Lesson 3

Ezekiel Chapter 1 Part 2
Ezekiel 1:10-28

This is Ezekiel Chapter One part 2 of our study on the book of Ezekiel and then in the next post I will add final comments for Chapter One..

I would recommend that you read all of Ezekiel Chapter One, if you have not yet done that recently. Even if you do not understand all of Ezekiel Chapter One, it is a powerful vision Ezekiel had. If you have read Ezekiel Chapter One sometime in the recent month the please reread Ezekiel 1:10-28.

Now on to this week's study.

10 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.

The commentators can not agree if this corresponds
to the 4 Living Creatures in Revelation
and to the four Gospels
or if it is just a coincidental siimilarity.
Here are the verses frome Revelation Chazpter 4:


6 And before the throne there was
a sea of glass like unto crystal:
and in the midst of the throne,
and round about the throne,
were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion,
and the second beast like a calf,
and the third beast had a face as a man,
and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

The only face that is different is the ox in Ezekiel
and a calf in Revelation
except that a calf is a baby ox
so they are still both oxen.
Also, in Revelation it said that
these Heavenly Beings had 6 wings
and Ezekiel only mentions 4.
If they are the same heavenly creatures that both
Ezekiel saw and John saw in the Revelation,
then maybe Ezekiel was just emphasizing what stood out to him.

Also, in the 4 Gospels,
these are accepted among most scholars;
Matthew
portrays Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe
of Judah for the Jews.
Mark
portrays Jesus as the burden bearer (the ox/calf).
Luke
portrayed Jesus humaness, the man's face
and also as the compassiontae healer.
John
portrayed Jesus divineness the Eagle
symbolizing Heavenly heights.

Now you all decide.
Is Ezekiel's Heavenly Creatures
the same as the ones in Revelation?
Does Ezekiel's vision of the Heavenly Creatures,
perhaps in a prophetic way,
correspond with the 4 Gospels?

Please post what you think.
Since Bible scholars a lot smarter then me can not agree about this,
it will not upset me if there are various and contrary opinions
in the answer to this question.
In fact I might learn something from all of you.

Now to the last verses of this chapter .
If you have not yet read all of Ezekiel Chapter One,
please at least at this point read verses 22-28.

In a sense these glorious Heveanly Creatures are only God's footstool
because Ezekiel tells us that a firmament was over their heads
and over the firmament was the likeness of a throne.
I do not have time to go over all of this
but if you read verses 22-28 in Ezekiel Chapter One;
you will see a wonderful and powerful description
as to how God's throne appeared to Ezekiel.

As I mentioned these angelic heavenly creatures had their wings up.
Their wings were up I believe for worship as well as moving about
since their other sets of wings were covering their bodies
in modesty and humility.


25 And there was a voice from the firmament
that was over their heads, when they stood,
and had let down their wings.

Though these heavenly beings already
were covering their bodies in humility with one set of wings,
they lowered their other set of wings in even deeper humility.

We should learn to take God's voice as serious,
God's voice through His Word, the Holy Bible,
His voice through the worship
when we gather with other saints,
His voice through the sermons
and teachings we hear and read.
His voice during prayer times,
both with others and alone with God.
Jesus said that "my sheep know my voice".


In Verse 28 when Ezekiel saw the Lord and His glory,
He fell on His face.
In past years, great men of God sought God on rough floors on their face.
This is a heritage that needs to be restored but to get to that place takes much devotion and dedication, working up to hours in concentrated prayer.
I know I am not there yet.