Ezekiel's Calling

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Ezekiel's calling is verified in Chapter 1, verses 1 and 2, but not all agree as to the exact date. Most scholars believe that it occurred 5 years after his captivity which occurred at the same time as the captivity of King Jehoiachin which was 597 BC. This would date his calling at June 5, 592 BC. It was the Sabbath Day. Ezekiel was with other Jewish exiles in the city of Tel-Abib on the Chebar River. It was here that Ezekiel had his vision.

Ezekiel's Vision. In the vision, Ezekiel saw a "whirlwind". Elijah went up into heaven via a whirlwind (II Kings 2:11). Enoch was "translated via a whirlwind (Heb. 11:5) God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind. Notice that out of this whirlwind came fire and out of the fire came four living creatures. They had the form of man but each had four faces and four wings. Under the wings, they had four human hands. Of the faces, one looked like a man's, one looks like a lion's, one looked like an ox and one looked like an eagle. Their feet were like calf's feet. In the midst of the four creatures was something that looked like burning coals.

Then Ezekiel saw four wheels, one for each of the creatures. The wheels were of standard construction, having rims, hubs and spokes but in appearance, they were like wheels within wheels. They could go in any direction without turning, and they went everywhere that the creatures went.

Now, what was this that Ezekiel saw?

  1. The fire, out of which the creatures came, was the presence of God.
  2. The creatures were "Cherubim" or "Seraphim" which was a likeness that God saw fit to use to instruct and lead Ezekiel. They represented the four creatures of the earth.
    1. Man, representing the Spirit of God.
    2. The Lion, representing wild beasts.
    3. The Ox, representing tame animals.
    4. The Eagle, representing the fowls of the air.

    They had the understanding of a Man, the strength of a Lion, the diligence of an Ox and the quickness and sight plus the ability to "soar" of an Eagle.

Each one had four wings which represented faith, hope, righteousness and dedication. All joined together as tokens of perfect unity and oneness of purpose.

They had the hands of a man fitted for service and the feet of a calf which are swift of motion.

The four creatures went straight forward, each to his own work and Ezekiel was able to see them by their own light for their appearance was like burning coals of fire, also there were lamps that went up and down among them.

The second part of the vision was that of wheels. At first they appeared to be four single wheels, then as he looked, he could see a wheel within a wheel. Each wheel faced in four directions, north, south, east and west. They were the color of the sea, denoting man's limited vision and understanding. They represented the Providence of God. The acts of Providence are intricate, perplexing and unaccountable to the human mind, yet they are all Divinely ordered. They never had to turn back from any direction that they went, there were never any mistakes, and they were "Spirit led".

Notice they were not living creatures but responded, never the less, identically to the actions of the four living creatures. They moved when the creatures moved and stopped when the creatures stopped, sometimes in the air and sometimes on the ground. This was because they were guided by the same power that guides the Angels, the power of God that also guides the motions of everything in this lower world. Note also, they were full of eyes, denoting that the events of Providence do not just happen.

Above these creatures, Ezekiel saw a "firmament". This was the separation between God and man. God was above the firmament and at that time it would appear that the Angels were below the firmament. Ezekiel heard the noise of the Angel's wings which got his attention so that he could hear what God was about to say.

Now, why did God cause Ezekiel to see this vision? What was its purpose? It was God's way of making Himself known to the Prophet. No man can see God and live but we can see displays of his divine power and glory. Those whom God calls, He equips. He was about to call Ezekiel to strike terror in the hearts of the Jews, to bring them to repentance and to speak comfort to those who feared God by promising them ultimate deliverance. God had impressed Ezekiel with His power and glory. He had opened Ezekiel's mind and now he was able to understand the Lord's instructions. The vision was the Providence of God, designed to open up ears to the voice of His word.

Hearing a voice coming out of the firmament, Ezekiel looks up and sees "one like unto the Son of Man". Ezekiel saw the "Glory of Christ" above the firmament indicating the position of the Redeemer before the Incarnation. Like the Apostle John in his Revelation, the first thing that Ezekiel saw was a throne and on the throne he saw the appearance of a man. Fire appeared to surround the throne and a rainbow was overhead. Notice that Ezekiel is careful not to say that he saw the Lord, only the Glory of the Lord, and when he saw it he fell upon his face.

All that Ezekiel saw in this first chapter was to prepare him for what he was about to hear. Faith comes by hearing. The remaining 23 chapters of this section record what God told Ezekiel concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. The following is a summary of those 23 chapters.


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