Ezekiel 1 Study Notes: Ezekiel’s Vision of God’s Glory
Among the exiles in Babylon, the priest Ezekiel sees a fiery storm cloud from the north out of which come four winged creatures, each with four faces and a gleaming wheel beside it. Above them is a sapphire-like throne bearing a radiant human-like figure, a vision of the LORD’s glory, and Ezekiel falls on his face.
General
How does Ezekiel 1:1-3 describe Ezekiel and where he was when the heavens opened?
Answer: A priest dwelling with the exiles beside the Kebar River
The book opens with Ezekiel among the Jewish exiles, people who had been carried away from Judah to Babylon, living beside the Kebar River in Chaldea, the homeland of the Babylonians. King Jehoiachin was then in his fifth year as a captive. There the heavens opened, Ezekiel received visions from God, and the LORD’s word came to him. He is named as a priest, Buzi’s son, and the LORD laid His hand on him (1:1-3). Nebuchadnezzar had earlier carried Jehoiachin and the leading people of Judah to Babylon (2 Kings 24:15), and a psalm remembers the exiles weeping beside Babylon’s rivers (Psalm 137:1). God had not abandoned His people in a foreign land. He came to a priest far from the temple and spoke to him there, and later He tells the exiles that He Himself has been a sanctuary, a holy dwelling place, to them in the lands where they were scattered (11:16).
- Ezekiel 1:1-3 (BSB)“In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin— the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.”Ezekiel, a priest living among the exiles in Chaldea, sees visions of God and receives the LORD’s word.
- 2 Kings 24:15 (BSB)“Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.”Nebuchadnezzar had carried King Jehoiachin and the leading people of Judah away to Babylon, the exile in which Ezekiel lived.
- Psalm 137:1 (BSB)“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.”The exiles grieved beside Babylon’s rivers as they remembered Zion, the same setting in which Ezekiel received his call.
- Ezekiel 11:16 (BSB)“Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’”God says that although He scattered His people among the nations, for a little while He Himself has been their sanctuary in the lands where they went.
Theological
What does the book’s opening (1:1-3) tell us about Ezekiel’s identity and location when he received his visions of God?
Answer: A priest dwelling with the exiles beside the Kebar River
Ezekiel identifies himself as a priest, Buzi’s son, living among the deported community of Judah beside the Kebar River in Chaldea, in King Jehoiachin’s fifth year in exile (1:1-3). There, far from the temple in which a priest would ordinarily serve, the heavens opened, he received visions from God, the LORD’s word came to him, and the LORD laid His hand on him. Nebuchadnezzar had deported Jehoiachin and the nation’s leaders (2 Kings 24:15), and the captives mourned beside Babylon’s rivers (Psalm 137:1). Yet the LORD revealed Himself to His servant in that foreign land; His presence was not confined to Jerusalem, as He later declares that He has been a sanctuary to the scattered exiles (11:16).
- Ezekiel 1:1-3 (BSB)“In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin— the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.”Ezekiel, a priest living among the exiles in Chaldea, sees visions of God and receives the LORD’s word.
- 2 Kings 24:15 (BSB)“Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.”Nebuchadnezzar had carried King Jehoiachin and the leading people of Judah away to Babylon, the exile in which Ezekiel lived.
- Psalm 137:1 (BSB)“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.”The exiles grieved beside Babylon’s rivers as they remembered Zion, the same setting in which Ezekiel received his call.
- Ezekiel 11:16 (BSB)“Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’”God says that although He scattered His people among the nations, for a little while He Himself has been their sanctuary in the lands where they went.
General
What four faces did each living creature have (1:10)?
Answer: A man, a lion, an ox and an eagle
Out of the fire came four living creatures. Their form was human, each bearing four wings and four faces, with human hands beneath the wings and calf-like feet that shone like bronze (1:5-8). Each showed a man’s face, with a lion’s face to the right, an ox’s face to the left, and an eagle’s face as well (1:10). When Ezekiel later sees these same beings again, he recognizes that they are cherubim, the heavenly beings he had seen below Israel’s God at the Kebar River (10:20-22). In Revelation, John also sees four living creatures around God’s throne, likened to a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle (Revelation 4:6-7). Their place is beneath the throne of God that appears above them (1:26).
- Ezekiel 1:5-6 (BSB)“and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form, but each had four faces and four wings.”Four living creatures appear in the fire, human in form, each with four faces and four wings.
- Ezekiel 1:10 (BSB)“The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.”Each creature has a man’s face, with a lion’s face to the right, an ox’s face to the left, and an eagle’s face.
- Ezekiel 10:20-22 (BSB)“These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the River Kebar, and I knew that they were cherubim. Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings. Their faces looked like the faces I had seen by the River Kebar. Each creature went straight ahead.”Seeing them again, Ezekiel recognizes the same creatures from the Kebar River as cherubim beneath the God of Israel.
- Revelation 4:6-7 (BSB)“And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.”John also sees four living creatures around God’s throne, resembling a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle.
Theological
Which four faces did each living creature bear in Ezekiel’s vision (1:10)?
Answer: A man, a lion, an ox and an eagle
The four living creatures emerge from the fire in human form, each bearing four wings and four faces, with human hands beneath the wings and calf-like feet that glowed like bronze (1:5-8). Their faces are those of a man, with a lion’s face to the right, an ox’s to the left, and an eagle’s besides (1:10). Ezekiel’s second vision of them identifies the creatures as cherubim, the beings he had seen below Israel’s God at the Kebar (10:20-22), and John’s throne vision likewise sets four living creatures around God’s throne, resembling a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle (Revelation 4:6-7). Their place is beneath the LORD’s throne, attending His glory (1:26).
- Ezekiel 1:5-6 (BSB)“and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form, but each had four faces and four wings.”Four living creatures appear in the fire, human in form, each with four faces and four wings.
- Ezekiel 1:10 (BSB)“The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.”Each creature has a man’s face, with a lion’s face to the right, an ox’s face to the left, and an eagle’s face.
- Ezekiel 10:20-22 (BSB)“These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the River Kebar, and I knew that they were cherubim. Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings. Their faces looked like the faces I had seen by the River Kebar. Each creature went straight ahead.”Seeing them again, Ezekiel recognizes the same creatures from the Kebar River as cherubim beneath the God of Israel.
- Revelation 4:6-7 (BSB)“And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.”John also sees four living creatures around God’s throne, resembling a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle.
General
How did Ezekiel respond to the sight of the LORD’s glory at the end of chapter 1?
Answer: He fell on his face and heard someone speak
Ezekiel closes his description with carefully layered wording. He had not seen God as He is in Himself, but the appearance of a likeness of the LORD’s glory, surrounded by brightness like a rainbow after rain (1:28). His response was to fall facedown, and then a voice spoke to him. Ezekiel’s caution fits what God told Moses, that no one may look on His face and live (Exodus 33:20). Like Isaiah, who cried out that he was ruined when he saw the King (Isaiah 6:5), and John, who fell at the risen Christ’s feet as though dead (Revelation 1:17), Ezekiel was overwhelmed by God’s holiness. The same glory he saw by the Kebar River returns near the end of the book, and again he falls facedown (43:2-3).
- Ezekiel 1:28 (BSB)“The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.”Ezekiel calls what he saw the appearance of a likeness of the LORD’s glory, falls on his face, and hears a voice.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””God told Moses that no human could look on His face and survive.
- Isaiah 6:5 (BSB)“Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.””Isaiah cried woe upon himself as a sinful man after beholding the LORD enthroned as King.
- Revelation 1:17 (BSB)“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,”John fell at the risen Christ’s feet as though dead when he saw Him.
- Ezekiel 43:2-3 (BSB)“and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown,”The same glory Ezekiel saw by the Kebar River returns later in the book, and again he falls facedown.
Theological
What was Ezekiel’s response to the vision of God’s glory at the close of chapter 1 (1:28)?
Answer: He fell on his face and heard someone speak
Ezekiel’s final sentence piles up qualifiers: what he saw, ringed with radiance like a rainbow after rain, was, in his words, the appearance of a likeness of the LORD’s glory (1:28). Even in vision, God’s essence remains veiled, for no one may look on His face and live (Exodus 33:20). Ezekiel’s response was prostration, and then a voice addressed him. His reaction matches other biblical encounters with the holy God: Isaiah pronounced himself undone before the King (Isaiah 6:5), and John fell as though dead before the risen Christ (Revelation 1:17). The same glory reappears when it returns to the temple at the end of the book, and Ezekiel again falls on his face (43:2-3).
- Ezekiel 1:28 (BSB)“The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.”Ezekiel calls what he saw the appearance of a likeness of the LORD’s glory, falls on his face, and hears a voice.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””God told Moses that no human could look on His face and survive.
- Isaiah 6:5 (BSB)“Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.””Isaiah cried woe upon himself as a sinful man after beholding the LORD enthroned as King.
- Revelation 1:17 (BSB)“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,”John fell at the risen Christ’s feet as though dead when he saw Him.
- Ezekiel 43:2-3 (BSB)“and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown,”The same glory Ezekiel saw by the Kebar River returns later in the book, and again he falls facedown.
General
To what did Ezekiel compare the noise of the creatures’ wings as they moved (1:24)?
Answer: A roaring flood, the Almighty’s voice and an army’s din
As the creatures went, Ezekiel heard their wings, and he described the sound with three mighty comparisons: the roar of a great flood of waters, the voice of God Almighty, and the uproar of an army (1:24). Whenever they halted, they let their wings drop, and a voice spoke from above the gleaming expanse (1:25). When the glory of God returns to the temple later in the book, His voice sounds like a vast rushing flood (43:2), and John describes the risen Christ’s voice with the very same comparison (Revelation 1:15). A psalm also says the LORD’s voice thunders over the waters (Psalm 29:3). Everything about the vision, even its sound, speaks of God’s overwhelming power.
- Ezekiel 1:24-25 (BSB)“When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.”The sound of the creatures’ wings is likened to rushing waters, the Almighty’s voice and an army, and a voice comes from above the expanse.
- Ezekiel 43:2 (BSB)“and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory.”When the glory of the God of Israel returns, His voice sounds like a vast rushing flood.
- Revelation 1:15 (BSB)“His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.”John describes the risen Christ’s voice with the same comparison to mighty waters.
- Psalm 29:3 (BSB)“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters.”The psalm describes the LORD’s voice thundering over the waters.
Theological
How did Ezekiel describe the noise of the creatures’ wings in motion (1:24)?
Answer: A roaring flood, the Almighty’s voice and an army’s din
The beating of the wings, as the creatures moved, sounded like thundering waters, like God Almighty speaking, like an army’s uproar (1:24). Whenever they halted, they let their wings drop, and a voice sounded from above the gleaming expanse (1:25). The same comparison returns when Israel’s God returns in glory to the temple and His voice sounds like a vast rushing flood (43:2), and John applies it to the risen Christ’s voice (Revelation 1:15), while the Psalms speak of the LORD’s voice thundering over the waters (Psalm 29:3). The sound conveys the irresistible majesty of the God whose throne the creatures attend.
- Ezekiel 1:24-25 (BSB)“When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.”The sound of the creatures’ wings is likened to rushing waters, the Almighty’s voice and an army, and a voice comes from above the expanse.
- Ezekiel 43:2 (BSB)“and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory.”When the glory of the God of Israel returns, His voice sounds like a vast rushing flood.
- Revelation 1:15 (BSB)“His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.”John describes the risen Christ’s voice with the same comparison to mighty waters.
- Psalm 29:3 (BSB)“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters.”The psalm describes the LORD’s voice thundering over the waters.
General
According to 1:19-21, why did the wheels move, stop and rise together with the living creatures?
Answer: The creatures’ own spirit dwelt in them
Beside each creature Ezekiel saw a wheel that gleamed like beryl, built as one wheel set inside another, able to go in any of four directions, with high rims covered with eyes (1:15-18). The creatures went straight ahead without turning, moving wherever the spirit led (1:12). Whenever the creatures went, the wheels went; they halted when the creatures halted and rose when they rose, and the reason is stated: the creatures’ spirit was within the wheels (1:19-21). Creatures and wheels moved as one, directed by a single spirit. In the later vision Ezekiel sees the same wheels moving with the cherubim for the same reason (10:16-17), and the LORD’s glory afterward departs from Jerusalem borne above the cherubim and their wheels (11:22-23).
- Ezekiel 1:12 (BSB)“Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.”The creatures move straight ahead without turning, going wherever the spirit goes.
- Ezekiel 1:19-21 (BSB)“So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”The wheels move, stop and rise exactly with the creatures, because the creatures’ spirit is in the wheels.
- Ezekiel 10:16-17 (BSB)“When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and even when they spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not veer away from their side. When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”In the later vision the wheels again move and rise with the cherubim, and the same reason is given.
- Ezekiel 11:22-23 (BSB)“Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city.”The cherubim and their wheels rise with the glory of Israel’s God over them, and the glory leaves the city for the mountain to its east.
Theological
What reason does the text give for the wheels moving, halting and rising in step with the living creatures (1:19-21)?
Answer: The creatures’ own spirit dwelt in them
Each creature had beside it a beryl-colored wheel constructed as one wheel set inside another, able to go any of four ways without turning, its towering rims covered with eyes (1:15-18). The creatures advanced without turning, going where the spirit led (1:12), and the wheels matched their every movement, halting and rising with them, because the creatures’ spirit was within the wheels (1:19-21). The whole vision moves as a single unit under one directing spirit. The later vision repeats the same explanation for the cherubim and their wheels (10:16-17), and it is above these cherubim and wheels that the LORD’s glory departs from Jerusalem (11:22-23). The glory of God is not tied to one place; it can leave the temple and appear to exiles far away.
- Ezekiel 1:12 (BSB)“Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.”The creatures move straight ahead without turning, going wherever the spirit goes.
- Ezekiel 1:19-21 (BSB)“So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”The wheels move, stop and rise exactly with the creatures, because the creatures’ spirit is in the wheels.
- Ezekiel 10:16-17 (BSB)“When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and even when they spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not veer away from their side. When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”In the later vision the wheels again move and rise with the cherubim, and the same reason is given.
- Ezekiel 11:22-23 (BSB)“Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city.”The cherubim and their wheels rise with the glory of Israel’s God over them, and the glory leaves the city for the mountain to its east.
General
What did Ezekiel first see coming toward him in the vision (1:4)?
Answer: A storm cloud flashing with fire and bright light
Ezekiel saw a windstorm coming out of the north: a huge cloud lit by darting fire and ringed with brilliant light, and at the heart of the fire something that shone like amber (1:4). In Scripture, cloud, fire and storm often mark the LORD’s coming. At Mount Sinai there was thunder, lightning and a thick cloud, and God came down on the mountain in fire (Exodus 19:16, 18). A psalm says the LORD is wrapped in cloud and darkness and that fire marches ahead of Him (Psalm 97:2-3), and God spoke to Job from a whirlwind (Job 38:1). Before Ezekiel sees any detail of the vision, the storm tells him that the holy God Himself is drawing near.
- Ezekiel 1:4 (BSB)“I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,”Ezekiel sees a windstorm from the north, a vast cloud with fire and radiance, and a gleam like amber at its center.
- Exodus 19:16 (BSB)“On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled.”At Sinai a storm of thunder, flashes and heavy cloud covered the mountain, signs much like those that open Ezekiel’s vision.
- Exodus 19:18 (BSB)“Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.”The LORD descended on Sinai in fire, so that the mountain was wrapped in smoke.
- Psalm 97:2-3 (BSB)“Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation. Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.”The psalm pictures the LORD surrounded by cloud and darkness, with fire going ahead of Him.
- Job 38:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:”God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind, another storm that accompanied His speaking.
Theological
What was the first sight of Ezekiel’s inaugural vision (1:4)?
Answer: A storm cloud flashing with fire and bright light
The vision opens with the familiar signs of the LORD’s approach: a windstorm from the north, an immense cloud, darting fire, a surrounding radiance, and an amber-like gleam at the fire’s center (1:4). The same elements attended God’s descent on Sinai, where thunder, lightning, thick cloud and fire marked His presence (Exodus 19:16, 18). The Psalms place cloud, darkness and fire around His throne (Psalm 97:2-3), and the LORD addressed Job from the whirlwind (Job 38:1). The imagery announces holy, overwhelming majesty before any figure in the vision comes into view.
- Ezekiel 1:4 (BSB)“I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,”Ezekiel sees a windstorm from the north, a vast cloud with fire and radiance, and a gleam like amber at its center.
- Exodus 19:16 (BSB)“On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled.”At Sinai a storm of thunder, flashes and heavy cloud covered the mountain, signs much like those that open Ezekiel’s vision.
- Exodus 19:18 (BSB)“Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.”The LORD descended on Sinai in fire, so that the mountain was wrapped in smoke.
- Psalm 97:2-3 (BSB)“Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation. Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.”The psalm pictures the LORD surrounded by cloud and darkness, with fire going ahead of Him.
- Job 38:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:”God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind, another storm that accompanied His speaking.
General
What did Ezekiel see high above the creatures, beyond the crystal-like expanse (1:26)?
Answer: A throne like sapphire with a figure like a man
Over the creatures’ heads stretched an expanse that shone like crystal (1:22). Above it Ezekiel beheld something like a sapphire throne, and seated high on it was a figure with a human likeness. From the waist up the figure gleamed like amber with fire inside it, and from the waist down it looked like fire, ringed by brilliant light (1:26-27). The creatures and wheels are not the focus of the vision; the throne above them is. When Moses and the elders beheld Israel’s God, a sapphire-like pavement lay under His feet (Exodus 24:9-10). Isaiah beheld the Lord enthroned, high and lifted up (Isaiah 6:1), and John saw a throne in heaven encircled by a rainbow (Revelation 4:2-3). Exile did not mean the LORD had lost His throne; He reigns over all, even over Babylon. Many Christians have seen in this human-like figure on the throne a foreshadowing of the Son of God, who would later take on a true human nature.
- Ezekiel 1:26-27 (BSB)“Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man. From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.”Above the expanse is a sapphire-like throne with a human-like figure on it, radiant with fire and brilliant light.
- Exodus 24:9-10 (BSB)“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.”When Moses and the elders beheld Israel’s God, there was something like a sapphire pavement under His feet.
- Isaiah 6:1 (BSB)“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.”Isaiah also saw the Lord enthroned, high and lifted up.
- Revelation 4:2-3 (BSB)“At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it. The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne.”In his vision of heaven John sees Someone enthroned, with an emerald-hued rainbow circling the throne.
Theological
What occupied the place above the gleaming expanse in Ezekiel’s vision (1:26-27)?
Answer: A throne like sapphire with a figure like a man
Above the crystal-like expanse over the creatures (1:22) stood what appeared to be a sapphire throne, and on it, high above, a figure in human likeness, glowing like amber shot through with fire from the waist up and enveloped in fire and radiance from the waist down (1:26-27). The vision’s focal point is this throne; the living creatures and wheels serve it. The sapphire recalls the pavement beneath the feet of Israel’s God as Moses and the elders saw Him (Exodus 24:9-10), and the scene stands with Isaiah’s vision of the Lord enthroned on high (Isaiah 6:1) and John’s vision of the throne in heaven encircled by a rainbow (Revelation 4:2-3). The exiles’ God remained sovereign King over every land, Babylon included. Many Christians have seen in the human likeness on the throne a foreshadowing of the incarnate Son.
- Ezekiel 1:26-27 (BSB)“Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man. From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.”Above the expanse is a sapphire-like throne with a human-like figure on it, radiant with fire and brilliant light.
- Exodus 24:9-10 (BSB)“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.”When Moses and the elders beheld Israel’s God, there was something like a sapphire pavement under His feet.
- Isaiah 6:1 (BSB)“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.”Isaiah also saw the Lord enthroned, high and lifted up.
- Revelation 4:2-3 (BSB)“At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it. The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne.”In his vision of heaven John sees Someone enthroned, with an emerald-hued rainbow circling the throne.