Ezekiel 1 - Bible Study, Explanation, and Application

Ezekiel 1 Bible Study

TIMELINE:

• The Book of Ezekiel opens in the 5th year of the exile of King Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin had been king in Judah but was dethroned by the Babylonians and taken as a captive. Ezekiel was amongst the other exiles from Judah. Ezekiel’s writing began 5 years before Jerusalem was totally destroyed by the Babylonians, which places its beginning in approximately 592 B.C.

• Below is a list of kings of Judah and dates for their reign:

  • Amon (642-640 BC)

  • Josiah (640-609 BC)

  • Jehoahaz (also known as Shallum, 609 BC)

  • Jehoiakim (initially known as Eliakim, 609-598 BC)

  • Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah or Coniah, 598-597 BC)

  • Zedekiah (His reign ended when Babylon conquered Judah, (597-586 BC)

MAP:

• Ezekiel, who had once planned on being a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem, was sitting by the Chebar Canal as one of the captives of Judah, when God caused him to see a vision.

OUTLINE:

• INTRODUCTION (1:1-3):

  • Ezekiel, who had once planned on being a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem, was sitting by the Chebar Canal as one of the captives of Judah, when God caused him to see a vision.

• THE 4 LIVING CREATURES (1:4-14):

  • Ezekiel saw a storm coming from the north with a great wind and fire flashing from the clouds.

  • Out of the storm came 4 living creatures. They were like humans in form, but they had 4 faces, one of a man, one of a lion, one of an ox, and one of an eagle.

  • They each had 4 wings, 2 of which covered their bodies, while the other 2 touched the wings of the other creatures.

  • Their appearance was “like burning coals of fire” (1:13). They were bright and out of their brightness came lightning.

  • The creatures moved straight forward without turning. They “darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning” (1:14).

• THE 4 WHEELS (1:15-21):

  • Beside each of the living creatures was a wheel.

  • The wheels had the appearance of being made of precious stones and their construction was “as it were a wheel within a wheel” (1:16).

  • They were covered with eyes all around.

  • The wheels were linked to the living creatures. Wherever the living creatures went, the wheels went.

• GOD’S THRONE (1:22

  • Above the living creatures was a crystal “expanse,” which shined like “awe-inspiring crystal” (1:22).

  • When the living creatures and the expanse and the wheels moved, the wings of the creatures made a sound like rushing torrents of water.

  • When the living creatures stopped, Ezekiel saw above the expanse something like a throne.

  • The throne looked like it was made of sapphire, and a human form sat on it.

  • The form looked to be made of gleaming metal above the waste and like fire from below.

  • The form was surrounded by brightness, “like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain” (1:28).

  • Ezekiel wrote, “Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking” (1:28).

APPLICATION:

• Though not provable from this text alone, this passage presents us with an interesting thought about the world we see around us.

• It could be that many of the elements of our world have parallels in the spiritual world.

• God’s throne in Ezekiel 1 was comprised of many elements of our natural world, like human forms, eyes, lions, eagles, oxen, rainbows, gemstones, metal, fire, lightning, and wings.

• Considering God is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth, it wouldn’t be strange for similarities to exist between the spiritual world and the natural world.