EZEKIEL 10 - God’s glory departs from the temple

NOTES BY VERSE

Note: each ** comment in this document is listed in numerical order according to the verse(s) from this chapter

** Sapphire is mentioned throughout Scripture as being in the throne room of God, reflecting His glory, lapis lazuli = shines like blue sapphire but mixed with gold  <M1501>

Ezekiel 10:1 NIV

[1] I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of lapis lazuli above the vault that was over the heads of the cherubim.

Exodus 24:9-10 NIV

[9] Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up [10] and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.

Ezekiel 1:26 NIV

[26] Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.

** The marking angel was to scatter God’s wrath (fiery coal) over the city; fire did destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC  <M130>

Ezekiel 10:2 NIV

[2] The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

** Ezekiel’s vision provides a beautiful image of the glory of God in Jerusalem’s temple

Ezekiel 10:4-5 NIV

[4] Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. [5] The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.

** The wheels in Ezekiel’s vision blended entirely with one another; their instant action was in unison and the wheels were full of eyes

Ezekiel 10:9-12 NIV

[9] I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz. [10] As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. [11] As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. [12] Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels.

** There is prophecy that must be understood from a LITERAL and SYMBOLIC point of view, such as Cherubim having 4 different faces (cherub, man, lion and eagle) similar to our current day zodiac

Prophecy needs to be unpacked in order to understand across time; as Scripture says, God gives wisdom across times and seasons so prophecy has a consistent ‘time’ element that can be understood through the ages  <A10>

Ezekiel 10:14 NIV

[14] Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

Daniel 2:20-21 NIV

[20] and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. [21] He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

** Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem around 966BC at which point the glory of God entered the temple and operated there until the time of Ezekiel;  God’s glory left the temple when Ezekiel prophesied judgment on Judah (Ezek 8-11) and returned when Ezekiel prophesied future blessing on Judah (Ezek 40-46)

Ezekiel 10:18 NIV

[18] Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.

Ezekiel 43:4-5 NIV

[4] The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. [5] Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

** This portion of the vision involving cherubim most likely refers to God, as witness, administering justice to sinners; the glory of God did not reside in the cherubim but was shown above them

The vision in chapter 10 is similar to Ezekiel’s earlier vision in the first chapter  <M130>

Ezekiel 10:18-19 NIV

[18] Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. [19] While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord's house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

** After the vision of Jerusalem’s destruction, Ezekiel looked upon God’s glory departing from the temple

Ezekiel 10:18 NIV

[18] Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.