Eze 1:4-28 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Ezek 1:4-28: 1:4-28 The language of this opening vision is that of theophany, a physical manifestation of God (see study note on Deut 1:33). It was difficult for Ezekiel to describe what he saw, as is evident from his frequent use of “looked like,” “something like,” and “seemed.” The overall effect is nonetheless clear and menacing; verbs of motion are combined with symbols of judgment to warn that God’s judgment will inevitably fall upon rebellious Jerusalem. 1:4 I saw a great storm: This language speaks of theophany (see study note on 1:4-28) as God appears in judgment. That this fiery presence is coming from the north , the direction from which Israel’s enemies had traditionally come, compounds the perception of danger. God was coming as a mighty warrior, not to rescue his people but to bring judgment against them.

Summary for Ezek 1:4-28: 1:4-28 ^a The language of this opening vision is that of theophany, a physical manifestation of God (see study note on Deut 1:33). It was difficult for Ezekiel to describe what he saw, as is evident from his frequent use of “looked like,” “something like,” and “seemed.” The overall effect is nonetheless clear and menacing; verbs of motion are combined with symbols of judgment to warn that God’s judgment will inevitably fall upon rebellious Jerusalem. 1:4 ^b I saw a great storm: This language speaks of theophany (see study note on 1:4-28) as God appears in judgment. That this fiery presence is coming from the north, the direction from which Israel’s enemies had traditionally come, compounds the perception of danger. God was coming as a mighty warrior, not to rescue his people but to bring judgment against them.
Summary for Ezek 1:5-9: 1:5-9 ^c At the center of the fiery cloud were four living beings, each having four faces and four wings. Four is a number of completeness; these composite creatures summed up the created order.
1:10 ^d Each had the face of a lion, the greatest of the wild animals; the face of an ox, the greatest of domestic animals; the face of an eagle, the greatest of the birds; and a human face, representing the pinnacle of creation. The guardians of Mesopotamian palaces also combined features of these same four creatures (though not the four faces).
Summary for Ezek 1:11-14: 1:11-14 ^e These fiery creatures had both wings and legs, enabling them to move like ... lightning in any direction. No one could run away from such fearsome beasts. In the similar vision in ch 10 ^f, they are identified as cherubim, agents of divine judgment.
1:15 ^g The living creatures were not the only cause for fear—in their midst, Ezekiel saw four wheels that were part of a divine war chariot. Chariots were among the most feared weapons of war in the ancient world.
Summary for Ezek 1:16-17: 1:16-17 ^h It would be impossible to build a physical chariot in which each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. This picture depicts a chariot that could travel equally well in any direction, symbolizing God’s freedom of movement in judgment.
1:18 ⁱ The wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes (cp. 10:12 ^j). There was no more hope of hiding from this chariot than of running from it.
Summary for Ezek 1:19-21: 1:19-21 ^k The chariot was infused with the spirit of the living beings, and the whole assembly moved as a single entity.
Summary for Ezek 1:22-25: 1:22-25 ^l The surface like the sky, glittering like crystal separated the realm of God’s presence (heaven) from the realm of humanity (earth). References to the sky, the cherubim (see study note on 1:11-14), and the rainbow (1:28 ^m) remind us of the opening chapters of Genesis and suggest that the narrative about to unfold concerns the destruction of what God had created, followed by its re-creation. Just as God destroyed the world he had made with a flood and then restored it through Noah, Ezekiel’s world was also being unmade and restored.
Summary for Ezek 1:26-27: 1:26-27 ⁿ On the throne of God was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. Ezekiel’s ability to describe the scene was overwhelmed by the magnificence of the sight. This human form revealed the Lord’s overpoweringly radiant glory that had once filled the Tabernacle and the Temple as a visible manifestation of God’s presence (cp. Dan 7:9-10 ^o; Rev 1:12-17 ^p). While God’s awesome presence in human form comforts his faithful people, it signifies inevitable judgment for those who are disobeying him. This vision presages God’s coming to earth as a man in Jesus Christ.
1:28 ^q rainbow shining in the clouds: This image combines the prospect of judgment with a note of mercy. The storm clouds were going to drop a full load of judgment on God’s sinful people, but a rainbow, the sign of hope that God established after the flood (Gen 9:12-17 ^r), would appear also. Although the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people to Babylon would be a severe catastrophe in which many would die, God would not forget his promise to keep a remnant alive. Judgment would not be God’s final word.

• When Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord, he fell face down on the ground as though dead—a common human response to God’s glory (cp. Lev 9:23-24 ^s; Num 22:31 ^t; 1 Kgs 18:38-39 ^u; 1 Chr 21:16 ^v; 2 Chr 7:1-3 ^w; Matt 17:5-6 ^x).