Most people are living as if there is no tomorrow. Living in a selfish pursuit of happiness. Most of all people tell themselves there’s no God, and that it’s their life, after all. Their attitude is that of, ‘rather apologize than ask permission.’ But God promises in His Word that, “9- …The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not. 10- And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head” (Ezekiel 9:9-10 KJV). God promise judgment on those who harden their hearts and keep on living in sin.
It feels as if the book of Ezekiel is out of order. But on closer study it isn’t. For in Ezekiel 10 (the piece I’m discussing today), we see the same creatures that we saw in the first chapter. But here is a clear difference. In verse 1, we read again of “the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims, and the “appearance of the likeness of a throne.” As you will remember in my blog piece, ‘Vision of Strange Images, Part 3,’ we saw that it is Jesus returning in the heavens, and you will know that He is coming. This will be the rapture, and He will be reaping the harvest (us). The rest of the piece seems to be following straight after the rapture.
Jesus will give a command to “the man clothed with linen,” (please see my blog, ‘Postage Paid’). This man’s (scribe), first task was to place a mark on the forehead of all the people who cry out against the abominations taking place. But a new task is bestowed on this scribe: He should “go in between the wheels [of the creature], even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city (Ezekiel 10:2). Isaiah (47:13-15) also spoke of fire and coals, stating that, the ones that are leading the people astray will be burned by fiery coals, and that no one will escape.
David prophesied in Psalms 18:13-14 (KJV) about all who stand as enemy to God’s people. We read: “The Lord thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice: hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.”
Habakkuk reiterated the same sentiment, but also remind us that His power will be hidden from our sight (hands under the wings). We read: “His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet” (Habakkuk 3:3-5, KJV). Fire is a method of purification, a cleansing rite for Him who is coming. We also, need to realize that this city isn’t just one particular city but refers to cities and towns around the world.
These creatures, in verse 3- “stood on the right side of the house.” We already learned that being on the ‘right’-side, is a place of importance, in other word these creatures has an important purpose in the plans of God. And they stood at the side of the house, or house of God. Jesus called all those who believed in Him a house. We can see that if “a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”(Mark 3:24-25, KJV). Making all churches, denominations, and organisations that serve and testify about Jesus Christ, the living house of God. We need to stand together against our common enemy, and put on the full armor of God.
However, the verse goes on, saying, “…the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.” The inner court is the Holy place, and the cloud (the presence of the Glory of the Lord) filled this place, just like in 1 Kings 8:10-12. Please note that the man, with hands filled with fiery coals, went in first, cleansing the House of God. As God’s presence enters, over the threshold of the inner sanctum we read that the court was filled with brightness (verse 4). “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8, KJV). Jesus will come and expose the wickedness of this world and everyone will bow and know that He is the true King.
Inside the House of God, Jesus spoke again (verse 5) and told the scribe to “Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims”(verse six). And the man did as he was told to do. It is sometimes hard to do what God expects you to do, for example, telling people about the Word of God and about Jesus. But most times you will find that even in that you’ll find that God will help or send help. For in verse 7 we find that– “…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.”
The man went out of the House to do the will of God. Please also read Revelations 8 about the fiery coals. My firm belief is that this scribe is the same angel holding the golden censer with the ‘prayers of the saints,’ which will be filled with fire from the altar (inside the House of God), and cast onto the earth. The earth will experience “voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” (Rev 8:5). This will precede the seven trumpets that will cause fiery hail stones, a burning mountain from the sea, a burning star falling to the earth, which will cause the darkened sky (Rev 8:7-12).
These cherubim or creatures that Ezekiel is describing is the same as the ones he saw earlier in Ezekiel 1. For he states in verse 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.” But there is an obvious difference. 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.” The first had the face of man, lion, ox and eagle. Both ox and cherubs are there to serve the Lord, making this the same as the first one we read about.
Inside the temple we find these same figures used in the panels of the temple, as we read: “…between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims” (1 Kings 7:28-29 KJV). When the temple were built, the only way for salvation was through sacrifice and works, but after Jesus died for us on the cross, the eagle were added as redemption. We also need to keep in mind all these creatures have one purpose and that is to do the works of God.
Oh Wheel: These creatures had four wheels, the colour of beryl (verse 9), and as we also saw in Ezekiel 1, this creature “had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel” (10). Similar wheels are found inside the Temple as we see in 1 Kings 7:32-33 (KJV), “And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.” Wheels are there to make movement of objects easier, as these wheels create forward and upward movement for these creatures. But as you might have read in my earlier work of ‘Vision of Strange Images,’ wheels are also used in the threshing process. And that is why they cry out in verse 13, “As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.” It is with sorrow that this [threshing] is done, for many will be trialed in this threshing process, in which the wheat and the chaff will be separated. We need to note that these creatures will be working within the House of God.
In 1 Kings 8 we see that the Holy presence of God filled the temple, but in Ezekiel 10, verse 18, we find that “...the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.” This is truly a sad sight to behold. Ezekiel went on describing the process of God leaving the church, as I imagine it must have been for Jesus’ disciples staring up into heaven after Jesus’ departure (we read in Acts 1).
But with the departure, there is the hope. The hope for the return of the Lord. In anticipation the creature stood at the door of the east gate, as we read in the following verse: 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. And from the east then will come our salvation and restoration. But who will remain standing till that day happens?
My prayer for you, is that you will accept Jesus Christ into your heart, so that He can purify you from the inside out. He is ready to forgive us our sins. Please don’t wait till it is too late. #GodCanDoThis
Notes:
https://bible.com/bible/1/ezk.9.9-10.KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/ezk.10.1-22.KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1ki.7.28-29.KJV
Lightbearer's Quest 