Indescribable

[Christsdaughter]

Indescribable

Sunday April 3, 2011

“4I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, 6but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, 9and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

10Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. 12Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

15As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about£ as the creatures went.18Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

19When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome. 23Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. 24When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty,£ like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

25Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings.
26Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire,£ and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” (Eze 1:4-28)

I have just begun reading the book of Ezekiel. Chapter 1 begins with God giving Ezekiel a vision, but the interpretation of it was not written. I have read someone else’s interpretation of it that makes sense, but I cannot help but wonder what God really intended in giving that particular vision to Ezekiel. It is very complex and I try to picture it, but I am not quite sure the exact layout of each of the symbols. It sounds beautiful! I just want so much to understand it. I am sensing that it has something to do with the different characteristics of God working together and the Spirit of God moving this complex image in the direction of some activity on the earth. Depending on what was going on, a very specific and perfect “cocktail” of His qualities is moved by His Holy Spirit in the direction of the event to apply whatever remedy is needed. I think that storms normally represent judgment in the Bible, so I think that the same applies here. Perhaps God is giving Ezekiel a picture of God in all His fullness and with whatever “cocktail” of His qualities that is needed, going to judge the exiles for their sins. I believe that the eyes all around the rims of the wheels show that God sees everything that happens and that nothing is hidden from Him. Rainbows typically symbolize the promises of God like when God put a rainbow in the skies after the flood to let Noah and the people know that He would never flood the earth again. I believe that this mental picture was given to Ezekiel from God to show him the kind of messages that He would be giving him to deliver to the people: messages of judgment followed by restoration of His children.

“1He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” 2As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

3He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ 5And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 7You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

9Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.” (Eze 2)

In Ezekiel 2, God calls Ezekiel to deliver the messages that He gives him to the Israelites who were stubborn and rebellious. He commands him to say whatever God tells him to say rather than being rebellious like them. He encourages Ezekiel not to be afraid of them or their words. We must take this same advice today and obey whatever the Lord tells us to do or say. Even if we don’t understand everything, we should be faithful to do or say that which we know to be right.