The book of Ezekiel opens with mysterious images driving many people away from reading the rest of the book. As a priest, he was familiar with and desired to know more about God. The volume of his ministry was directed to Israel at large. His target was to assure those born in Babylonian exile to retain a full awareness of the national sins committed by the previous generation. To offset their discouragement living in a foreign land, the writings were to sustain their faith, looking for justice against the oppressors, and a new glory under the defending monarchy.
Our investigation of the Scriptures must first address the visions related by Ezekiel. To do that, we must look at the last verse of this chapter. It explains the purpose of everything previously said. It was his attempt to tell his readers what the likeness of the glory of the Lord was. This is the key phrase that will open our understanding of these visions which also include prophecies written several millennium ahead of time. To accomplish these goals, Ezekiel shares with us symbolism that stand for profound explanations about God.
A fire tornado brings the first vision for living creatures. They have a remarkable connection to the first four books of the New Testament. Together they depict how God would reveal himself in his Incarnated Son. The approach that Matthew took in telling the story of Jesus is like that of kingship. Mark depicts Jesus as the lowly servant. Luke shares with us the management of the perfect humanity of our Lord. The soaring Eagle of Ezekiel is the symbol of his deity like that of the Gospel of John.
The method by which these creatures travel remind us of God’s directness and his straightforwardness that he has manifested in the universe. They had a consuming fire about them as the power of God against evil. The idea of wheels within wheels, like that of a gyroscope, is reminiscent of the forces and laws of nature harmonious by which the omniscience of God works. All of these operate within and above man’s understanding. These visions emphasize the overarching truth of God’s magnificence, his ever presence in the human world, the purity and glory of his nature, and his wrath against evil. Like the rainbow after the flood in the book of Genesis, Ezekiel’s rainbow portrays divine mercy and love. Together in this chapter is a reminder of God’s chastisements against his servants for their own benefit as it would be for us today.
Christian Writer 