Most of the chapter, indeed most of the book, is written in the first person, and in verse 1 Ezekiel tells us where he is and that he was in his thirtieth year. This year was significant for it was the year a person could enter priestly ministry. It is also at about that age that Jesus began his ministry.
Verse 2 and 3 are probably a editorial addition to clarify when the prophecy actually started, namely 597 BC Ezekiel received visions from God and the word of God. The hand of the Lord was upon him. When the hand of the Lord is on us He will lead us to do His will and reveal to us how He sees things.
The rest of the chapter describes the vision that Ezekiel saw. The vision came in a dramatic way and seems very strange to us. Several visions in the Bible include the number four, for instance Zechariah and Revelation. The four creatures are probably throne attendants.
They each had the face of a human, but also the face of other animals. The creatures moved only at the behest of the Spirit, and they were associated with fire and burning coals. Isaiah chapter 6 also tells of a vision of God including burning coals.
Ezekiel then notices that there was a strange arrangement of wheels. The sight of these wheels was awesome. It is difficult to work out exactly how things worked, but the key point is that the wheels moved only at the behest of the Spirit. When they moved there was the sound of a vast army moving.
Finally Ezekiel sees a figure. This figure looked like a man, but then had a glorious appearance. Ezekiel fell down in awe and heard a voice.
What are we to make of all this? Perhaps it signifies God moving on the earth, and when He does so it seems as though men are moving (in Ezekiel's case Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar in particular). Behind the human actions is God acting, causing momentous things happen on the earth.
The final appearance of the Lord as a man is not that unexpected. Genesis says that we are made in the image of God, and when God appears He usually takes the form of a man. Jesus is the supreme example of this, but there are others such as Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32:24-32).
Verse 2 and 3 are probably a editorial addition to clarify when the prophecy actually started, namely 597 BC Ezekiel received visions from God and the word of God. The hand of the Lord was upon him. When the hand of the Lord is on us He will lead us to do His will and reveal to us how He sees things.
The rest of the chapter describes the vision that Ezekiel saw. The vision came in a dramatic way and seems very strange to us. Several visions in the Bible include the number four, for instance Zechariah and Revelation. The four creatures are probably throne attendants.
They each had the face of a human, but also the face of other animals. The creatures moved only at the behest of the Spirit, and they were associated with fire and burning coals. Isaiah chapter 6 also tells of a vision of God including burning coals.
Ezekiel then notices that there was a strange arrangement of wheels. The sight of these wheels was awesome. It is difficult to work out exactly how things worked, but the key point is that the wheels moved only at the behest of the Spirit. When they moved there was the sound of a vast army moving.
Finally Ezekiel sees a figure. This figure looked like a man, but then had a glorious appearance. Ezekiel fell down in awe and heard a voice.
What are we to make of all this? Perhaps it signifies God moving on the earth, and when He does so it seems as though men are moving (in Ezekiel's case Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar in particular). Behind the human actions is God acting, causing momentous things happen on the earth.
The final appearance of the Lord as a man is not that unexpected. Genesis says that we are made in the image of God, and when God appears He usually takes the form of a man. Jesus is the supreme example of this, but there are others such as Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32:24-32).
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