Ezekiel has a vision

EZEKIEL   CHAPTER 1

EZEKIEL WAS  A YOUNGER CONTEMPORARY OF JEREMIAH. HE PROPHESIED TO THOSE ALREADY EXILED IN BABYLON. HIS NAME MEANT "GOD IS STRONG".

Ezekiel had a vision in his 30th year of life while he was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon: he saw into the heavens and saw visions of God and God gave him a message and he felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him.

As he looked, he saw a great storm coming from the north driving a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with a brilliant light. The fire in the cloud glowed like gleaming amber. From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human except that each had four faces and two pairs of wings. Their legs were like human legs, but their feet were split like calves feet and shone like burnished bronze. Beneath each wing, he could see human hands. the wings of each touched the wings of the the other beings beside it. The living beings were able to fly in any direction without turning around. Each had a human face in front, a lion's face on the right, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle on the back. Each had two pairs of outstretched wings, one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the beings on either side of it and the other pair covered its body.

The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches and as though lightning was flashing back and forth among them. As Ezekiel watched, he saw four wheels on the ground beneath them, one belonging to each. The wheels sparked and looked the same but each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. The rims of the wheels were tall and covered with eyes all around the edges. When the beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels did too.For the sprit of the living beings was in the wheels.

There was a surface spread out above the beings like the sky. It sparkled like crystal and beneath this surface, the wings of the beings stretched out to touch the others' wings and as they flew, their wings roared like waves crashing against the shore. When they stopped, they let down their wings and as they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them.

Above the surface over their heads was a throne made of blue sapphire and on the throne was a figure which appeared to be a man. From his waist up, he looked like a gleaming amber and from his waist down he looked like a burning flame. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow. And this is the way the glory of the Lord appeared to Ezekiel When he saw him, he fell face down in the dust and heard someone's voice speaking .

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Why did the Jewish exiles need a prophet? Well, God wanted Ezekiel to help the exiles understand why they were taken captive and dispel the false hope that the captivity would be short and also to bring a message of hope and lead the people to a new awareness of their dependence upon God.

Bible notes show that this vision was Apocalyptic because he saw symbolic pictures that conveyed an idea. Now he could go to the exiles with a vision showing God's awesome glory and warn them of the consequences of sin before it was too late.
The same four beings are also seen in Revelations 4:6-7. The faces symbolized God's perfect nature. Some believe the lion meant strength, the ox meant diligent service, the human meant intelligence and the eagle mean divinity. The church fathers saw a connection with the four Gospels: in Matthew presenting Christ as the Lion of Judah. The ox with Mark, showing Christ as the Servant. The human with Luke, showing Christ as the perfect  human. The eagle with John, showing Christ as the Son of God, exalted and divine.

Just as the rainbow over the throne symbolizes God's never-ending faithfulness to his people, he also used the symbol of the rainbow to Noah to demonstrate his promise never again to destroy the earth by flood. So the rainbow symbolizes God's promise to preserve those who remain faithful to him.

This first chapter of Ezekiel is so full of symbolism and wonderful images of a prophet who glimpsed such wonders at the feet of God. Don't you hope we all get to see the kingdom of God and we will if we are faithful.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:


HEALTH:

Pray for my grandson, new baby Gunar who was born with kidney problems.

Pray for Gabe.

Pray for Gary and Steve my insurance men who have prostate cancer.

Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.

Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer and who recently underwent major surgery.

Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with a form of MS.

Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.

Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.

Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who has been undergoing chemo. Pray also for Charly who longs to be 100 percent again and walk without an aid.

Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.

SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary

RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John

LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian

SUPPORT: Pray for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom. Pray for our farmers and those who raise livestock during this terrible drought. Pray for us consumers who will face higher grocery prices and the poor who won’t be able to adjust what little budget they have.