Eze 10:21 | KingComments | STEP | In Ezekiel 1, Ezekiel saw the throne chariot in Babylon. Here he sees the throne chariot in Jerusalem. It is as if the throne chariot is coming to pick up the glory of the LORD so that He can take a seat on it and depart. Then the glory of the LORD moves away from above the threshold of the house and takes its place above the cherubim ( ). He takes His place on His throne seat again to be escorted by the cherubim to the next stop ( ). Ezekiel sees how the cherubim raise their wings to depart from the earth. He also sees how the wheels do the same. They do not leave directly for heaven. They first stop at the entrance to the east gate of the house of the LORD. There, “the glory of the God of Israel”, which is above them, hovers over them. It is as if there is reluctance on God’s part to leave His house. What we have seen so far of the LORD’s departure and will yet see shows that this departure occurs in stages. 1. Ezekiel first sees the glory of the LORD in the inner court ( ). The LORD has then left the most holy place. 2. Then the LORD goes to the threshold of the house ( ), where He fills the whole court with His glory ( ). 3. From the threshold He moves up above the cherubim ( ), to go with them toward the east gate ( ). 4. From there the glory of the LORD departs through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and then disappears completely ( ). When the glory of the God of Israel has departed, the people are no longer God’s people, but “Lo-Ammi”, which is “not My people” ( ). When the Jews rebuild the temple after returning from the Babylonian exile, God’s glory does not return to it. In the Lord Jesus, His glory returns to His temple for a short time ( ; ), but He is rejected and goes to heaven from the same Mount of Olives ( ) as from whence the glory of the LORD now departs before the eyes of Ezekiel, 600 years earlier. At the beginning of the realm of peace, God’s glory will return to His temple ( ). After Ezekiel has seen everything, he knows that the living beings he has seen are cherubim ( ). He is a good observer with a desire to understand what the LORD is showing him. Such a desire He rewards with insight into His Word and His ways. Ezekiel confirms what each cherub looks like individually ( ). They are the same faces he saw by the river Chebar. This concerns both their appearance and their being and the straight way they go ( ).

‏ Ezekiel 10:21

The Glory of the LORD Departs

In Ezekiel 1, Ezekiel saw the throne chariot in Babylon. Here he sees the throne chariot in Jerusalem. It is as if the throne chariot is coming to pick up the glory of the LORD so that He can take a seat on it and depart.

Then the glory of the LORD moves away from above the threshold of the house and takes its place above the cherubim (Eze 10:18). He takes His place on His throne seat again to be escorted by the cherubim to the next stop (Eze 10:19). Ezekiel sees how the cherubim raise their wings to depart from the earth. He also sees how the wheels do the same.

They do not leave directly for heaven. They first stop at the entrance to the east gate of the house of the LORD. There, “the glory of the God of Israel”, which is above them, hovers over them. It is as if there is reluctance on God’s part to leave His house.

What we have seen so far of the LORD’s departure and will yet see shows that this departure occurs in stages.

1. Ezekiel first sees the glory of the LORD in the inner court (Eze 8:3-4). The LORD has then left the most holy place.

2. Then the LORD goes to the threshold of the house (Eze 9:3), where He fills the whole court with His glory (Eze 10:3-4).

3. From the threshold He moves up above the cherubim (Eze 10:18), to go with them toward the east gate (Eze 10:19).

4. From there the glory of the LORD departs through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and then disappears completely (Eze 11:22-23).

When the glory of the God of Israel has departed, the people are no longer God’s people, but “Lo-Ammi”, which is “not My people” (Hos 1:9). When the Jews rebuild the temple after returning from the Babylonian exile, God’s glory does not return to it. In the Lord Jesus, His glory returns to His temple for a short time (Mal 3:1; Lk 2:22), but He is rejected and goes to heaven from the same Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12) as from whence the glory of the LORD now departs before the eyes of Ezekiel, 600 years earlier. At the beginning of the realm of peace, God’s glory will return to His temple (Eze 43:1-6).

After Ezekiel has seen everything, he knows that the living beings he has seen are cherubim (Eze 10:20). He is a good observer with a desire to understand what the LORD is showing him. Such a desire He rewards with insight into His Word and His ways. Ezekiel confirms what each cherub looks like individually (Eze 10:21). They are the same faces he saw by the river Chebar. This concerns both their appearance and their being and the straight way they go (Eze 10:22).