Ezekiel is famous for bones 🦴 and flying saucers. 🛸

😲 Flying saucers?!?

Just kidding. That’s what the pop YouTube and TikTok “theologians” try to get you to think Ezekiel’s divine vision was. And that’s why we need to know our Bible and be wary of ANY claim that someone has uncovered “hidden” or “lost” information that “they” don’t want you to have.

Seriously, y’all. Don’t fall for that click-bait. Just scroll on by.

Even if you think you know what Ezekiel is all about, interpretive best-practice is to set aside our preconceived ideas and let the text speak for itself. We are not at liberty to impose our 21st century thinking onto the text. And that’s harder to do than we think. So I’m going to do something a bit different. I’m gonna write my prayer for this book.

Feel free to join me…

Heavenly Father, You spoke to Your servant Ezekiel a looong time ago and You revealed Yourself and Your thoughts and Your plans in ways that are sometimes difficult for us to understand in our time. Lord, help us to not assume meaning about the text that You never intended. We humble ourselves and submit our minds to be shaped by Your Word, rightly divided. And may we see Your heart in this book and come to know You better for it. May Your Holy Spirit lead us into all truth. We ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

---

CONTEXT

First, let’s set the stage.

This book does not exactly follow Jeremiah and Lamentations. It overlaps them. It actually begins before they end.

Ezekiel was taken captive to Babylon (the land of the Chaldeans) in the 2nd wave of deportations in 597 BC. Daniel had already been in Babylon for about 7-8 years at this point. The second deportation happened 11 years before the temple was destroyed, so we need to mentally “go back in time” from where we have been recently in Jeremiah and Lamentations.

🤔 Question: If we’re reading the Bible chronologically, why didn’t we start reading Daniel and Ezekiel before we got to the end of Jeremiah?

You could certainly do that if you wanted to. It would be kinda like a news show…

…Jeremiah continues to preach doom and gloom though things seem to be settling down, the markets are responding well, and the new king, Zedekiah, is confident his administration will be able to work with the Chaldeans diplomatically.

And that’s the latest from here in Jerusalem. We now join our Babylonian correspondent, Johanan of Judah for an update on the exiles, Jo…

Thanks Rob. The exiles are settling in here by the Kebar River. Daniel, Hananiah, Michael, and Azariah have now passed their exams and have been appointed to government positions. King Nebuchadnezzar seems to like them and that’s a good sign for the people here.

We’re hearing about one young man from the most recent group of exiles that arrived with King Jehoiachin by the name of Ezekiel. Sources familiar with the matter say he has had a divine encounter but we are unable to confirm that at this time. We will continue to follow this story and keep you updated. Back to you, Rob.

---

Each book has its own structure and context that we would lose track of if we hopped between books every few chapters. But, hey, you’re welcome to give it a go.

Here are some of those structural elements of the book of Ezekiel:

Three (Main) Sections

• Prophecies for Israel (ch. 1-24)
• Prophecies for the Nations (ch. 25-32)
  • Chapters 33-34 are warnings and promises for Israel
  • Chapter 35 is a judgment on the Edomites (Seir)
• Restoration of God’s People (ch. 36-48)

Three Visions

• The Glorious Throne (1:1 – 3:15)
• The Idolatrous Temple (ch. 8-11)
• The Ideal Temple (ch. 40-48)

About the Prophet

Ezekiel’s name means “God strengthens” but he is addressed as “son of man” (which is a way of saying that Ezekiel is a human being), more than 90 times.

Ezekiel was in his late 20s (about 28?) when he was taken to Babylon along with King Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah), the queen mother, and about 10,000 other captives, (2 Kings 24:8-16). They were settled in an area outside of the city of Babylon called Tel-abib on the banks of a river or canal called Chebar or Kebar.

Ezekiel was a priest (1:3) so he must’ve been a descendant of Aaron of the tribe of Levi. And it makes sense that the LORD would choose a priest to receive the lengthy visions concerning temples. He was about 30 years old at the time of his first vision.

JUST A NOTE…

I’m going to adjust the reading schedule this week. Here’s what I’m going to do and why:

• Intro, chapters 1-3 (1 vision)
• 4-5 (1 2-part symbolic action prophecy)
• 6-7 (2 prophecies of judgment)
• 8-9 (Idolatrous Temple vision part 1)
• 10-11 (Idolatrous Temple vision part 2)

---

CHAPTER 1

THE GLORIOUS THRONE VISION

If you go to Google Images and search “Ezekiel wheels cherubim” you’ll get results from weird and even creepy to New Age. The “ancient astronaut” theorists love Ezekiel 1. But that’s because they like to interpret Ezekiel’s vision in light of a 21st century framework instead of its own ancient context. They do this because – and pardon me for getting a bit testy on this… They do this because they’re too lazy to actually find out how an ancient Israelite like Ezekiel would’ve understood this experience or they don’t care about believing the scripture, and because they’d have to read and believe ALL of the rest of scripture in order to interpret it correctly. And that sounds a lot like homework. Making up fanciful ideas about UFO’s and “ancient astronauts” is way more fun. Wrong, but fun. And it generates more clicks.

The Bible is its own best expositor.

We don’t even have to become experts on ancient Israelite divine-throne-imagery. If we simply look at the elements of Ezekiel’s vision and ask, “Where else in the Bible do we encounter this?,” we’ll actually find parallels that help us understand his experience. And it was not a UFO. 🛸

The Storm

“As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Do you remember how God appeared to Job? How about the parting of the Red Sea? Or Moses and the people of Israel at Sinai? How was Elijah taken to heaven? Do you recall any of the Psalms referring to God in the storm? What about the glowing Cloud over the tabernacle and which filled Solomon’s Temple? Right out of the gate we start with storm, fire, and glowing cloud language consistent with other divine appearances.

The Cherubim (Kheruvim)

There are 4 human-animal-like creatures with four wings. Their features are like:

• A man 🧔🏼‍♂️
• A lion 🦁
• An ox 🐂
• An eagle 🦅

These are nearly identical to the creatures described by John in Revelation 4:5-8. The context there is unmistakably the throne of God. John also includes storm language (lightening and thunder). And though the cherubim in Revelation are described as having 6 wings (like Isaiah’s seraphim) and Ezekiel’s have only 4, they are clearly the same class of being. There is even a connection with John’s cherubim being “full of eyes” and Ezekiel’s description of the wheels being “full of eyes.”

In all three cases – Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation, these powerful, winged beings are in the closest possible proximity to God’s throne. There are 4 cases if you count the cherubim sculptures on the ark of the covenant, Yahweh’s earthly throne. These beings are throne guardians.

🤔 Throne guardians? Why would God need body guards?

Oh – they’re not there to protect God. They are there to protect other beings from getting too close… and dying.

Throne guardians function like this:

The Ophanim

These throne guardians have wheels. 🛞

The wheels are sometimes referred to by scholars as “the ophanim” [oh-fa-neem],(ophanim being the plural for ophan because there are 4, one for each cherub).

🤔 One wheel for each cherub? So… like the cherubs are riding…unicycles?

🤦🏻‍♀️ ho boy… I can’t unsee that now.

We should note that these revolving “wheels” are either joined to, or part of the cherubim. They are not separate beings or machines or UFOs.

“The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went. When the beings moved, the wheels moved. When the beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the beings flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

🤔 Having your unicycle connected to your body is a good idea. Less likely to fall off. Can’t wait to meet the unicycle cherubim in heaven. Very cool.

🤦🏻‍♀️

Like the other descriptions of God’s appearances or His throne room in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, there is FIRE. It gets described like lightening, glowing coals, shiny bronze, sparkling gemstones… basically like this…. But moving. And alive.

“The wheels sparkled as if made of beryl. All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sparkling and alive.

The Throne

It’s easy to get so caught up with the cherubim and the wheels that we lose sight of the fact that they are the infrastructure. They are essentially living pillars holding up a platform upon which the throne of God sits. The platform is described as looking rather like this:

The throne itself is described as looking like sapphire or lapis lazuli – both of which are an intense blue.

😐 Wow. There sure is a lot of bling. 💍

🤓 Heaven is a very sparkly place.

Yes. Sparkly and with the sound of water… sounds amazing! Like sunlight reflecting off the ocean. Very much looking forward to it.

Ezekiel sees a human figure on this intensely blue throne. The figure is gleaming and shiny and glowing and he is enveloped in a bright rainbow radiance. Ezekiel suddenly realizes he is looking on the glory of God and he knows from Moses’ experience that it could kill him, so he instantly falls on his face.

---

CHAPTERS 2-3

Ezekiel’s Call

The LORD helps Ezekiel stand up and commissions him to speak to the exiled sons of Israel even though God already knows that most of them will not listen, “for they are a rebellious house.” But God has designed Ezekiel with an obstinate streak which he will use for God’s purpose. He’s gonna need it to keep preaching to an audience that won’t listen.

“But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Then, like John in Revelation 10, Ezekiel is given a book to “eat.” In both the prophets’ experiences, the book tasted as sweet as honey. John was told it would make him nauseated and Ezekiel’s book was not any nicer. It was “…covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom.” Ezekiel‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬

If you’re gonna picture book eating, don’t picture this:

It was a scroll… That fit in one hand…

Reminds me of these thingys…

😄 Yum! Now I’m getting hungry.

🤓 That’s a free Sunday-school idea right there. Have the students make a mini scroll then snack on cookie tubes.

Don’t let the imagery of eating a book distract you from the point. Both Ezekiel and John are ingesting a message.

“Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.””
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Receiving a message from God is a sweet experience but when that message is all doom and judgment and destruction, it kinda sits in your gut like lead.

After this commissioning, Ezekiel 3:12-15 seems to be saying that the Spirit of the LORD transports Ezekiel in some way – physically? Metaphysically? I have no idea.

I suspect it may have been similar to Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul saw and heard Jesus but the guys traveling with him did not. At the opening, Ezekiel is “with the Judean exiles by the Kebar River,” (1:1). That doesn’t have to mean that he was standing in a crowd of people. He may have been alone but in the settlement area with the other exiles. And when the vision is finished, he’s back in the same location. Did he disappear for a while? Or was his body physically there while his mind was elsewhere? I don’t think it’s a detail we need to stress over but it’s fascinating to consider.

Ezekiel Appointed As A Watchman

A week after the initial vision and commissioning, the LORD appoints Ezekiel to be a “watchman” to warn the people of destruction.

I’ve heard this text preached to Christians like, “You’re a watchman and you need to warn the world of the coming judgment. And if you don’t, their blood will be on your hands.”

Jesus didn’t say “Go ye into all the world and warn them of judgement day!” He told us to preach the Gospel. And we’re commissioned to do so out of love and gratitude, not threats of being held responsible for the death of the sinner.

Ezekiel was a prophet with a particular divine commission specifically to the Judean exiles at a very particular point in their history. You cannot take the assignment of one prophet and apply it to all of God’s people at all times.

Now, can we infer some lessons and motivation and application from Ezekiel’s example? Yes. We could do that. But to say that Ezekiel 3:17-21 is to or about Christians, is, I believe, exegetically irresponsible. The Church is no where in sight in this text. Nor implied. Yahweh says, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel…” It’s specific to Ezekiel. The exiles do not have the Gospel or the benefit of the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost. The exiles are God’s covenant people who are needing correction. They are neither “the New Testament Church” nor “the World.” Comparing Ezekiel’s mission to the Church’s is comparing apples to oranges.

Another Encounter

The LORD directs Ezekiel to go out to the valley and he again encounters the glorious throne as he had before.

“Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. He spoke to me and said, “Go to your house and shut yourself in. There, son of man, you will be tied with ropes so you cannot go out among the people. And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels. But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

🤔 So… Ezekiel got someone to tie him up in his house? That’s weird.

That seems to be what God is telling him to do. It’s like he is acting out this lament that will be written when Jerusalem falls:

“He has walled me in, and I cannot escape. He has bound me in heavy chains.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is the first of several sign-acts that Ezekiel will perform. And Ezekiel is arguably the weirdest of all the prophets. Or, at least, he’s given the weirdest assignments.

😏 Weirder than Isaiah going everywhere in a Speedo for 3 years? Or Jeremiah’s rotten underwear?

Ok. Maybe he’s even with Isaiah. But the inability to speak and the strange sign-acts have actually led some people to wonder if Ezekiel was…uh… mentally unwell.

😐 You mean crazy? If my neighbor started raving about sparkly wheels and glowing beings from heaven then tied himself up in his house and couldn’t talk… yeah…. I could see why people would think that.

Well, wait til you see what God asks him to do in the next couple chapters. He’s gonna make a little model of Jerusalem and lay siege to it as if he’s playing army. Then he’s gonna lay on his side next to it and prophesy to his little model for over a year.

😳