Continuing: A Revelation of Ezekiel 1 & 2. In verse 3 of chapter 1 we find the complete understanding of what the chapter is describing, hidden there in the words translated “came expressly” in speaking of the word of the LORD. These words are translated from the many times used Hebrew word hayah. Here it is somewhat uniquely used twice, hayah hayah, and is in the same form as appears in Exodus 3:14 translated as “I Am that I Am.” The word is used a third time in Ezekiel 1:3, translated “was,” in telling of this being the hand of the LORD that “was” upon Ezekiel, meaning it “was” the LORD manifesting His presence and will upon/through Ezekiel. In both cases it is the LORD uncovering His glory and mission to man by a son of man, with the express purpose of bringing man to the point of hearing His voice/word, meaning receiving His corrective prescription for bringing man back to right reason.
In Ezekiel 1 we see this declaration immediately followed by Ezekiel seeing and understanding the great tribulation that had come from the north as a great life giving breath. This is stated using the Hebrew words, ra’ah hinneh rawach, translated as, “And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind…” What is then described pictorializes in word the LORD creating the new by overwriting the old. We see this in the later verse of the chapter where we read of both the firmament and the bow seen in the cloud.
We know from our studies of the Genesis new creation account, after the world had become without form, and void (tohuw bohuw), meaning man had brought the world to total confusion, and empty of any value (tohuw bohuw), light enters and the waters were separated by the firmament. In verse 22 of Ezekiel 1 we see the living creatures, meaning the life giving Spirit of the LORD moving over the deep waters, who we are told in verse 21 move in the “wheel,” meaning the revolution or circuit of life (beginning it again from its ending). These are moving in the firmament, unseen, as what separates the waters: the waters being the word of the LORD, and separated from the fouled waters of man’s destructive ways/advice/policy. We then read in verse 24 of the voice of the LORD being heard, and in doing the creatures let down their wings; meaning as the word is understood as being the LORD’s voice, the movement of His Spirit is seen, and – the apocalypse (uncovering) occurs.
We are told earlier in chapter 1, verse 12 thru 14, of all the movements of the living creatures, running and returning, is as lightning and their appearing is as burning lamps. Again this is telling of their being representations of the LORD as His Spirit carrying the message, as light from the LORD shining into the darkened world.
We next read this written very plainly in verse 28 where we see the voice heard from heaven, the firmament where the throne is, and its appearance is then seen as the bow in the cloud, as light appears in the day of rain, and this is the manifestation of the Glory of the LORD. We know this is the end of all truthful revelation, and is symbolized in what we know from our studies of the bow in the cloud; it is the LORD coming in the cloud for the salvation of the world/humanity. (And to as many as received Him gave He power to become the children of God.)
Ezekiel 1 (Don’t exaggerate and complicate, or be overly superstitious when reading – it’s simple when you have a God given basis for understanding its truth.)
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire taking hold of [consuming] itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
The pattern we see written in the follow chapter explains itself very plainly. I am that I am the LORD has chosen to put His Spirit in, to be His voice and to bring His people back to their senses. Accepting this as the truth, you overcoming your self, is the dilemma you are presented with; not because of anything the LORD has done or said, but it again is found in whom you choose to listen to.
Ezekiel 2
1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak unto you.
2 And the spirit entered into me when he spoke unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spoke unto me.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
4 For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted [suborn in reasoning]. I do send you unto them; and you shall say unto them, Thus says the LORD God.
5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them.
6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with you, and you do dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
7 And you shall speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
8 But you, son of man, hear what I say unto you; Be not you rebellious like that rebellious house: open your mouth, and eat that I give you.
9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
This mission of I am that I am (hayah hayah – literally translated, I will become whomever I will to become) is later define is specific terms telling of the LORD giving us a new heart in place of the stiff-heart we are told of in verse 4 above. The place this appears is in Ezekiel 36:26 where in the verse prior we are told by the LORD of His cleansing us from our filthiness and our idols, and this being His giving us a new Spirit and a new heart. The LORD follows by telling of it as our becoming His people, and He will be our God. The Hebrew text of verse 28 tells of it as hayah, we “shall be” His people, and, hayah, He “will be” our God.” “29 I will also save you from all your uncleanness…”
Ezekiel 36
1 Also, you son of man, prophesy unto the mountains [high places] of Israel, and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:
2 Thus says the LORD God; Because the enemy has said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:
3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the LORD God; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:
4 Therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD God; Thus says the LORD God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;
5 Therefore thus says the LORD God; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea [Edom – Esau as the one who sold his birthright], which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus says the LORD God; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because you have borne the shame of the heathen:
7 Therefore thus says the LORD God; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.
8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.
9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and you shall be tilled and sown:
10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built:
11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and you shall know that I am the LORD.
12 Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no more henceforth bereave them of men.
13 Thus says the LORD God; Because they say unto you, You land that devours up men, and have bereaved your nations:
14 Therefore you shall devour men no more, neither bereave your nations any more, says the LORD God.
15 Neither will I cause men to hear in you the shame of the heathen any more, neither shall you bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shall you cause your nations to fall any more, says the LORD God.
16 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:
19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.
21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus says the LORD God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the heathen, whither you went.
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, says the LORD God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28 And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 I will also save you from all your uncleanness: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
31 Then shall you remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
32 Not for your sakes do I this, says the LORD God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
33 Thus says the LORD God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be built.
34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.
36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.
37 Thus says the LORD God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Below I am pasting Paul’s address to the philosophers of Athens. Herein is some of the deeper meaning found in understanding the names used to contextualize the more apparent content.
Athens is from the name Athene, the goddess of wisdom, who was reputed as the founder of the city. It is the antithesis of God’s wisdom – it is ignorance of truth contrasted with truth.
Epicureans is from words with traceable meanings referring to these people being over the deep places/meanings.
Stoiks is from the same word stoicheo, meaning an orderly (conforming) march, as is stoicheion, translated as elements, principles and rudiments. It is the word we have often studied as it appears in 2 Peter 3 to tell of the “elements” that melt away in the fires created in the world by relying on their flawed self-created principles.
The argument is here presented to Areopagus, from the Greek Areios Pagos, meaning rock of Ares (the god of war), and is the same Greek word translated as Mars’ Hill.
All of this in context is telling of a war in the manner men wage it – philosophy and depth of understanding – and these as what forms the principles upon which sound doctrine and policy is founded. It is telling of this in the context of the previous post and 2 Peter. These are the things the men who now control these seats wrestle with to their own destruction. They refuse to understand they are engaged in a war they will never win and cannot survive. There is no weapon or idea made by man that can stand against the LORD. “And they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Acts 17
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seems to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof you speak, is?
20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is LORD of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he gives to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the LORD, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent:
31 Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear you again of this matter.
