Category: Human

The Rim was High and Awesome

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It was my observation as I worked my way through the first chapter of Ezekiel that the vision seen has a most interesting description of what appears to be a Gyro. The wheels have perpendicular intersecting wheels (think about how ball of yarn looks). They moved in any direction but allowed the angel standing on top to remain facing in the same direction. Rolling Spheres? Kinda. But the description seems to describe intersecting rings, more like a gyro than a sphere. I am wise to be vague on this matter.

Ezekiel 1:15-18 says — As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures [four angels] faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures [four angels] went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around [NIV].

When we take in this message, we cannot escape the glory of God. We see him in full splendor, we see the steadiness of his heavenly environment, all thing in order and in place. No renovation going on in this house. It is all done. We might be wondering, is there anything useful for us to do in Heaven? But clearly the angels have a mission and a function. We also will have a mission and a function. We see his plan with an eye of faith, we see it through a filter, but soon we will discern the full beauty of his glory, wisdom, goodness, and power that shine over the universe, over his throne. We will see God as he is.

The wheels sparkle like topaz, the soft glow of bronze fills the air, much like a reflection of fire on glass. We are not told much about the topaz, but we do know that wheels intersect and we can see the intersecting wheels full of eyes.

We know from the description the wheels moved with the angels; the angels moved with the wheels. Many sources I have reviewed feel that when the living creatures moved in a direction, any direction, they were engaged in God’s work. As the wheels moved, things happened in the kingdom. Movement causes the ministry and ministry causes the movement. Imbedded through all the movement is God’s plan and his glory.

And then we have the rims with eyes. Goodness. We are really moving in the inner court of God’s reality. This idea of wheels with eyes is difficult to accept with our delicate earthly eyes. We are instinctively protective of our eyes. They are hard to protect and even more difficult to repair. Yet, God takes our weakness and makes it his strength.

The rims were of a vast circumference, we note at the bottom of the first chapter as the vision is revealed, Ezekiel drops his head down, shrinking away from the image. He was looking at something extremely large from a distance or he was looking up at some massively large wheels with the rest of the image seeming to be a long way up. The size is astonishing with the height and depth of God’s glory.

The deeper truth — The all-seeing eyes of God’s angels are on the move. This rim is a sign of God’s infinite wisdom and the notion of the ‘eyes of the Lord running to and fro’ throughout the entire earth beholding good and evil, revealing himself full of power to the church (strongly implied in 1 Chronicles 16:9). His interaction is not blind fortune, rather it is carefully orchestrated by the Spirit of God and the angels who move with us every day of our life holding back the hordes of hell. His grace and mercy are forever amazing. I choose Jesus.

The appearance of Justice

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It has been my observation while reading scripture on God’s mercy that Justice also appears. We know that Mercy and Justice are attributes of God. We know they both existed before creation; we know they are part of who God is, was, and always shall be. The one true living God has always engaged in mercy when handling our problems and he has always employed justice (fair jurisprudence) when managing cases where his mercy has been rejected, trampled upon, and despised. This was the plan when Jesus walked on earth and he is doing it today, it shall be forever. for as long as we can visualize the future, Elohim will continue – He is God. God’s mercy is not a temporary thing but a strong dominate attribute of the one true living God.

Consider what Micah 6:8 says — He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God [ESV]. When deciding what to do, I think we should start by saying — but for the grace of God, I could be the one to be judged. When we are wronged – we usually have a choice: (1) seek justice or (2) forgive and strengthen the person involved. In general, with mercy, we restore a relationship and move forward towards a positive outcome. The proper outcome of justice should be the same. The notion of walking with God involves finding a proper balance between justice and mercy in a way that advances the cause of Jesus.

I spent many years running a company and was compelled in several cases to explore the relationship between justice and mercy. Justice is rendered when people receive their due. Within the operations of my company, an act of justice typically was causing people to keep their word in agreements. Mercy, on the other hand, was an exercise in forbearance, grace, and compassion (let them off the hook).

I recall a case where I had a client that needed some graphics support for several images in a federal proposal. I reached out to a friend of mine and gave him the subcontract. I defined the requirements and provided a few samples. He did his best, they were not acceptable, I requested and obtained edits to the images, still not good enough. I was starting to push against a due date with no product to deliver. I reached out to another friend, provided the requirements and original samples, he made good stuff, and I delivered the products. Now, what to do with failed graphics. I could not in good faith charge my client for the failures only for the success. I wrestled with paying my failed sub (subcontractor). I knew the failed sub needed the work and I had overestimated his skills. I talked with him, showed him the final results, talked about his mistakes and how to do it better next time, and then paid him. I made the contract with my sub, I concluded I was not clear enough on the acceptance criteria, I took the blame and moved on. I helped him find a job with a local company to get the skills he needed.  Justice? Yes.  Right decision? Absolutely.

Paul says (Ephesians 2:4-6) — because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, … made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by [God’s] grace you have been saved. [For] God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms [NIV].

The deeper truth – it is hard to embrace God’s justice, generally we are not able to fully trust he will deal with the sins committed against us – we want to become part of the vengeance. It is hard to embrace God’s mercy because we are not sure he will accept our meager request for forgiveness, we are not sure he will put away our grievous sin’s. For both viewpoints, there is only one answer. A cross with streaming red blood dripping onto the ground. A tomb with nothing remaining but the empty clothing of a risen Jesus. His mercy and justice will be perfectly applied to close the issues. He will do the right thing. He will never break a bruised reed. He is far more merciful than we can ever imagine.

I choose Jesus.

The Hand of the Lord was upon Him

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It was my experience while assessing the Babylon exile story, Ezekiel entered this at the very beginning of the story. Ezekiel was among the first wave of captives (Much of the Hebrew nation was still in their own land). Jeremiah spoke of this first wave of exiles as the ‘good figs’ who had been initially sent to Babylon (Jeremiah 24:5). For this group of figs, God provided a prophet to bring them back to the Law. We read in Psalms 94:12 — “Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law. From this context, we could say, this first group was being pursued by God.

Ezekiel 1:1-3 paraphrased says — In my thirtieth year … the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest … in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the Lord was on him [NIV].

I think we can agree that it is an act of mercy for God to bring a message of hope to them even when they were experiencing self-inflicted trouble. Those chosen to deliver God’s message and mercy are blessed for their actions. I would be remiss if I did not make clear; it was 5 years into the exile before God provided Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 1:2). He gave the Hebrews in Babylon time to realize their need. However, at the same time, God provided Jeremiah to the Hebrews still in Jerusalem to guide them. Even in distress, God did not leave the Hebrew nation unguided, no matter how obstinate they were.

It was by the rivers of Babylon the Psalmist spoke of musicians setting down and singing songs of lamentation (see Psalm 137:1-3). What was the topic of their songs? The people who were in this area Babylon were experiencing the harshness of captivity, more important, they were feeling the national and personal judgement inflicted upon them for sin against God’s law. Yet, they were not very repentant – they continued to claim entitlement as God’s people. This accounts for Ezekiel’s assessment of their resistant heart as the cause of their woes. This theme recurs often in Ezekiel’s message

His message was a combination of condemnation, aggressive counsel to repent, and restoration (the exile would not last forever). I think God knew the message would be easier to hear if the message came from a fellow exile. For, even though God’s messenger is bound in chains, the message from God is not bound (see 2 Timothy 2:9). John the Revelator was banished to an island and yet the message from Jesus to John left the island and traveled around the globe. Paul tells us — For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:5)

Ezekiel was clearly being guided by the Holy Spirit, he tells us what he saw, what he heard, and what he felt; all of it centered on connectivity with the Spirit of God. In the first chapter, Ezekiel saw a profound vision of God, even when scripture says no man can see God and live, Ezekiel has a vision (the next best thing). This was not the first time this happened. We are reminded of visions in Isaiah Chapter 6 and Jeremiah Chapter 1. Furthermore, let us not lose sight of Moses (Exodus 34:5-7), Abraham (see Acts 7:2), and Paul (Acts 9:1-19) to name a few. They all saw, they all heard the voice of God.

It is wise for all of us to be well acquainted with God and willing to be influenced by his message. Especially if we want to be engaged in the business of bringing others to the knowledge and love for Jesus. In this context, we find the hand of God upon Ezekiel, as it was on Moses, Abraham, and the others. This kept them focused, safe, and able to press forward not crushed by resistance to the message. God’s grace was sufficient for them. Furthermore, it is sufficient for us as we press on towards that higher calling. His hand is certainly upon us. His grace will abound. I choose Jesus.

Operating Outside the Box

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It has been my observation while reading Ezekiel that the initial vision in chapter 1 has many implications for how God interacts with us during ‘real life’. Even something as obscure as the wheels that the angels ride provides us with a subtle backstory on how God gets things done.

Ezekiel 1:19-21 says — When the living creatures [the four angels] moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures [four angels] rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit [Spirit of God] would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures [Spirit of God] was in the wheels. When the creatures [four angels] moved, they also moved; when the creatures [four angels] stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures [four angels] rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures [Spirit of God] was in the wheels [NIV].

In general, the wheels appear to move in a steady stable motion, consistent with the nature of God. However, there may be times when the wheel appears to be out of synch with God’s power (recall the time when Jesus wondered who touched him in Luke 8:45). During these times of ‘out of sync’ power, I suspect the angels were engaged in service that was outside the normal course of nature’s laws and of human interaction. What appears to be a disconnect, an ‘out of sync’ event, is simple normal operations from God’s perspective. One might think the occasions where the gifts of the Spirit as supported by angelic operations could fall into this model of thought.

One could say that when the angels are lifted up by the rims, they have been elevated to service outside the normal course of natural law and human interaction. This type of lifting was mentioned twice, see Ezekiel 1:19 and Ezekiel 1:21. I think it is safe to say that we humans move and act as we are directed or influenced by God. I recall God telling us he uses all people, their faith status is not the deciding factor, his decision to use somebody is the deciding factor (see Ezra 1 concerning Cyrus).

Furthermore, the things we see and hear are governed by things we cannot see or hear. The Spirit of the living God is the Spirit driving the living creatures in Ezekiel’s vision. They are tapping directly into the wisdom, power, and holiness of God. They are getting the plan direct from the source, ungarbled truth so they know exactly how to proceed.

God is on his throne and driving the wheels of the throne room. He controls the whole so the components move in perfect unison. Just as our body moves in unison, so do the wheels, angels, platform, throne, and all the visuals surrounding the angels and hardscape. It all moves as a unit in accordance with God’s will as he purposes things to be accomplished. These angels move exactly in accordance with his plan, not one thing is done incorrectly. No errors. The angels are persuasive. As needed, they move us to serve the intention of God. Even Cyrus was moved as directed (see Ezra 1).

Pondering on this thing with the eyes on the rim and God using anyone to achieve his objectives takes us to a new place. The eyes of the rim are on all things in his creation. They see it all. They are part of the inner sanctum; they are one small step away from the God of this universe. One of the eyes is looking at you right now even as you read this. God can use anyone. He is looking for a few people who are willing to serve God. The big wheels are turning (yes, I smiled with this phrase, a glib reference to the song Proud Mary). The Holy Spirit will speak the will of the God who is there. Angels are moving. It is time to get in step, to find the river (opps, I still have that song in my head).  I choose Jesus.

God delights in our Humility

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It was my observation that one thing God is not is silent.  He is the God who is there (Jehovah Shammah). And, our God is not silent. Ezekiel tells us of the noise present just under the platform (the vault) that supports the throne. A quiet murmuring? Gentle talking amongst the angels? Nope! We are told of a roar, like the sound of rushing waters. This is not ‘quietness’; this is in your face ‘loudness’. This is a wall of sound – 125 decibels of thundering water. Enough sound to cause your body to vibrate.  The sound was like the tumult of an army. Imagine a couple of thousand soldiers carrying all types of heavy metal gear. The clanging and crunching of steel on steel. This is described as loudness at a significant decibel level. I remember once a few years back, part of my job was to bend over and walk under a wing of an F4 while the engines were running to confirm the proper installation of AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles just before a launch.  The volume was overwhelming, organs in my body vibrated, the movement of the air because of the sound was intense. Then, above all that noise and air movement, comes a voice (in my ear from a headset) – we good? the young lieutenant pilot asks.  I reply – Sir, you are clear to launch.

Ezekiel 1:22-25 says — Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When 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. Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings [NIV].

Over the heads of the angels (living creatures) we see something that is awesome. Some translate this idea as sea of ice, hail congealed like a glazer, or mountain snow that has melted and frozen again like ice. Psalms 33:14 is clear, he can see is clearly 24/7 from his throne as we move about on earth. He sees the angel wings from his throne, even though they are on the other side of the platform that supports the throne (see Ezekiel 1:23). One thing is for sure, the wings are used for flight or covering. God is above platform; the angels are below the platform. They are ready for dispatch. They are under God’s authority, subject to his plan, ready to fly on errands and such, and serve God. Then comes the eye of God attached to the wheels.

There is a chain of events which is always drawing the eye of God one way or other. Fortunately, he has a lot of eyes on the job.  Life ebbs and flows, in the same way God’s plan unfolds, but always in the stated appointed times and measures. We see things in part, we do not see all of the story.  We know of the shortcomings in our ability to see and accept them.  But we know God sees so much more.  He sees everything.  Everything!  As he sees events unfolding, he speaks, he makes known his will.

Consider the loudness of a bee when they fly near our ear, it is amazing how much noise their wings create.  Transfer that magnification of sound to four angel’s wings.  This suggests tremendous volume.  Then add in the notion of intelligent communication.  God’s voice appearing over the top of the loud waters, the mass of sound coming from the angelic wings. 

When God starts talking, the angels drop their wings in respect, their noise subsides, God’s voice now fills the space.  There will be order in the universe.  We hear the voice by opening up our ears to hear the message from the word.  I have heard testimony many times from young Christians; before I knew Jesus, the bible made little sense to me, but now when I read, God jumps off the page.  Thus, when the town crier speaks out the message of God; men yield to God or perish.  Earthly noise distorts the message, but when people respect the sound, they hear the message.  Selah.  I choose Jesus.

Fire moved Back and Forth

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It has been my observation while trying to feel a small portion of the things Ezekiel must have felt when he was confronted with his throne room vision – we are called to service. He could hear and see the angels moving. Perhaps he could feel the wind and the vibrations emanating from the vision. The angels are active, they are industrious by nature, seeking the opportunity to serve. I think, on our best days, that should be our view, our singular chosen role in life – service to Jesus.

Ezekiel 1:12-14 says — Wherever the Spirit would go, they [the angels] would go, without turning as they went. The 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. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning [NIV].

They went straight forward, looking where they were heading, they were not looking about, the singleness of their gaze revealed the singularity of their heart to the matter at hand. There was no hesitation. They moved as a community to accomplish one goal. They did not hinder each other. Each was interested in the community goal, no shining stars seeking individual glory in this group.

They moved wherever the Spirit of God beckoned, they used the wisdom God gave them to drive their motions and actions so they could implement God’s will, to serve the purpose and vision of God, to accomplish his directives. I wonder, when we read that Lucifer falls like lightning into his own ruin (see Luke 10:19), if we can assume that angels fly like lightening as they accomplish God’s work? Perhaps.

Some people I read suggest that the Spirit of God is the driver of the angels. It is their honor to be led directly by God, thus their instant obedience. I find their obedience to be awe inspiring. They are created, just as we are, yet we rebelled. They did not. Consider for a minute the honor they receive for their obedience. The angels are ‘that close’ to the one true living God. Our rebellion keeps us at a distance. Yet we know our turn is coming, soon we shall be eye to eye with God, as the angels are.

Ezekiel saw them by their own light, as if it was burning coals of fire, the amber glow reddish burn, yellow flames of fire. The heat and glow could be seen as their love and fervent zeal of service for the one true living God. Their splendor and brightness flashing like lightening could be their forcefulness against the enemies of God (similar to Psalms 18:12).

The fire moved back and forth (up and down) and it was laser bright. We know the counter point is the world of darkness, the place deeper and darker than the valley of the shadow of death, the lair of the ruler of darkness, the operational headquarters granted to Lucifer. This laser light pierces all places even the headquarters of lucifer. Angels operate in Gods shekinah glory. They conceal the reflected light for us, we see then as with a candlelight, the dim light of man. This is what we see moving around the angels. But when the arc angel shouts and we rise to go home, then we will see them clearly.

I think the appearance of the burning coals and lightening points to the wrath of God, his judgement happening at that time to the Israeli nation. The coals were scattered upon the city of Jerusalem to consume it, to level it because of their rebellion (please make a careful read of Ezekiel 10:1-22, take note of the similarities). At the same time, I think we should see the light display as a message of comfort, God is on the job, taking care of business, bringing truth and light into the darkness of this present trouble. To the one this fire is bright, it is very reviving and refreshing; to the other, out of the fire comes fresh lightning to destroy them. Rejoice, bow down and be grateful we are on the right side of the fence.

I choose Jesus.

As if Full of Fire

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It was my observation when working my way through the first chapter of Ezekiel, this passage of interest is our first glimpse of the most high. All of the parts of the vision described in the previous essays on chapter one was no more than an introduction to this portion of the vision. This is the main event. Why? because now we discuss the image that appears above the throne, the figure that was like a man.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 says — Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.I 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. Like 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 [NIV].

In this vision God establishes himself as the Lord of angels and overseer of events in the world, thus it is easy to postulate — whatever God either promises (positive or negative); he is able to accomplish.

Angels are presented as his servants; we mortals are his tools. Knowing he is not silent, we look above the wheels, the angels, and the platform to the throne, to the one true living God. We expect a message. Why? Because he is the one true living God who communicates that plan. He is not silent.

In other throne room visions we get the same message. God is not silent. John in Revelation 1:12-13 hear a voice, and again in Revelation 19:10 John speaks of the testimony of Jesus.

We should also note the Glory of God was above the heads of the angels. His position commands reverence and respect. The angels were under his feet as we have read in 1 Peter 3:22 that angels, principalities, and powers are made subject to him. This brings to light the amazing depth of God’s grace. He lives above the angels in this vision, but in his role as our ransom, he chose to become a little lower than the angels (see Hebrews 2:9).

When Ezekiel saw God, he was shroud in light, the color of amber, covered as with a garment. And so, in this vision, he appears in the likeness of man. Notice his lower section gave the appearance of fire, reinforcing the notion that God is a consuming fire. There were rays coming out of his hand (Habakkuk 3:4) that suggest the shielding of his full power. In Revelation 4:3 we also see a rainbow, most view this rainbow as a display of majesty, a cooling of the heat, God’s mercy and kindness, a display of graciousness (implied in Genesis 9:16, Leviticus 26:42) [NIV].

We should note that Ezekiel does not say this is how God himself appears. Rather we are looking at his glory, a translucent image, lest we see God and die. We see a mere shadow (implied in Hebrews 10:1). When he saw this image, he fell upon his face. Ezekiel was overpowered, He knew the distance between himself and God, distance caused by sin. Ezekiel went prostrate on the floor in humility and respect. He prepared himself to hear the message from God. The plan, expressed by God, was overwhelming.

I have come to know — the more we humble ourselves; the more God will make himself known to us. Everything Ezekiel saw to this point served one purpose. Prepare his heart to hear the message. Prepare his heart to hear the plan. We are taught by words from the Spirit of God and then the message is written on our heart with the blood of Jesus. Review Matthew chapter 5, make no mistake, God delights in teaching the humble to be humbler. We benefit. Prepare your heart. Embrace the fire. I choose Jesus.