Visions

by NEELY, E. | Category: Getting To Know God Through Ezekiel | May 2007

As well as the vision that Ezekiel describes in chapter one: a whirling storm cloud enfolding itself and containing various beings and wheels full of eyes, all prophesying judgement and revealing something of the character of God and divine government; there were other visions, parables, direct prophecies all to do with Jerusalem’s fall, judgement on other nations and eventual restoration and forgiveness. That first vision is repeated in chapter 10 with some variations and further lessons. A second multi-faceted vision occurs some five years before the fall of Jerusalem and runs through chapters 8 to 11. It investigates in some detail the sins of Jerusalem and the Lord's departure from the house of God and the holy city. The third vision, again with many facets is that of a restored nation, priesthood, offerings, temple, city and land. It occurs between chapter 40 and the end of the book. It pictures millennial glory and the transcending majesty of the One who will reign, the never-ending glory of the city whose God is in her midst, and the blessings that will flow in abundance - all of which would have been applied to Israel all the way through had they but shown the obedience and trust demanded of them. What was unable to be accomplished through the disobedience of the many will surely be accomplished through the obedience of the One and the fruits of His work at Calvary.

Quickly reviewing the vision of chapter one with the additional comments of chapter ten, we see the likeness of God upon His throne calling for the dispensing of judgement, the scattering of coals from between the cherubim (1:13; 10:2) over the sinning city. The prominence of the eyes covering the bodies, backs, hands, wings and wheels leads us to realize the omniscience, the all-knowing character of the God of heaven who was seated above the cherubim. There is nothing that He does not see and know. Revelation 4:8 also envisions creatures full of eyes surrounding the throne of God. If this is the description of perfect servants of God, should it not be incumbent on imperfect humans who also seek to serve? Not only are eyes round about important. Eyes within sensing sin, weakness, failure, all leading to confession and purity are necessary. One of the faces of the cherubim was described as the face of a cherub here in chapter 10, the face of an ox in chapter 1. This may have been a copyist's error, or a cherub's face may have resembled an ox. We recall that this is only an appearance of the likeness of something spiritual without the form of either. High and lofty wheels that had stood firmly on the earth now whirled, moved and rose, the beginning of the departure of the divine presence from the house of God. The slow movement from place to place by creatures that bore the throne of His glory that might have moved as flashes of lightning rather indicate the reluctance of God to leave His temple, the patience that so often works even in our own weaknesses. As His glory departed, 'Ichabod' might have been again written over Jerusalem. It is interesting to map out the departure: from the threshold of the house to the east gate, over the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives - the journey really prefigured another to be enacted some 500 years later when the Divine Son left the house, left the city, left the earth. But He was to return in the Person of the Holy Spirit ten days later that you and I might know His presence, both in our personal lives and in God's House.

About five years prior to Jerusalem's overthrow (8:1), Ezekiel in a vision is taken to Jerusalem where he is shown one of the reasons for the dire judgement to follow: God would not permit Himself to dwell with an image of jealousy, an idol set up within the limits of the temple. The very first commandment of God forbade such arrant idolatry. The vision reveals still more nefarious activities. Among the elderhood exists a secret cult of seventy who offer up incense to gods that are depicted as beasts and detestable creeping things intermingled with personal idols. Then he sees women weeping for Tammuz in his supposed death, rejoicing at his supposed resurrection. Then twenty-five sun worshippers are seen standing between the altar and the front porch of the house, facing away from God to the east instead of the west. These were no doubt priests because they stood in the court of the priests. The whole temple scene was one of corruption and apostasy, and in hand with it violence filling the land that should have been exuding peace. When God's house is defiled, as is seen also in the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, when time for repentance is past, there is no place for God. He must leave and the house now desolate faces sure destruction. Chapter nine gives us the picture of the destruction.

Six city guards, who we suggest were angels, and a man dressed in linen with a scribe's case of pens and ink enter the city: the man to mark with a cross the foreheads of those whose sighs and tears demonstrated that their hearts were in line with the Lord's, the angels to dispense the judgement to all who weren't so marked. Beginning at the sanctuary the man and angels fulfilled their task. At the end of it, Ezekiel alone was standing, causing Ezekiel to exclaim at the destruction to be fulfilled. Ezekiel pleaded for the nation to which he prophesied, and was in this a good example for us who are ministering to a sinning world. But the sin had gone too far. God will not always plead with man. Sooner or later He will dispense the judgement deserved. Our task is to pray and preach! Then we must thank God for the grace that allowed the mark of the cross to be on our foreheads. Thanks be to God that we belong to Christ! Then follows chapter 10 with the departure of the glory to which we have referred.

We then skip to Ezekiel's third vision (chs.40-48), a future city, a future temple, a purified priesthood who will do all God's will, a land of Israel revised and reorganized, a land to glorify the Lord who will be there. If the measurements given are to be taken literally, and if the river that flows from the presence of God is to flow as described (47:1-12), some tremendous topographical changes are to take place at the coming back to earth of the Lord Jesus. We know from other scriptures that that will be so (e.g. Zech.14:4,10). Whether they will be sufficient to accommodate all Ezekiel's measurements or whether some of them are in some way symbolic we will have to leave for the moment, but will revisit the problem in a future article. However, for your thought meantime, the Jordan River would have to be removed some miles to the east to accommodate the seemingly newly situated city of Jerusalem and the portion of the prince and surrounding areas. The river that flows from the presence of God and His house would have to flow upwards to get to the Dead Sea. Nothing is impossible with God, of course, but there may be some presently hidden symbolism seen in Ezekiel's vision. These things do, after all, appear in a vision, and the two previous visions are largely symbolic as we have seen. These are things we can wonder at at leisure, but there are matters we can understand that will provide ample lessons for us meantime.

In spite of topographical questions, the river that flows at varying depths and brings such purity and healing wherever it goes, seems physical rather than simply symbolic, and is a continuing example of the presence and blessing of the LORD. Zechariah (14:8) afterwards tells us that the river will flow west to the Mediterranean as well as east to the Jordan. Joel (3:18) predates Ezekiel in his mention also of that river. As with all blessings, whether physical or spiritual, that flow from the presence of God, they grow as they go, bringing life to the dead and supporting life everywhere that they touch. Even the Dead Sea, six times saltier than the ocean, will spring to life, fresh from the presence of God. One can stand to the side of divine blessing, and like the fishermen cast nets and reap bounty. The angelic messenger led Ezekiel right through the river; water to swim in invite us to experience yet greater depths of the blessings of God, not only in sweet millennial days, but in the present.

NEELY, E. | May 2007
Getting To Know God Through Ezekiel