Ezekiel 1:28 – I Want Some of That – Bible study

Eze 1:28 I Want Some of That Read the chapter with the following outline: I. \#1-3\ Introduction Eze 1:1 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. 2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachins 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. A. Ezekiel was the prophet. He was likely giving us his age as being 30 years old, just coming of age to serve as a prophet for God. B. He was a captive of the Babylonians. No doubt some taken in one if their first conquests. C. He was sitting beside the River Chebar when God gave to him a vision. II. \#4\ Ezekiel saw a supernatural whirlwind. Eze 1:4 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. A. The very fact that a whirlwind was being commandeered by God would indicate something of His power and presence. B. The whirlwind came from the north. 1. North is a direction often associated with God. 2. \#Is 14:13\ When Satan wanted to ascend to the heavens and be like God, he said he would place his throne on the "north" side of the mountain. 3. God could have sent His judgments upon Israel from any direction, but Scripture repeated shows God calling them from the northeven when the countries that He used were not directly north of Israel. (Assyria, Babylon, Persia) 4. \#Lev 1:11\ God had the Burnt Offering killed on the north side of the altar. One writer side the most holy sacrifices were always slain on the north side of the altar while the less holy ones could be slain on the south or east sides. https://philologos.org/__eb-ttms/temple05.htm C. The whirlwind itself seemed to either have a cloud surrounding it or appeared to be more like a cloud as it grew closer. 1. It was a cloud but it was also a fire. \#Ez 13:22\ 2. It infolded upon itself indicating that it did not need any other thing to feed it or to keep it alive. D. It had a brightness about it. 1. It gave off a light. 2. Perhaps it radiated with Gods glory. E. The cloud was the color of amber which means the colors of a fire: orange, yellow, red. F. And fire itself seemed to come out of the middle of the cloud. G. This whirlwind was not God. This was nothing more than the covering of God, but it was glorious and impressive to behold. III. \#5-14\ Four creatures (Read verses 5-10 first.) Eze 1:5 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. A. I cannot not get a visual picture of these creatures. Eze 1:6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 10 As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. B. \#6,10\ They each had four faces. 1. Each face was different. 2. Each face pointed in a different direction. a. This pointing in different directions seems to be so that the creatures would never have to turn. b. That will be emphasized several times in this vision. c. To turn indicates a change. d. God never changes and everything in this vision demonstrates that. C. \#6,8-9, 11\ They had wingsseveral. 1. \#8\ They had some on each of their four sides, I suppose for the sake of flying. Eze 1:8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. 2. \#11\ Two covered the creatures bodies, I suppose for modestys sake. Eze 1:11 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. 3. \#11\ Those wings were stretched upward, I suppose to be always ready to go. 4. \#11\ Two of the wings of each creature were joined to other creatures, I suppose to show their oneness. D. \#13\ Like the cloud, these beings gave off light, Eze 1:13 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. 1. They are described as coals of fire and lamps that had a brightness to it. 2. But it was a moving light that ran up and down them. 3. And the light was bright and went from their bodies like lightning. 4. It appears the light pulsed up and down the creatures bodies, bright as it moved, shooting thin beams of light from their bodies but leaving a glowing light after it had passed. E. \#14\ These creatures were fast, moving as fast a lightning itself. Eze 1:14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. F. These beings were not God. They were nothing more than Gods servants who drove His carriage. IV. \#15-21\ Wheels inside of wheels (Dont read.) A. They must have looked like some kind of gyroscope. B. They never turned. C. The same spirit that was in the creatures to direct them also directed the wheels. D. The creatures and the wheels moved in unison no matter which direction they went. E. These wheels were not God. They were but the wheels of Gods carriage. V. \#22-25\ Firmament Eze 1:22 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. A. Firmament means an expanse or a space. There was a space over the wheels and the creatures but it was not an empty space. B. \#22\ It was like crystal. 1. Crystal is clear but not like glass. It is frosted. It was opaque, not transparent. 2. So one could see through it but only in the broadest of terms. C. \#23\ There were more wings, I suppose belonging to the creatures or perhaps even attached to the wheels of the firmament itself. Eze 1:23 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. D. \#24\ And they were loud as they firmament must have rested upon whatever had the wings. E. This firmament is not God. It is but the floorboard of His carriage. VI. \#26-28\ God Eze 1:26 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. A. \#26\ First, we see Gods throne. 1. It looks like stone the color of sapphire. 2. Sapphire can be several different colors but the most common seems to be blue, the color of royalty. B. Then Ezekiel sees the figure of God. 1. \#26\ He has the appearance of a man. 2. \#27\ He can make out the colors of amber: red, orange, and yellow. Eze 1:27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within 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. 3. And He had the appearance of a fire all the way up and down Him. 4. And it was bright. 5. \#28\ There was what looked like a bright rainbow round about Him. Eze 1:28 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. a. The rainbow is a symbol of Gods promise of mercy. b. The repeated reference to amber and fire are symbols of Gods judgment. c. God had come and was moving in this world to judge Israel but still the rainbow spoke of Gods offer of mercy and forgiveness! C. And this was the "glory" of God as God appeared to Ezekiel. Eze 1:28 This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD D. This was Gods manifestation of Himself to Ezekiel. VII. And Ezekiel fell (not bowed, but fell) to the ground! Why? Eze 1:28 And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. A. Perhaps Ezekiel fell in awe and wonder of God. 1. Twice the Bible tells us to stand in awe of God. \#Psalm 4:4, 33:8\ Ps 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 2. And why shouldnt puny man stand in amazement and wonder while even considering the presence of God? 3. I want some of that awe, enough to always desire to enter His presence, to read His Word, to share Him with others. B. Perhaps Ezekiel fell in fear of God. 1. Some mistakenly believe we do not need to fear God. 1Pe 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 2. What about all the "fear not"s in the Bible? a. Is that a contradiction? It is more a fine balancing act. b. We must not be so afraid that we dread Him but we neither should we ever be so comfortable that we presume upon Him. 3. If mortal flesh ever saw this holy God, there would have to be fear. 4. I want some of that fear, enough to never handle Gods Word without reverence and devotion, to never ignor Gods leading, to love God supremely. C. Perhaps Ezekiel fell to worship God. 1. There is no indication that Ezekiel expected or asked to have this encounter but with it upon him, did he feel the pull to worship God? 2. I want some of that, enough to want to attend church, to seek God out and praise Him, to hunger for His presence day and night. I want some of that. Do you?