Ezekiel 10: 1 – 22
‘God’s flying chariot’
“1 And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2 Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory. 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks. 6 Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. 7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings. 9 And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 11 When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. 12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.” 14 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. 16 When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. 17 When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them. 18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 20 This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight forward.
In the previous chapters we have been taught that our Holy God Yahweh has deserted His earthly home, the temple and has paused at the threshold. Some commentators might report that He stopped to observe the judgment carried out on the religious leaders within it. I do not quite agree with that interpretation.
I believe that He stopped because He didn’t want to leave. Our God is a God of Love. Yes, it is true that God’s perfect Holiness demands Justice for sin. When I read the books of Jeremiah, lamentations, and Ezekiel I see over and over and over again His pleas for the people to stop their evil and return to Him so He will not have to bring down His Judgment. I stand in awe of His Majesty and every other Great Characteristic about Him. So, I believe, as a heart broken lover, He pauses, not just at the threshold, but a few more times before agreeing with His Own Self that He would leave completely. He has decided that He will not have any more part in it. When the Babylonians come to destroy, they will not cause their destruction on His city or Temple, but to just a city and house.
“1 And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne.”
We again see here in this chapter the chariot of God that was introduced to us in chapter 1. This time though it is in Jerusalem at the Temple to carry Yahweh away. Ezekiel focuses at the crystal clear flat area that was between the cherubim and the Lord’s Throne. The Holy Supreme Majestic Yahweh’s seat was the likeness of sapphire that has a blue appearance. For the first time in Ezekiel we are told the names of God’s charioteers – the cherubim.
“2 Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.”
We have learned for chapter 9 that the man clothed in linen was the angel with the writer’s inkhorn who marked the Lord’s selected survivors. He was instructed to go under the cherubim between the whirling wheels to fill his hands with coals of fire.
There are a couple of things to point out here. For one thing, I find it interesting that the term, ‘ the whirling wheels’. We view this as a wheel with a wheel that can move in any direction. Also, if you look at a tornado, these also look as wheels with the circular movement as wheels within spinning wheels. If you have ever watched a tornado, it is amazing how it just moves in any direction at any given time, like what we read here. Could it be that these whirling wheels are a type of tornado under the glass surface.?
Notice also the instruction to the angel to ‘fill both of his hands’. He was instructed, not to grab a handful, but to fill both of his hands with burning coals.
2 Samuel 22: 9 – 13, “9 Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down with darkness under His feet. 11 He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness canopies around Him, dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 13 From the brightness before Him coals of fire were kindled.”
Psalm 18: 8, “8 Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.”
Coals of fire are described as directly kindled by God in His Majestic and Wrathful advance where the cherubim are also present and judgments follow. So, there the coals of fire were seen as connected with His coming in Judgment.
Psalm 140: 10, “10 Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again.”
Thus, we may see the coals of fire, as it were, kindled by the fiery breath of God and dispensed in judgment.
‘And he went in my sight’ – The witness of seeing this angel in the linen apparel perform the instructions of the Holy Lord Yahweh clearly affected Ezekiel. He saw all the particular incidents and wanted to make sure that we also are aware of it.
“3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory.”
The position of our God’s chariot is now described to us. It was on the south side of the Temple. Notice it is called just now, ‘the house’ – an ordinary building in God’s viewpoint.
“5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.”
The Lord God Almighty is El Shaddai When the cherubim started flapping their wings Ezekiel was moved by the sound that they made. The sound filled the whole house even to the outer court. And it was powerful and strong as the voice Ezekiel heard from El Shaddai.
“6 Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. 7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out.”
You have probably thought, ‘didn’t I just read this?’ You will see throughout various sections of the Bible repetition where a previous statement is emphasized and then expanded. The purpose of this is to assist the reader and hearer to remember the important points of what had happened.
Again we are reminded of the situation of our God Yahweh commanding the man clothed in linen to take fire from within the ‘whirling wheels’ between the cherubim. What are your thoughts about a thunder and lighting storm? Our God Is An Awesome and Powerful God Who Is accompanied by fire, thunder, and lighting. In fact, we get a good picture of this Majesty from the book of Exodus chapter 20,
“18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
The people were scarred to death at the Majestic appearance of our Holy God. How do you think Ezekiel felt? You can also imagine if these ‘whirlers’ were actually little tornados, how awesome a display of power would that be?
The man or angel obediently went in and stood beside one of these ‘whirling wheels’ Picture also that these ‘wheels’ were full of eyes – all focusing on him. Get the picture?
The man could only go a certain distance for, please note, that the cherub reached forth his hand to the fire. The man took the coals and went out. Nothing further is heard of the man clothed in linen who had the coals. The time of their scattering over the city was not yet here. We are just left to assume he carried out his grim task for Ezekiel is now wholly taken up with seeing the Glory of the Lord.
This gets me thinking. We’re in trouble now. Here is something for us to consider which is listed in the book of Revelation chapter 15 and 16 that talks about the bowl judgments.
“1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “ Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.” 5 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6 And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. 8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.”
Revelation 16
“1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” 2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. 3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died. 4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “ You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. for it is their just due.” 7 And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” 8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. 10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds. 12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. 17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.”
We just assume that the angel cast the coals of God’s Judgment down on Jerusalem. I don’t know. We read throughout the Bible like the fire and brimstone the Lord cast down on Sodom and Gomorra totally eliminated these cities. Jerusalem faced destruction by man not by God. Could it be that the coals of God’s Wrath which the man in linen was gathering was for the end time bowl judgments and not here. This is definitely something to ponder.
“8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.”
In repetition, Ezekiel is again struck by something he had seen. In this case he was focusing on the form of a hand under the cherubim’s wings.
“9 And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 11 When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went.”
These verses are very similar to what we have read in chapter 1. Here the difference lies in the fact that he now calls the living creatures by their rightful name – cherubim. Once again Ezekiel is struck with recognizing that the ‘whirling wheels’ are connected to these angels.
‘The stone of Tarshish’ is a note full comment. We find some reference to Tarshish from the following Scripture;
Jeremiah 10: 9,“9 Silver is beaten into plates; It is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the metalsmith; Blue and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skillful men”.
Ezekiel 27: 12, 12 “Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods.”
1 Kings 10: 22, “22 For the king had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.”
Job 28: 5 – 6, “5 As for the earth, from it comes bread, but underneath it is turned up as by fire; 6 Its stones are the source of sapphires, and it contains gold dust.”
Tarshish was famous for its silver as Jeremiah explains and from it come valuable metals. Its inhabitants dug deep in the earth and were able to export these wonderful things.
We do not know exactly where Tarshish is located. The following Scriptures by our Holy Spirit seems to indicate that it should remain a question.
2 Chronicles 20: 36, “36 And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.”
1 Kings 22: 48,“48 Jehoshaphat made merchant ships to go to Ophir for gold; but they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber.”
Jonah 1: 3, “3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.”
The Scripture in 1 Kings chapter 10 points out that ships sailed to and from Tarshish from and to Ezion-geber and that it is connected with Ophir which suggests a place in Africa or even India.. Jonah set out for Tarshish from Joppa, which may well have been Spain or the British Isles. Thus Tarshish, which means ‘refinery’, was a name given to a number of places from which precious things came.
The chariot could move in any direction. Nothing could hinder their movement.
Ezekiel was amazed at the way the chariot of God moved. He stood in awe at how the cherubim just had to look in a certain direction and that is how they flowed so smoothly.
“12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.”
In chapter 1 Ezekiel had only identified the ‘eyes’ only at the edges of the wheels. Here he sees the eyes more closely and is spell bound to see that the eyes are all over the cherubim. How would you respond when you saw all these eyes staring at you?
“14 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.”
We must take note of something very unique in verse 14. Instead of listing the face of an ox, this verse has Ezekiel saying, ‘the first face was the face of the cherub.’ Some commentators have said that this is a scribal error. Perhaps it was. I do not think it was an error. Could something more be happening here? We previously learned that he cherub face has 4 faces – ox, lion, eagle, and man. So, here is my description of what Ezekiel described.
Ezekiel vision was from the side, so the primary cherub is right in front of him. He sees the fourfold form of this cherub in his direct eyesight so he describes this whole form as the face of the cherub. Then, having a side view Ezekiel then looks at each face staring right back at him. The next cherub has a man’s face staring right back at him, then the next had the lion’s face staring at him, and finally the last in his sight had the eagle face looking back at him.
This causes us to add one more insight. That is that there are always the four different faces looking in the same different directions – always perfect four times. If you looked at the cherubim from the north, you saw the lion, eagle, man, and ox. If you looked east, south, or from the west, you always had the 4 different faces.
“15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. 16 When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. 17 When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.”
Ezekiel ties together for us his first description of calling the cherubim, ‘the living creature’. In addition he emphasizes that the ‘whirling wheels’ as strange as this scene reveals are all part of the cherubim. If you were Ezekiel how would you be able to describe to us this amazing sight?
“18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.”
The Glory of our God Yahweh now leaves the threshold of the house [formerly known as His Temple] and takes His rightful place on the throne of His chariot. He Is taken to the east gate.
1 Samuel 4: 4, “4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.”
2 Samuel 6: 2, “2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.”
2 Kings 19: 15, “15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: “O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.”
The east gate was the main entrance into the temple courtyard. In chapter 11 our Holy God will leave this spot and go to the Mount of Olives which is up the hill on the east side.
“20 This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight forward”
The description of the chariot of God was so awesome and unique, Ezekiel again says to us, ‘look, I want to tell you that I saw the chariot of God. The Lord Almighty sits on top of a glass flat surface and under Him are these breathtaking charioteers.’ Yes, Ezekiel, we thank you for telling us of this awesome sight.
