Eze 1:19 | KingComments | STEP | After the wings, the wheels of the living beings are now described. The wings are for the heaven, the wheels for the earth. Every living being has “one wheel on the earth beside” him ( ). The wheels connect the throne chariot to the earth. A wheel indicates that the throne of God is not static, but dynamic. There is no standstill. Everything is in motion and progress, moving toward God’s purpose. The wheels are “on the earth”. This means that God is making His way on earth. He determines the course of history and events. He is the One Who was and is, and also the One Who is to come, in which we see His acting ( ). The wheels point to the rotation of time, with the rotation done by God. God is the acting God. He created heaven and earth, but then did not leave them to themselves. He has been continually upholding creation since its creation “by the word of His power” ( ). In the word “upholding” there is movement. He upholds and brings the creation to His purpose. The wheels shine “like sparkling beryl” ( ). A beryl is a precious stone. It is the first stone of the fourth row of precious stones on the high priest’s breastplate ( ). This brings to mind the Gospel of John, the fourth gospel. In it we see the heavenly Man, God the Son, on earth. The color of the beryl is blue-green. Ezekiel sees “the appearance of the wheels”, a view, but also their “workmanship” how they were made, the construction, the composition. It is “as if one wheel were within another” wheel. As a result, it sometimes seems that the wheels are running against each other. It can seem that way in our lives, too, at times. But the wheels interlock like the wheels of a clock, in which there are also cogs that turn in opposite directions, yet they cooperate to make the hands move forward. So it is with the ways of God. They always interlock and never interfere with each other, but always work together to achieve God’s purpose in history and also in our lives. The wheels of God’s throne can go in all directions, but they do not turn ( ). That they can go in all directions does not mean that there is arbitrariness or, as we say, that something can still go in all directions, with which we say we are uncertain about its course. This is not the case with God. He determines the way and knows no limitations in His actions. He knows the best way for everyone and everything and that through time. Time is also in His hands. We see an impressive example of God’s government throughout Joseph’s history (Genesis 37-50). Everything that happened to Joseph was so governed by God in order to accomplish His purpose with him. It is the same way in our lives. When God acts, He never has to go back on it ( ). His work is always perfect, “for all His ways are just” ( ). We see an illustration of this in the chariots of the nations that cannot go where they want to go because they are “between the two mountains” of “bronze” ( ). This means that God determines the course of those chariots. We cannot check out God in this. His ways are “lofty” ( ), as the sky. His way is in the sanctuary in heaven and therefore higher than our ways (cf. ). When we see this, God’s ways are “awesome” to us, that is, they inspire in us fear or awe of Him. This is also right and proper. We feel our futility in the light of His sovereignty and glory. Furthermore, we see that “the rims of all four” of the wheels are “full of eyes round about”. This indicates that God’s government is not carried out blindly or depends on coincidences, but that God performs all His governmental acts with insight. He knows how to perfectly connect all His actions with each other so that He gets where He wants to go. This also applies to all the actions of all people and all nations. He is omniscient, and His eyes roam the whole earth to act according to His wisdom for the benefit of His own ( ; ). The wheels are inseparable from the living beings ( ). It is not the wheels that determine the way, but the living beings. The wheels are the means by which the living beings move. The living beings that bear God’s throne determine the way. The wheels point to the way that God’s government is going. Sometimes the chariot of God’s government is lifted from the earth. This indicates that there are times when God withdraws and leaves man to himself ( ; ), but without losing control of the earth in the slightest degree. He remains hovering above it, as it were. The living beings are governed by the Spirit of God ( ). The Spirit is the active Person. Through Him, God and Christ do everything. We see this from the very beginning of the Bible ( ). The Spirit works in the living beings, who go where the Spirit wants them to go. There is no reluctance or hesitation. Everything is certain. Once again the unity of the living beings and the wheels is emphasized ( ). Both go or stand still. We also see this complete unity between the living beings and the wheels when the living beings rise from the earth, for then the wheels rise “close beside them”. This is because the Spirit not only governs the living beings, but also the wheels. Everything in the government of God, everything concerning the throne of God, is perfectly harmonious because the Spirit of God directs everything. All means are at His disposal and He determines which ones He uses and when.

‏ Ezekiel 1:19

The Wheels and Their Movement

After the wings, the wheels of the living beings are now described. The wings are for the heaven, the wheels for the earth. Every living being has “one wheel on the earth beside” him (Eze 1:15). The wheels connect the throne chariot to the earth. A wheel indicates that the throne of God is not static, but dynamic. There is no standstill. Everything is in motion and progress, moving toward God’s purpose.

The wheels are “on the earth”. This means that God is making His way on earth. He determines the course of history and events. He is the One Who was and is, and also the One Who is to come, in which we see His acting (Rev 1:8).

The wheels point to the rotation of time, with the rotation done by God. God is the acting God. He created heaven and earth, but then did not leave them to themselves. He has been continually upholding creation since its creation “by the word of His power” (Heb 1:3). In the word “upholding” there is movement. He upholds and brings the creation to His purpose.

The wheels shine “like sparkling beryl” (Eze 1:16). A beryl is a precious stone. It is the first stone of the fourth row of precious stones on the high priest’s breastplate (Exo 28:20 ; Exo 39:13). This brings to mind the Gospel of John, the fourth gospel. In it we see the heavenly Man, God the Son, on earth. The color of the beryl is blue-green.

Ezekiel sees “the appearance of the wheels”, a view, but also their “workmanship” how they were made, the construction, the composition. It is “as if one wheel were within another” wheel. As a result, it sometimes seems that the wheels are running against each other. It can seem that way in our lives, too, at times. But the wheels interlock like the wheels of a clock, in which there are also cogs that turn in opposite directions, yet they cooperate to make the hands move forward. So it is with the ways of God. They always interlock and never interfere with each other, but always work together to achieve God’s purpose in history and also in our lives.

The wheels of God’s throne can go in all directions, but they do not turn (Eze 1:17). That they can go in all directions does not mean that there is arbitrariness or, as we say, that something can still go in all directions, with which we say we are uncertain about its course. This is not the case with God. He determines the way and knows no limitations in His actions. He knows the best way for everyone and everything and that through time. Time is also in His hands. We see an impressive example of God’s government throughout Joseph’s history (Genesis 37-50). Everything that happened to Joseph was so governed by God in order to accomplish His purpose with him. It is the same way in our lives.

When God acts, He never has to go back on it (Num 23:19a). His work is always perfect, “for all His ways are just” (Deu 32:4a). We see an illustration of this in the chariots of the nations that cannot go where they want to go because they are “between the two mountains” of “bronze” (Zec 6:1). This means that God determines the course of those chariots.

We cannot check out God in this. His ways are “lofty” (Eze 1:18), as the sky. His way is in the sanctuary in heaven and therefore higher than our ways (cf. Isa 55:9). When we see this, God’s ways are “awesome” to us, that is, they inspire in us fear or awe of Him. This is also right and proper. We feel our futility in the light of His sovereignty and glory.

Furthermore, we see that “the rims of all four” of the wheels are “full of eyes round about”. This indicates that God’s government is not carried out blindly or depends on coincidences, but that God performs all His governmental acts with insight. He knows how to perfectly connect all His actions with each other so that He gets where He wants to go. This also applies to all the actions of all people and all nations. He is omniscient, and His eyes roam the whole earth to act according to His wisdom for the benefit of His own (2Chr 16:9a; Pro 15:3).

The wheels are inseparable from the living beings (Eze 1:19). It is not the wheels that determine the way, but the living beings. The wheels are the means by which the living beings move. The living beings that bear God’s throne determine the way. The wheels point to the way that God’s government is going. Sometimes the chariot of God’s government is lifted from the earth. This indicates that there are times when God withdraws and leaves man to himself (Isa 18:4; Hos 5:15), but without losing control of the earth in the slightest degree. He remains hovering above it, as it were.

The living beings are governed by the Spirit of God (Eze 1:20). The Spirit is the active Person. Through Him, God and Christ do everything. We see this from the very beginning of the Bible (Gen 1:2). The Spirit works in the living beings, who go where the Spirit wants them to go. There is no reluctance or hesitation. Everything is certain.

Once again the unity of the living beings and the wheels is emphasized (Eze 1:21). Both go or stand still. We also see this complete unity between the living beings and the wheels when the living beings rise from the earth, for then the wheels rise “close beside them”. This is because the Spirit not only governs the living beings, but also the wheels. Everything in the government of God, everything concerning the throne of God, is perfectly harmonious because the Spirit of God directs everything. All means are at His disposal and He determines which ones He uses and when.