Priest - Prophet - Servant of the Almighty
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 Chebar that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of Elohim. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, the word of Yahweh came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Elohim was upon him.And then he was shown a vision of a whirlwind coming from the north --
A great cloud with fire flashing, surrounded by a radiance; and in the center of it, in the midst of fire, a gleam like amber. There were also four creatures in the midst. They had the figures of human beings. However, each had four faces, and each one had four wings. The legs of each were fused into one single rigid leg with their feet forming something like a single calf's hoof (cloven).
They sparkled like the luster of polished bronze. Below their wings were human hands. The four of them had faces and wings on their four sides –their wings touched one another. They did not turn when they went, but went in the direction of any of its faces. They went wherever the spirit impelled them to go, without turning when they moved.
Each had a human face at the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle at the back. Their wings were separate: above they each had two which touched those of the others, while the other pair covered its body.
With them was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving among them. The fire had a radiance, and lightening issued from the fire. Dashing about the creatures was something that looked like flares.
And I looked at the living creatures, and saw a wheel on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their works was like the appearance of beryl, and all four had the same form. The appearance and structure of each was as of two wheels cutting through each other.
When they moved, they went in any one of four directions, they did not veer when they moved. Their rims were tall and frightening, covered all over with eyes.
And when the living creatures moved, the wheels moved at their sides. And when the creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Above the heads of the creatures was an expanse with an awe-inspiring gleam as of crystal. Under the expanse their wings were extended, one toward another and each one had a pair which covered its body. When they moved, I heard the noise of their wings, like the sound of mighty waters, like the sound of El Shaddai, a tumult like the noise of an army. From the expanse over their heads came a sound. When they stood still, they would let their wings droop.
Above the expanse over their heads was the semblance of a throne which looked as if made of sapphire. On top of this was the semblance of a human form. What appeared as from his waist up was a gleam like amber - like fire encased in a frame. From his waist down looked like fire. There was a radiance all around him, like a rainbow.
That was the appearance of the semblance of the Presence of Yahweh. When I realized Who this was, I flung myself down on my face. I heard the voice of someone speaking.
That was the appearance of the semblance of the Presence of Yahweh. When I realized Who this was, I flung myself down on my face. I heard the voice of someone speaking.
He said to me:
O mortal, stand up that I may speak to you. I am sending you to the people of Israel, that nation of rebels, who have rebelled against Me. They as well as their fathers have defied Me to this very day. You shall say to them: 'Here is what Yahweh Elohim said' (whether they listen or not, for they are a rebellious breed) but they should know there was a prophet among them. Do not fear them or their words, though thistles and thorns press against you and you sit upon scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say, but speak My Words to them, whether they listen or not.
You, mortal, heed what I say to you, do not be rebellious like them. Eat what I am giving you. (A scroll written on both sides with lamentations, dirges and woes which tasted sweet as honey). Speak My very words to them. You are speaking to the House of Israel, who are of intelligent speech and simple language, easy to understand. Yet they will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to Me.
Ezekiel returned to the exile community that lived in Tel Abib (southeast of Babylon) by the Chebar Canal and remained there. Seven days he sat there stunned by what he had seen and heard. After those seven days, Yahweh told Ezekiel:
I appoint you watchman for the House of Israel; when you hear from Me you must warn them for Me. For example, if I say to a wicked man, 'You shall die' and you do not warn him -- you do not speak to warn the wicked man of his wicked course in order to save his life -- the wicked man shall die for his iniquity, but I will require a reckoning for his blood from you. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not return back from his wickedness and his wicked course, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your own life. Same goes for a righteous man who abandons his righteousness and does wrong, when I put a stumbling block before him, he shall die for his sins; the righteous deeds that he did shall not be remembered, but because you did not warn him, I will require a reckoning for his blood from you. If, however, you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall live because he took the warning and you will have saved your own life.
Ezekiel has seen the Presence of Yahweh Elohim and was chosen by Yahweh to be a watchman for the House of Israel, to warn them of the error of their ways in order to save their lives; to return to the Instructions for Righteous Living given by Yahweh Elohim. Choosing Life is a theme, if not the main theme, that runs throughout Scriptures and still applies to us in this day and age. Many of us are stiff necked, stubborn and rebellious.
