I am always amazed at how the world attempts to explain spiritual occurrences with humanistic philosophies. I saw a program on one of the Discovery channels that proposed the theory that the vision of Ezekiel’s wheels within wheels were some sort of Alien visitation and Ezekiel attributed this experience with some deity.
The problem is that many Christians have also fallen into this trap and thus failed to see the message of this all-important vision. I would like to look at this vision in a logical and methodical way and maybe shed some light on a very confusing passage of Scripture.
To do so, I would like to examine the text in steps and then at the end put the pieces together to see the big picture of what is being revealed to Ezekiel. The passage occurs at the very beginning of the book of Ezekiel and is really the key for understanding the entire book. So, it is essential to the understanding of the entire book that an understanding of this vision is had. The passage spans from chapter 1 verse 4 through the remainder of the chapter. My goal in this is to present a basic understanding of this passage without getting too deeply into the text. There is a vast wealth of information here and it would take a lot of time to really dig all there is out of this. So, I hope to whet your appetite for this passage and maybe encourage you to think in ways that you haven’t before and seek the deeper meaning in this passage.
4 As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.
The whirlwind and great cloud unfolding itself and coming from the north signifies the coming judgment. Ezekiel was taken into Babylon during Nebuchadnezzar’s second invasion of Jerusalem somewhere between 598 / 597 B.C. The judgment is the invasion of Jerusalem that will bring the city and temple to destruction. However, there is a broader judgment here as well. Ezekiel deals with judgment of the entire world and the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. This judgment has a deeper meaning in that it speaks of eternal judgment and the eternal glory of God.
5 Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.
6 Each of them had four faces and four wings.
7 Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze.
8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,
9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.
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.
11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies.
12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.
13 In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.
The four living creatures are not a great mystery. John gives a glimpse of these beings in the Revelation 4:6,7
6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.
7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.
The fact that these living creatures are so closely connected to the throne of God suggests that they have a higher rank than many of the other angelic hosts. The throne of God is the place of government as you would expect the throne of the king to be. Therefore these living creatures have something to do with God’s government.
Each had four faces and they each represent authority over some part of God’s creation.
- Lion - strength at its greatest. Dominion of the wild beasts of the earth.
- Ox - service at its meekest. Dominion over the domesticated animals.
- Man - intelligence at its fullest. Dominion over humanity.
- Eagle - spirituality it its highest. Dominion over the fowl of the air.
Their four faces faced north, south east and west which reveals that they are all-seeing. Their appearance was like burning coals of fire which suggests pure holiness. Recall what happened when Isaiah came into the presence of God? Consider Isaiah 6:5-7.
5 Then I said,
“Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”
Continuing in Ezekiel 1:
14 And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for each of the four of them.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like sparkling beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if one wheel were within another.
17 Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved.
18 As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes round about.
19 Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also.
20 Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
21 Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
Moving as flashes of lightning reveals the sheer swiftness of judgment. We see this in the coming of Christ:
27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
(Matthew 24:27)
Many often think that God is slow and that His judgment is slow in coming. However, when God brings about judgment on the world (and much of it is already occurring) that judgment will happen quickly.
The four wheels beside each cherubim with a vast circumference connect heaven and earth. Many people do not believe in God. Some say that if there is a God then He is not connected to His creation. Simply put, He created and then left us to our own devices. The wheels being connected to the earth reveal that God is connected to the earth as well.
Each wheel is crisscrossed with another wheel, revolving north and south and east and west. They do not have to turn which suggests that they are connected in every way to the earth. The vast rims, full of eyes again reveal the all-seeing nature of God.
The life of the Cherubim were in the wheels so that the wheels expressed, with preciseness, the will of those heavenly beings. As the wheels joined earth with heaven, the living creatures joined the wheels to the very throne of God. So, God in heaven is connected to the earth in a very real way and these living creatures are somewhat in between.
Ezekiel heard a voice from the firmament above the Cherubim. He looked up and saw a throne and on the throne sat the fire-enveloped Supreme Being. The meaning in all of this is impending judgment. Christ is seen in the Revelation with fiery eyes that represent the fierceness of His anger and the impending judgment to come.
Behind and above the judgment were the divine all-seeing wheels and the four divine executors as well as the Divine Being. Therefore, all events that take place on earth are the operations of the Divine Being - the over-ruling will and purpose of God.
So what? The fact is that we live in a world where people are disconnected with themselves and world around them. This disconnection is also seen in their relationship with God. Many believe that God is not in control or that He is disconnected with His creation.
Therefore, people are looking at the situation of the world with a sense of hopelessness. They believe that the economy is out of control and that the government is somehow their source of salvation. The problem is that politicians fail to produce what they promise and the sense and feeling of hopelessness increases.
There is a solution. This vision teaches us that God is not out of control but rather that He is in control of all events and that He sees all things. The executors enact God’s sovereign will throughout the earth. There is a plan for all the chaos that we see today and that plan is to bring about the eternal kingdom of Jesus the Messiah.
So take heart and be encouraged. God knows what He is doing and those who put their faith in Jesus are all coming to a better world where justice and peace will rule. There will be no more economic hardships, death, disease or chaos. Our God knows what He is doing and we can trust Him in all things. Even so, come Lord Jesus! Amen.
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