Wheel within the Wheel

[justfaith]

How have different commentators interpreted and understood this imagery over the years?

 

How was this prophecy relevant to Ezekiel's original audience and his overall prophetic message?

 

What is the meaning of the faces ?

 

Are these ceatures literal ?

 

Why Flame, thunder, lightning.? not water or other elements 

 

Ezekiel 1 King James Version (KJV)

 

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 infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour 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 colour 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 colour 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.

Edited September 30, 2014 by justfaith

[Marilyn C]

Hi justfaith,

 

Interesting question. I`m sure you`ll get the Hebrew scholars giving us their scholarly work.

 

My thoughts are that all scripture concerns Christ & His purposes.  So looking at the context we see similar aspects of the description of Christ in Ez. 1: 26 - 28 to the Apostle John`s vision in Rev. 1: 15 &  4: 3 - the `glowing metal,` & the `rainbow.` These are symbolic of `judgment,` & `God`s Covenant.` Reading further in Ezekiel we can see this judgment taking place to the `rebellious house,` (Ez. 2: 5)

 

As regards the `faces,` & the` creatures,` these are I believe, Christ`s Spirit of Life, shown separately as four but in reality blended majestically into one Royal Divine person, the Lord Jesus Christ. (see also Rev. 4: 7 & 8)

 

Christ the King - Lion.

Christ the sacrifice (heir) - Bull, calf.

Christ the Mediator - Man.

Christ the Creator - Eagle.

 

The `wings` (movement) & the eyes, ( spiritual insight) the `wheels,` represent the four ministries of Christ that are functioning continually by the Holy Spirit, with all wisdom & knowledge, displaying God`s holiness. 

 

For Christ to fulfil God`s plan, His covenant to man, Christ needs to function in each area.

[Sister]

Just faith

 

Ezekiel got a glimpse of God's actual throne.  It's a chariot with wheels, and these unusual looking heavenly spirit creatures travel with him wherever he goes. They are called cherubims

 

[other one]

to me he is describing a tank.

[Persuaded]

Yes, cherubim. Also seen in Isa 6 (he calls them "seraphim"), the Garden, over the Mercy Seat of the tabernacle (and woven into the fabric of the inner covering), and in Rev 4, always accompanying or signifying the presence of God.

Also, interestingly, in the wilderness the tribes were instructed to camp on four sides of the tabernacle, in four groups of three tribes. Each tribe had a symbol it displayed on a flag. The lead tribes of the four camps, the tribes that faced the tabernacle, bore flags depicting a lion (Judah), a man, an ox, and an eagle. (I don't remember the other tribe affiliations offhand, it's easy to look up).

The four gospels are seen as portraying Christ as King (Messiah, Matthew), a man (Luke), a servant (Mark), and as God (John). The classic symbols for those four roles are the lion, man, ox, and eagle.

Ezekiel was a priest, seeing a vision. It's reasonable to interpret this with some levitical symbolism, but the text generally interprets the elements that are described. Mostly I just see this as Ezekiel trying to put into words things that were difficult to describe.

[alien224]

Cherubim and Seraphim are two different beings.

[Sister]

Cherubim and Seraphim are two different beings.

 

Yes, the seraphim have six wings, and the cherubim have four wings.  The description of Ezekiel 1 seems to be the same as in Ezekiel 10 which are called cherubim.

 

Ezekiel 10:14   And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

Ezekiel 10:15   And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.

Ezekiel 10:16   And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.

Ezekiel 10:17   When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

Ezekiel 10:18   Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.

 

 

 Ezekiel 1:6   And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

 Ezekiel 1:7   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 colour of burnished brass.

 Ezekiel 1:8   And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

 Ezekiel 1:9   Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

 Ezekiel 1:10   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.

 Ezekiel 1:11   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.

[Hindsfeet]

A slightly different view-  I see the wheel within a wheel to be describing the Mazzaroth (todays word would be Zodiac).  The four creatures being (living) constellations Leo, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius. - all 12 of these 'signs/constellations are basic to the lunar calendar (Gods calendar vs pagan Solar) and also representative of the twelve tribes of Israel. These also tell the fascinating story of the Gospel in the stars.

I agree this is the Throne of God.

[Persuaded]

It might be the case that they are different- I wouldn't insist that they are the same, but it seems more likely they are.

They are more similar than different, with four or six wings, eyes all around, having coal (Isa 6 and Eze 10), and again the association with the throne of God which almost becomes one of His titles- "He who dwells between the cherubim".

"Seraph(im)" is also the word for fiery serpent, used in Num 21 and Deu 8. I see Ezekiel using a word that evokes what he thinks those looked like, to describe what he sees in this vision. I imagine the tabernacle and temple (carved) cherubim were beautiful, and quite different than these in Ezekiel's vision.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Persuaded

[justfaith]

 

Just faith

 

Ezekiel got a glimpse of God's actual throne.  It's a chariot with wheels, and these unusual looking heavenly spirit creatures travel with him wherever he goes. They are called cherubims

 

 

Does the devil look like these creatures ?