyes on their person emphasized the gravity of their mission and the God who watching there over his children. Perhaps the situation might have been senseless enough at that moment, but in it there was purpose within. Surely these all had been sent to will and to do the work of the Lord. Each one went with the next not as though set apart from the rest. The went with another then in pairs so that the power of God might be then felt throughout the whole world. Consider too if you will the ways these were watching in all places and the times and the seasons. Surely our God could not have picked a better time to have come home to this world. Though their appearance was somewhat of him and somewhat of Satan, as the lightning which flashes throughout the whole sky before falling on back down to earth once again. Though not that the return of the King has ever been so disordered or quit so absence. Just that we cannot in finding out his ways predict the Great King. Indeed so it was he that was watching over his children and whatever these things might have been. Indeed, the burning coals of fire spoke of the lives that had been touched from out of the altar. Had it been though that our God had yet returned to this world or was it for us then to know.

22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.

26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round aboutwithin it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

At times like unto this it seems our God should step in. There was no other way of describing it though our wonder at not seeing him thus and too that his work should be seen and not felt in this world at least not by us as much as supposed. Perhaps even now he passed us on by much as before when his ways were then strange. Could it be that we too had been forgotten, cast out from this world, and forgotten quite by our God then thus forward. After all, we still sat by the river with our aches there and our pains much as our forefather Abraham had who once had then gave. As hard as we worked only to see it had still gone in vain. No words could have explained how terrible a sight as this to unfold much less still that our eyes had just seen. Perhaps you had not seen it just yet, only to trust and to hear whomever was talking over there in the corner all by himself as though there were naught else left to him in this world. At least Ezekiel could have been relied on of course what with all his much visions and dreams. Imagine hearing a voice from high up above that could have been clearly heard by all in this world. No wonder you would have thought a flood was then coming from the appearances then of the judgment. You could have heard a flood up above in those words. Suffice to say, perhaps though we were not really listening. After all, it was he who had hung the heavens and formed all this world. Consider too if you will the appearance there of the promise to Noah up near his throne. That in the judgement his promise remained that our eyes had yet seen. It was at times such as this that I better understood the Lord and his Word. In the rivers of water at least and in the noise of their wings. This was not the same man though who was responsible for all we had seen what with all the judgement there and hard labor for and the captivity there unto men. Oh no, it was one far greater than this our eyes had yet seen.