Ezekiel 10:18-22

D. The Departure of the Divine Presence 10:18-22

TRANSLATION

(18) And the glory of the LORD went out from over the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubim. (19) And the cherubim lifted their wings and they went up from the earth in my presence; when they went out, the wheels were beside them; and it stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the house of the LORD, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. (20) These were the living creatures which I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. (21) Each had four faces, and each had four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. (22) And the likeness of their faces were the faces which I saw beside the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; each went straight forward.

COMMENTS

The throne-chariot was ready for the Royal Rider. The glory cloud took its place again upon that throne, and the departure began (Ezekiel 10:18). The departure route was by way of the east gate of the Temple, where for a time the throne-chariot stood (Ezekiel 10:19). The east gate was the most important gate since it faced the front of the Temple. The temporary stand at the eastern exit has no further significance other than to dramatize the divine departure. The departure clears the way for the destruction of the city. Through this same gate Ezekiel would later see the glory of the Lord return to His Temple (Ezekiel 43:4).

In the last three verses of chapter 10 Ezekiel underscores the fact that the throne-chariot which he saw here in the Temple was the same which he had seen in his first vision by the river Chebar. The living creatures[246] were cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20) each of which had four faces, four wings and the likeness of man's hand under their wings (Ezekiel 10:21). The faces of the creatures in both visions were the same as was the fact that the heavenly vehicle could move straight forward in any of the four directions which the four faces faced (Ezekiel 10:22).

[246] Singular in Hebrew used collectively