Ezekiel 1:13

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. AS FOR THE LIKENESS ... THEIR APPEARANCE - not tautology. "Likeness" expresses the general form; "appearance," the particular aspect. WAS LIKE BURNING COALS OF FIRE - denoting the intensely pure and burning justice wherewith God punishes, by His angels, those who, like Israel, have hardened themselves against His long-suffering. So in Isaiah 6:1 (if the seraphim be the same as the cherubim), instead of cherubim, the name "seraphim," the burning ones, is applied, indicating God's consuming righteousness; whence their cry to Him is, "Holy, holy, holy!" and the burning coal is applie...

As I said yesterday, something divine ought to shine forth in this vision, because God set forth the face of a man and of an ox, of an eagle and of a lion, and in this he accommodates himself to the stupidity of the people, as I have said, and also to the capacity of the Prophet, because, as we are men, we cannot penetrate beyond the sky. God therefore bore in mind his Prophet, and all the pious, while, at the same time, he wished indirectly to reprove the people’s sluggishness. At the same time, if the face of a man had not been different from common forms, the vision had not excited such admiration in the mind of the Prophet. Hence something heavenly ought to be mixed with the earthly figures. This is the reason why the living creatures were _like burning fire _Now we begin to understand what this difference means; as when God appeared to Moses, if there had been nothing wonderful in i...

1-14 It is a mercy to have the word of God brought to us, and a duty to attend to it diligently, when we are in affliction. The voice of God came in the fulness of light and power, by the Holy Spirit. These visions seem to have been sent to possess the prophet's mind with great and high thoughts of God. To strike terror upon sinners. To speak comfort to those that feared God, and humbled themselves. In ver. Ezekiel 1:4, is the first part of the vision, which represents God as attended and served by a vast company of angels, who are all his messengers, his ministers, doing his commandments. This vision would impress the mind with solemn awe and fear of the Divine displeasure, yet raise expectations of blessings. The fire is surrounded with a glory. Though we cannot by searching find out God to perfection, yet we see the brightness round about it. The likeness of the living creatures came...

Verse Ezekiel 1:13. _LIKE BURNING COALS OF FIRE_] The whole substance appeared to be of flame; and among them frequent coruscations of fire, like vibrating lamps, often emitting lightning, or rather sparks of fire, as we have seen struck out of strongly ignited iron in a forge. The flames might be something like what is called _warring wheels_ in pyrotechny. They seemed to conflict together....

LAMPS - “like the appearance of” flames. Omit the “and” before “like.” The “bright flames” resembled “coals of fire.” IT WENT UP - i. e. “fire went up.”...

EXPOSITION For the life of the prophet prior to the vision which this chapter relates, and which constituted his call to that office, see Introduction. EZEKIEL 1:1 NOW; literally, _and. _The use of the conjunction indicates here, as in Jonah 1:1, that the narrative that follows links itself on to something that has gone before. In Exodus 1:1 and 1 Samuel 1:1 it may point to a connection with the book that precedes it. Here the sequence is subjective. We may think of Ezekiel as retracing the years of his life till he comes to the thirtieth. Then, as it were, he pulls himself up. That must be t

AS FOR THE LIKENESS OF THE LIVING CREATURES,.... That is, of their bodies; for their faces, feet, hands, and wings are described before: THEIR APPEARANCE [WAS] LIKE BURNING COALS OF FIRE: because of their ministerial gifts; the gifts of the Spirit are compared to fire, and like coals of fire are to be stirred up, and not covered or quenched; Acts 2:3; and because of their clear shining light in the truths of the Gospel; and because of their ardent love to Christ, and the souls of men; the coals whereof give a most vehement flame, which all the waters of reproach and persecution cannot quench, Song of Solomon 8:6; and because of their burning zeal for the glory of God, and the interest of the Redeemer; hence they are called "seraphim", fiery or burning...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. PREDICTIONS BEFORE THE FALL OF JERUSALEM A. judgment Predictions Concerning Jerusalem (1-24) Chapter S 1:1-3:14 The Vision of Glory and the Call of the Prophet _ 1. The introduction (Ezekiel 1:1) _ 2. The vision of glory (Ezekiel 1:4) 3. Ezekiel's call and commission (Ezekiel 2:1) 4. The roll eaten and the repeated commission (Ezekiel 2:9; Ezekiel 3:1) Ezekiel 1:1. The introductory words give

EZEKIEL 1-3. EZEKIEL ENTERS UPON HIS MINISTRY. Ezekiel 1:1. Ezekiel's Vision. Ezekiel 1:1. Like the prophets generally, Ezekiel enters upon his ministry only after he has had a vision of God and a call from Him. The book, therefore, appropriately opens with a description of these experiences. They took place in the thirtieth year a difficult phrase: perhaps the thirtieth year of the prophet's life in any case in 592 B.C., the fifth year after Jehoiachin and the leading citizens of Judah had been carried captive into Babylon (2 Kings 24:10 Ezekiel 1:16). Among them was Ezekiel, who whether or not a priest himself, c

LAMPS. the lamp; or, torch (singular) WENT FORTH. kept going forth....