Old Testament Commentary - Ezekiel 10

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
           CHAPTER 10            

He sees, in vision, as afotetime, the wheels and the cherubims, and the throne and the glory of God.

 1 THEN I looked, and, behold, in the afirmament 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 bthrone.
 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 ascatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
 3 Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
 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 acloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD's glory.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 8 ¶ And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings.
 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 awheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.
 10 And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.
 11 When they awent, they went bupon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the chead looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.
 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.
 13 As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.
 14 And every one had four facesa: the first face was the face of a acherub, 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.
 15 And the cherubims awere lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of bChebar.
 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.
 14a evey one had four faces Now these four faces where said to be of a man, lion, ox and eagle in Ezekiel 1:10 and in Revelation 4:7-8 the faces were listed as a lion, a calf [ox], a man, and a flying eagle. But here in Ezekiel 10:14 the faces are listed as being a cherub, a man, a lion, and an eagle. A cherub may signify an order of angel of God. But why has a 'cherub' taken the place of the ox/calf as the fourth face of God? True these four faces have been given various meanings of significance. One is the four facial direcion of the 'camp of Isreal'. Epharim as the lead tribe upon the west of the camp was the calf/or/cherub, Reuben as the lead tribe upon the south of the camp was the man, Dan as the lead tribe upon the north of the camp was the eagle, and Judah as the lead tribe upon the east of the camp was the lion. A second proposal of meanings is that this is the 'four faces as aspects of Christ or God. As the Ox/calf/cherub, Christ stands as the Heir of the Covenant, the Firstborn and the chose one as the Savior of the world, in this, this is Messiah ben Joseph the suffering servant who fulfills the requirement of the atonement for the redemption of man. As the man Christ stands as the son of man in being the son of Adam and also the dual entity of being 'The Son of Man', that is the Only Begotten Son of the Father of Spirits in the flesh. The Father being that 'Man of Holiness'. This represents Christ's dual capability of being mortal and capable of dying as the son of woman or Mary and also having the capability of immortality given him as being the very literal Son of God and so on. As the eagle Christ is that very judge as Dan means judge. He is the judge of heaven and earth as given him by the Father for having completed all that the Father had given him by covenant to do (See Zechariah 3 commentary). He rules over the earth and the serpent is subject unto him, thatis by the wings of the eagle will the serpent's bit be swept away. He is the just Son of Righteousness with both judgment and mercy whereby justice may be satisfied in his judgment. And as the lion he stands as Messiah ben David/Judah, the heir to the throne of not only Israel but to the corresponding throne of God. And he doew rule and reign to command and to be obeyed unto righteousness over the children of men. (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph Chapter Section 125. The Four Faces or Aspects of Christ). Now as to the cherub for the ox/calf of Ephraim, might not this be Christ as the heir of the priesthood covenant, as the Great High Priest and of that order of angel which is ordered after the Son of Man, even the higher priesthood order of angels which rule in heaven as Gods accompanied by Goddesses?
 17 When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the aspirit of the living creature was in them.
 18 Then the aglory of the LORD bdeparted from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.
 19 And the acherubims 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 beast gate of the LORD's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
 20 This is the aliving creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.
 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.
 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.