“Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”
– Ezekiel 1:28
Hi James and Ellen,
What do you do when your dad and/or ma asks you to do something? Do you always do what your dad and/or ma asks you to do? What will happen to you if you not do what your dad and/or ma has asked you to do? What do you do when God asks you to do something? Do you always do what God asks you to do? What will happen to you if you do not do what God has asked you to do? If you do not do something that your dad and/or ma has asked you to do, can you use the excuse that you did not hear what your dad and/or ma said to you? When your dad and/or ma ask you to do something, your dad and/or ma probably will be where you can see your dad and/or ma. If you do not do something that God has asked you to do, can you use the excuse that you did not hear what God said to you? When God asks you to do something, God will always be present as God – as God the Father, in the context of always taking pleasure as He watches as a permanent spectator how His predestined plan for your lives is constantly unfolding perfectly, as God – as God the Son, in the context of always being ready to pass on wisdom and power though His name as He continually resides in your hearts and as God – as God the Spirit, in the context of always speaking in a still quiet voice to guide you in God’s perfect will to transform you to who God has predisposed you to be. If you kept a diary, would you always write in your diary the things that your dad and/or ma explicitly asked you to do? If you kept a diary, would you always write in your diary the things that God explicitly asked you to do? Ezekiel was a God – as God the Father, assigned planet Earth prophet spokesman to His specially chosen guys and gals who had been exiled to the country of Babylonia. Ezekiel kept a ‘diary’ – which became the Ezekiel Book.
Ezekiel 1 has Ezekiel recounting what took place on his 30th birthday. Ezekiel was born on July 31, 593 B.C. Ezekiel begins his ‘diary’ account by scribing that he is among a group of Israelite people group exiles who are at Kebar River. Kebar River is a Euphrates River canal that flows close to the town of Nippur. The town of Nippur is located south of the city of Babylon. Ezekiel was exiled from the city of Jerusalem by Babylonian’s army at the same time when King Jehoichin was exiled – which was in 597 B.C., to the country of Babylonia. Ezekiel and his people group exiled friends may have gone to Kebar River to pray. Ezekiel’s story is that while he and his friends were at Kebar River that he heard the voice of God – as God the Father, speaking to him and that he felt that the hand of God – as God the Father, was on him. Ezekiel scribes in his ‘diary’ that he saw a windstorm coming out of the north heading towards him. Ezekiel describes this windstorm as an immense cloud surrounded by brilliant light and with lightening flashing in the cloud. A fiery, glowing metal like object – per Ezekiel, was in the center of this gigantic cloud. Ezekiel saw in the center of the fire what looked like four living creatures with each creature having a man-like body. Ezekiel than saw that these man-like bodies had four faces and four wings with bronze calf like feet and the hands of a man. These very different and odd looking creatures that Ezekiel was seeing in the fire were cherubim. God – as God the Father, was having Ezekiel – whose name means ‘God is strong’ or ‘God makes hard’ or ‘God strengthens’, was experiencing something that was utterly unforeseen and completely unusual. Ezekiel meticulously described in his ‘diary’ how the four cherubim were moving, how their wings were touching each other’s wings, how the appearance of the cherubim was like burning coals of fire or like torches, how each cherubim was on a wheel which sparkled like chrysolite and how the awesome expanse above the four cherubim looked like sparkling ice. Ezekiel scribes in his ‘diary’ that each cherubim had four faces – a face of a man, a face of a lion, a face of an ox and a face of an eagle. The man’s face represents who God – as God the Father, ordained to be the ruler over planet Earth. The lion’s face represents what God – as God the Father, has as his strongest wild beast on planet Earth. The ox’s face represents what God – as God the Father, has as His most powerful domesticated animal on planet Earth. The eagle’s face represents what God – as God the Father, has as His mightiest bird on planet Earth. Ezekiel also scribes in his ‘diary’ that the rims over the four wheels are filled with eyes. These eyes represented the eyes of God – as God the Father, in the way that He is always watching over everyone and everything that He has created and placed on planet Earth. As Ezekiel apparently – per his ‘diary’, was soaking in everything that he was seeing, Ezekiel heard a voice from above the heavenly expanse that got Ezekiel’s attention big time. Ezekiel scribes in his ‘diary’ that he then saw what looked like to him a sapphire throne and high above the sapphire looking throne a glowing, man-like figure who was surrounded by light. Verse 28 has Ezekiel trying to describe what he saw and then what he did next, “Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” God – as God the Father, was giving Ezekiel a very clear call to be a prophet spokesman for Him to His specially chosen guys and gals.
Your grandpaa knows that he has seen God’s glory emanating from Him – just not in the way that Ezekiel did.
Ezekiel 1 (1116)