Ezekiels Vision

The Vision

The prophet Ezekiel was a priest who received prophetic messages from God. He lived among other citizens of the nation of Judah during the years of Babylonian captivity, in the year 597 B.C.

In the very first chapter of his book, he describes an amazing vision of God, which came to him at the beginning of his ministry.

Ezekiel 1:1-21 “Now it was, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth (month), in the fifth (day) of the month, as I (Ezekiel) (was) among the captives by the river Chebar (which was the main canal of the Euphrates, south of Babylon, (there, by the river) were opened (to view) the heavens (the higher expanse of the abode of God, as seen from the eyes of a mortal man who dwells upon the earth) and I saw visions (revelations) of God.”

“On the fifth of the month, it (was) the fifth of the month, it (was) the year the fifth of the captivity of the King Jehotachin, the word of Jehovah came to Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, the priest in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar. And was upon him there the hand of Jehovah (overpowering his limited human perception, enabling him, thusly to see the vision of God).”

Matthew Henry.- That he might see the visions of God the heavens were opened; the darkness and distance which hindered his visions were conquered. He felt the power of God opening his eyes to see the visions, opening his ear to hear the voice, and opening his heart to receive both.

(Continuing Ezekiel 1:1-21) “And I (Ezekiel) looked, and behold a wind of storm came out of the north, a great could (a visible, buoyant, moving body mass, “Also (in addition to all this) from its midst (the center of all this action) (came) the likeness of four living creatures (living beings).”

High up, in the heavens, God “mounted the cherubim and flew”; He soared on the “wings of the wind” through His providence unrestrained by time or matter to reveal this vision to the prophet Ezekiel.

(Continuing Ezekiel 1:1-21) “And this (description I Ezekiel give to you) (was) how they (the living creatures ) looked (to me back in the year 597 B.C.); the likeness of a man (was) to them; and to each four faces (as there were four distinctly different men that I saw- but to me, never having seen such marvelous creations, the living creatures seemed to be part man) and ( with) four wings to each of them (not comprehending at the time that they were men in airplanes- consequently, the following narrative); and their feet (i.e., the main landing gear of the planes) (were) feet of straightness (they were extended rigidly and did not bend); and the sole of their feet (upon which the main landing gear seemed to rest- the mudguards actually) (was) (to my recollection) like the sole of the foot of a calf; and they sparkled like the color of burnished copper.”

“And from under their wings on (all) four of their sides (i.e., on each side of the two biplanes were seen) the hands of a man (they were the hands of those seated in the open fuselage); and there (were) (four) (on the biplanes), joining each on (that is on the left and right) (of) their wings to the other. (The aircraft moved, this way and that but) they (the men) did not turn in their going; each one (of the men) toward the front (the direction) of their (pilots) face they went.”

“And the likeness of their faces (looked like) the face of a man, and (in addition, the man) on the right (side) (fig., the man on the right is in a position of strength and power) to the four of them (on basis – they being the only passenger with sole use of a weapon; this one man), had the face of a lion (accounting to the thick growth of his beard); and (in addition to these two men in the biplane) on the left (the weaker) (side) to the four of them (defensively speaking the two pilots in the fighter planes, without weapons were in a position of what would seemingly be an disadvantage; one of the two, the first one I saw had) the face of an ox (in comparative likeness to that sort of an animal); and (lastly) to the four of them (the remaining one had) the face of an eagle (owing to the goggles he wore) , so their faces (were).”

“And their (that is, the) wings (of the biplane) were spread (the lower wings were separated longitudinally) upward (from the lower by the use of wing struts); to each (the left and right sides of) the two (wings) were joined (of) each one (that is, though the wings of the biplane had a right and left side- the construction was of one piece), and (the) two (wings) (that is, the left and right side of the top wings) covered their bodies (from above-were, also constructed of one piece). And each toward the front (in the direction) of their (pilots) faces (they) went (they did not fly backwards but in a forward direction). To where there was the (willful desire of the) spirit to go: they went; they did not turn (as one would bend a horse’s neck to change direction) in their going.”

“And the likeness of the living creatures (firing the weapons), like coals of burning fire (were the projectiles expelled from the firearms), (and) the appearance of torches (were the weapons using an explosive as a propellant). It (the volley of the simultaneous discharge) (was) continually circling among the living creatures. And bright (was the fire of the volley) and out of the fire (the explosive discharge) went forth (a flash, like) lightening (when the weapons were discharged). And the living creatures kept running (rapidly) and (swiftly in the sky) returning (in their continuing attacks), like the appearance of (the great speed of) a flash of lightening.”

“And I looked at the living creatures (in the vision), and behold one wheel (of a motor vehicle) (was) on the earth (this man in the vision was) beside (in addition to the vision of) the living creatures, with the four of its faces (I previously described).”

“The appearance of the wheels (of the motor vehicle) and their workmanship (the rim and hubcap were) like the color of beryl (which is a silver white metal- similar to aluminum) and the likeness one (was) to the four of them (the wheels were all alike). And their (the vehicles hubcaps, were round in) appearance and their workmanship was like the wheel in the middle (in the center) of the (rims of the) wheel.”

“On the four (corners) of their sides (housed within the wheelwell were situated) in their going (forth) they (all the wheels) went; they (the fender areas of the vehicle itself) did not turn (in different directions, but remained stationary) in their going. And their rim, even high (in magnificence and splendor) to them (in my eyes) even awesome (in my sight were the tires) to them (extraordinary and exceptionally outstanding); and their (the tires) rims (with their highly polished chrome hubcaps) (were) full of eyes (like a mirror reflection) all around the four of them.”