163
See also: Entering the Promised Land 96–97 ■ The Fall of Jerusalem 128–31 ■ Lament for the Exiles 160–61 ■
The New Jerusalem 322–29WISDOM AND PROPHETS
wings, each of which have four
aspects to their faces—one of a
human, one of a lion, one of an ox,
and one of an eagle.
God hands Ezekiel a scroll with
the words, “Son of man, eat what
is before you, eat this scroll; then go
and speak to the people of Israel”
(3:1). He tells Ezekiel to eat the scroll,
so that his words will literally be
those of God. Ezekiel does as he
is bidden and then climbs aboard
God’s incredible flaming chariot.
He is then transported to Babylon,
where Ezekiel joins the exiles and
begins his life’s work preaching
about the restoration of the Jewish
people and nation.Coming redemption
Ezekiel’s strange vision is designed
to emphasize two key points at this
important stage in the plight of the
Jewish people. First, it is made
clear that although God’s chosen
people are in exile in Babylon, He
will still be with them. This is why
He flies in His flaming chariot from
Jerusalem to Babylon. Second,
God’s appointment of Ezekiel as Hisspokesman—which is forcefully
underlined by His command to eat
the scroll—shows that the Lord
is leaving an important prophet,
whose word is true, with the exiles.
Thus, the Israelites are assured that
if they follow Ezekiel’s prophecies
and return to God, their nation will
ultimately be restored.
This message is reinforced by
three more significant visions. In
the first, Ezekiel is taken to the
Temple of Jerusalem, and finds it
covered in crawling things and
unclean animals. As he stands
there, the “glory of God” rises
from the sanctuary and leaves
the temple and Jerusalem. In the
second, however, he is shown a
valley of dried human skeletons,
called “the people of Israel,” whom
God restores to full life before
his eyes (37:11). The third is a
profoundly positive vision of the
future. Ezekiel sees Jerusalem’s
Temple—huge and magnificent—
and imagines a “New Jerusalem,”
a fully restored Israelite kingdom
that henceforth will be ruled only
by God (40–48). ■Visions of Ezekiel
The wheels of
God’s chariot are
able to move “in
any one of four
directions.” This
is a metaphor for
His omnipresence.Crawling things
and unclean animals
(Ezekiel 8:10) are
symbolic of the
false idolatry that
led to the downfall
of the Israelites.The dry bones of
“the people of Israel”
are given life in
Ezekiel’s visions,
which represent
their ultimate return
to their own land.Jerusalem’s
future temple
will be measured
according to God’s
law. Once restored,
it will be honest,
pure, and true.Glory of God
In the Christian religion, “glory”—
derived from the Latin gloria,
meaning “renown”—is used
to describe the manifestation
of God’s presence when it is
actively perceived by human
beings. In Ezekiel, and elsewhere
in the Bible, God appears in many
different guises and various
fantastical forms—or is merely
heard or sensed by His subjects.
Divine glory is an extremely
important motif in theology, in
which God is the most glorious
being in existence.However, due to the fact that
human beings are created in His
image, they can share (albeit
imperfectly) in disseminating
divine glory as “image bearers.”
They cannot match the glory of
God Himself, but can spread it
among others. This concept is
best explained in Matthew 5:16,
which states: “let your light
shine before others, that they
may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven.”
In religious media today,
glory is often conveyed by the
use of a halo, or white robes,
crowns, jewels, gold, or stars.A tetragrammaton as depicted in
the window of the Karlskirche, Vienna.
Often translated as Yahweh, this
symbol asserts God’s omnipotence.US_162-163_The_Prophet_Ezekiel.indd 163 27/09/17 5:58 pm