Ezekiel 1:15

Ezekiel 1:15 says, Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.  Ezekiel now has a second vision concerning the things on the earth as opposed to heavenly things that he had been seeing, according to Matthew Henry.  We need to understand that even with all the trouble in the world, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are already living our everlasting life as a part of God’s family.   

Verse sixteen adds, The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.  Ezekiel said that the wheels and the work of the four living creatures were as though they were one.  Matthew Henry says that those who make good use of the discoveries of God will be blessed to make other discoveries about Him.  He also said that we often think of glorious things as existing only in the upper world, or heaven, but that glorious things exist in the lower world, or the earth.  Of course, we must establish a spiritual relationship with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ in order to see this.   

Verse seventeen continues, When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.  Wheels, unlike the living creatures, do not move on their own but must be moved by some outside force.  As Christians, we do not move spiritually on our own, but must be moved by an outside force, the Holy Spirit.  We might say that He isn’t an outside force if He dwells in us, but He is still outside of our spiritual self.  Wheels are also made to be moved and are steady in bearing their load.  We as Christians should be ready to move as the Holy Spirit directs us, and we should be willing to bear any burden that our faith puts on us.  Like the four living creatures and the wheels moved together and didn’t turn away from the direction they were moving in, we as Christians must work together and should not turn away from the way that God leads us.   

Verse eighteen states, As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.  Ezekiel then stated that the rings of the wheels had eyes that were up so high that they were dreadful.   Ezekiel was even afraid to look at the wheel because it was so large.  Matthew Henry says this represents God being able to look everywhere at once and our limited ability to understand His greatness.   

Verse nineteen adds, And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.  Ezekiel said that when the living creatures went somewhere that the wheels went with them and when they were lifted up from the earth, so were the wheels.  I believe this would represent the fact that God sees everything that the living creatures, or angels, do, and He sees everything that we do as well.  Matthew Henry says the wheels represent secondary causes of the work of the living creatures, but this would put them in charge of what was seen, I believe, so I am not sure I agree with him on this point.   

Verse twenty continues, Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.  This verse seems to state that the Spirit, and I interpret this to refer to the Holy Spirit, lifted up the spirit of the living creatures, and it is added that the spirit of the living creature was in the wheel.   My understanding of this would be that we are to be directed by God’s Holy Spirit, which goes with us whenever we go and sees all the obstacles that might be in the way of our accomplishing His will.   

Ezekiel 1:26 says, And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.  Matthew Henry says that all the things that Ezekiel saw before this was to point him to seeing God on His glorious throne.  God will do all that he can to get us to acknowledge Him and accept His gift of salvation, but everything that He does to do so becomes unimportant once we hear Him and acknowledge Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  How we come to accept Him is unimportant, but the fact that we do makes all the difference.  Ezekiel also saw the likeness of the appearance of a man on the throne.  This would be a reference to Jesus Christ, Who even in heaven is unashamed to identify with mankind, though without sin. 

Verse twenty-seven adds, And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.  Though the One on the throne had the appearance of a man, He was so much more.  He was the Light of the world, Who appeared as a bright fire.  We know that our works will be tried by fire, even after we accept the Light of Christ into our life.   

Verse twenty-eight continues, As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.  Ezekiel said the appearence of the brightness all around was like a rainbow after the rain.  It brings beauty where before there had only bee gloom, and when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He will bring a spiritual beauty where before there had only been darkness.  Ezekiel said he then fell on his face and heard the Voice of the One Who spoke, or the Voice of God speaking to Him.  No matter how bad or how glorious things around us may be, the important thing is that we hear the voice of God when He speaks to us.

Ezekiel 1:8

Ezekiel 1:8 says, And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.  Ezekiel is still talking about the appearance of the four living creatures he saw in his vision.  These living creatures were said to have four hands under their four wings along with their four faces.  Matthew Henry says the four wings transported them quickly and the four hands equipped them to do the work that needed doing.  He also said some people are quick to get to where work needs to be done and then don’t have a desire to do it.  We need to be quick to go where God calls us, but we then need to be willing to do what He has called us to do.  When He calls us, He equips us to do what He calls us to do.   

Verse nine adds, Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.  There was a unity of purpose in what they did.  When they knew what they were to do, they went straight to the work without any turning.  As followers of Christ, we should go straight to work at doing what He has called us to do.  If we do turn aside, then we need to repent and once again walk the path that He has set us on.   

Verse ten continues, As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.  These living creatures had four faces, the face of a man on the front, of a lion on the right side and the face of an ox on the left, and of an eagle on the back side. This represented them being able to identify with humanity, being as ferocious as a lion in a fight, being as strong as an ox, and being able to soar like an eagle would be my understanding of this verse.  I do know that God will give us all the things we need to be victorious spiritually in the world today as long as we put our faith in Him.   

Verse eleven states, Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.  Two of their wings were used to cover their body, and two were used to fly.  These living creatures, or angels were also united in purpose, which was to serve God as He directed them.   We as Christians are equipped to do what God calls us to do and should be united in purpose.   

Verse twelve adds, And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.  Once more, we are told that these living creatures went where the Holy Spirit sent them without turning aside.  We as followers of Christ must do the same.   

Verse thirteen continues, As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.  Ezekiel said that these living creatures appearance was as burning coals and of lamps.  There was a brightness that surrounded them.  Matthew Henry says Ezekiel saw them by their own light.  There was also the light of the lamps to illuminate them.  If we are a born-again believer, then we see by the light of Jesus Christ and not by our own light.   Our works are judged by fire, burning away all that is not pure.   

Verse fourteen concludes, And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.  Ezekiel said the living creatures went out and returned like a flash of lightning.  They quickly did what God sent them to do and returned to Him for their next assignment.  We need to do what God sends us to do as quickly as we can and then return to Him for our next task.  Matthew Henry points out that they weren’t encumbered by a body but were free to travel without limitations.  I realize that we have limits on how fast we can do things, and sometimes our calling is to a lifelong task, but there will still be times when God calls us to a specific task, and we need to work at accomplishing it as quickly as possible under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.