EZEKIEL LESSON 10


     We will begin this lesson in Ezekiel 10:1 "Then I looked, and,
behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims
there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the
appearance of the likeness of a throne."

     This is Ezekiel speaking. This chapter is a continuation of the
vision that Ezekiel had in the last chapter. It is as if one stage is
coming into his view at a time. God shows him one setting, and then
another. The sapphire, here, is a blue stone, speaking of the
heavenlies. Then, this is a vision of the throne in heaven.

     Ezekiel 10:2 "And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and
said, Go in between the wheels, [even] under the cherub, and fill
thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter
[them] over the city. And he went in in my sight."

     The Lord Jesus Christ is in the inside wheel in the books of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, represented by the four faces. This man
dressed in white, is either speaking of Jesus, or His angel. These
coals of fire inside the wheel are the very presence of God. We must
continue to remember, this is a vision. Sometimes, things which seem
strange to the natural man, are in the visions from God. We must look
at their symbolic meaning, instead of their literal meaning to
understand. The high priest was the only one allowed to go into the
near presence of God in the holy of holies. Jesus is the great High
Priest. Perhaps, the man clothed in linen is speaking of Jesus. Jesus
is the doer part of the Godhead. He is the Creator, as we read in John
chapter 1. He, or His angel, will bring the fire from the altar. The
"scattering of the fire over the city" symbolizes the destruction by
fire of Jerusalem.

     Ezekiel 10:3 "Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the
house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court."

     "The cloud filled the inner court" is speaking of the Shechinah
glory of God which filled the court. The cherubims in this position
indicate the presence of God is prepared to leave this place. This
right hand would be the south and would make the cherubim face east.

     Ezekiel 10:4 "Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub,
[and stood] over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled
with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S
glory."

     The cherubs or cherubims have to do with the holiness of God.
They are in total worship to God over the mercy seat in the holy of
holies. The cherubim had been on either side of the glory of God. Now,
the glory of God has moved to the exit of the house. The brightness of
the LORD's glory is speaking of a presence of the Light of God. This
Light does away with all darkness.

     Ezekiel 10:5 "And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard
[even] to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he
speaketh."

     The wings of the cherubims were very wide. The ones in the holy
place were 7 and one-half feet across, on each wing. The movement of
these wings would make a very loud sound. The voice of Almighty God
had been likened to thunder. This is a very loud sound then.

     Ezekiel 10:6 "And it came to pass, [that] when he had commanded
the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels,
from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the
wheels."

     When the man clothed with linen was commanded of God to go and
get the fire, He obeyed. He first stood beside the wheels.

     Ezekiel 10:7 "And [one] cherub stretched forth his hand from
between the cherubims unto the fire that [was] between the cherubims,
and took [thereof], and put [it] into the hands of [him that was]
clothed with linen: who took [it], and went out."

     This is similar to the seraphim that took the fire and put it on
the mouth of Isaiah. Isaiah 6:6 "Then flew one of the seraphims unto
me, having a live coal in his hand, [which] he had taken with the
tongs from off the altar:"  Isaiah 6:7 "And he laid [it] upon my
mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is
taken away, and thy sin purged."  This fire was in the hands of the
man in linen. Judgement is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is the Judge of the whole world.

     Ezekiel 10:8  "And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a
man's hand under their wings."

     We dealt with this in an earlier lesson, that it is Jesus that
raises them to heaven.

     Ezekiel 10:9 "And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the
cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another
cherub: and the appearance of the wheels [was] as the colour of a
beryl stone."

     Beryl is speaking of deep green like an emerald. Green symbolizes
the earth. The presence of God reaches to the earth.

     Ezekiel 10:10 "And [as for] their appearances, they four had one
likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel."

     The hub of the wheel was a wheel itself, as we studied in chapter
1. The center hub of the wheel was Jesus in the books of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John.

     Ezekiel 10:11 "When they went, they went upon their four sides;
they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked
they followed it; they turned not as they went."

     The entire Bible {the outer wheel} is controlled by the hub of
the wheel {Jesus in the 4 gospels}. All of the Bible is connected to
this hub. When the hub {head} turns, they all turn.

     Ezekiel 10:12 "And their whole body, and their backs, and their
hands, and their wings, and the wheels, [were] full of eyes round
about, [even] the wheels that they four had."

     The "eyes" symbolize wisdom. The many eyes coming from the wheel
represent the wisdom that is throughout all the books of the Bible.
Four indicates universal. The Bible's wisdom is for all mankind.

     Ezekiel 10:13 "As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my
hearing, O wheel."

     This cry, O wheel, is in awe of the Word of God which the wheel
symbolizes.

     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."

     This cherub symbolizes the same as the work of the calf. They are
working to protect the holiness. The book of Mark shows the work of
Jesus in the miracles He did. The faces are the books of Matthew {lion
of tribe of Judah}, the face of a man {the manhood of Jesus in Luke}.
The face of the eagle {The Word as God in the book of John}.

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

     This is just explaining that the vision here, and the vision in
chapter one of the presence of God in the wheels are the same.

     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."

     You cannot separate the Spirit of God and His Word. The spoken
and the written Word of God is the manifestation of His power. The 4
Gospels are the focal point of the Bible. The entire Bible focuses on
these 4 books. More accurately, the entire Bible focuses on Jesus in
these 4 books. These cherubims show the importance of keeping God's
Word holy. Holiness and the Bible teachings go together.

     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."

     The Spirit of the Gospels is in the Word of God throughout the
Bible.

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

     This is the beginning of the departure of the presence of God
from the temple. The presence of God is in His Word.

     Ezekiel 10:19 "And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and
mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels
also [were] beside them, and [every one] stood at the door of the east
gate of the LORD'S house; and the glory of the God of Israel [was]
over them above."

     This vision is showing Ezekiel, that no longer will these people
be the only ones with the Word of God. God has left the temple. They
left Him and His teachings in the Word first. Now, He has totally
removed His presence from the temple. He goes out the east gate. He is
coming back the same way He went out. Jesus will enter this eastern
gate, when He enters Jerusalem as King of kings and Lord of lords. It
is interesting that, that particular gate is blocked up today with
stones. When the Lord comes back to the earth and puts His feet on
mount Olives, the mountain will cleave in two.

     Ezekiel 10:20 "This [is] the living creature that I saw under the
God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they [were] the
cherubims."

     Somehow the cherubims and the Word of God in the Scriptures are
intertwined.  The cherubims symbolize the holiness of the Word of God.

     Ezekiel 10:21 "Every one had four faces apiece, and every one
four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man [was] under their
wings."

    The four faces are the four Gospels. The hands lifting up are
those of the Lord who lift up to heaven.

     Ezekiel 10:22 "And the likeness of their faces [was] the same
faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and
themselves: they went every one straight forward."

     This is the same as what Ezekiel saw in chapter 1.













                         Ezekiel 10 Questions


1.  The sapphire is blue, which symbolizes the __________.
2.  Verse 1 is a vision of what?
3.  The ______ ______ ______ is in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
4.  They are the ________ of the wheel.
5.  What was the man in linen to do with the coals of fire?
6.  Who was the only one who could go into the near presence of God in
    the temple?
7.  _________ is the High Priest.
8.  What does John chapter 1 tell us about Jesus?
9.  What does the "scattering of the fire over the city" symbolize?
10. What is "the cloud filled the inner court"?
11. What do the cherubims have to do with?
12. The brightness of the glory is speaking of what?
13. How large was each wing of the cherubims in the temple?
14. The voice of Almighty God sounds like _________.
15. Quote Isaiah chapter 6 verse 6.
16. Judgement is in the hands of the ________ ________ ________.
17. The appearance of the wheels was the colour of _________.
18. What was the hub of the wheel?
19. The outer wheel is controlled by the _____.
20. What do the "eyes" symbolize?
21. How did the four faces, in verse 14 here, differ from the four
    faces in chapter 1 of Ezekiel?
22. What is verse 15 explaining?
23. What is the focal point of the Bible?
24. The spirit of the living creatures was in what?
25. What is verse 19 showing?
26. What gate will Jesus enter, when He comes to the earth as King of
    kings?
27. If it is blocked today, what will happen to open it?
28. The cherubims symbolize what?