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Ezekiel 10

Ezekiel 10 describes Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of God’s glory from the temple in Jerusalem. In this vision, God’s throne is represented by cherubim who move with the wheels, symbolizing God’s dynamic presence and the impending judgment on Jerusalem. As God’s glory leaves the temple, the judgment becomes imminent, marking a significant moment for Israel as God prepares to withdraw His presence due to their persistent sin and idolatry.

Ezekiel 10:1-10 (NKJV)
1 And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
2 Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.
3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple 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 paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory.
5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.
6 Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels.
7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out.
8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.
9 And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a beryl stone.
10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

In this part of the vision, Ezekiel sees a throne resembling sapphire, symbolizing divine authority, above the cherubim. God instructs the man in linen to take coals and scatter them over Jerusalem, signifying judgment. The cherubim stand by as the glory of the Lord moves to the temple’s threshold, filling it with brightness and power. The sound of their wings, like God’s voice, underscores the solemnity. The vision highlights the cherubim’s human-like form and their symbolic wheels within wheels, denoting God’s mobility and omnipresence in His coming judgment.

Ezekiel 10:11-19 (NKJV)
11 When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went.
12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around.
13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.”
14 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar.
16 When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them.
17 When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.
19 And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

The cherubim, full of eyes representing divine knowledge and awareness, move seamlessly in any direction, guided by the spirit within them. Each cherub displays four faces, signifying different aspects of creation and authority. As God’s glory lifts from the temple threshold to the east gate, accompanied by the cherubim and wheels, the progression signifies God’s gradual withdrawal from Israel, a forewarning of the impending destruction due to their unfaithfulness. The symbolism reflects the weight of divine judgment and God’s reluctance in departing from His people.

Ezekiel 10:20-22 (NKJV)
20 This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim.
21 Each one had four faces and each 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 as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight forward.

Ezekiel recognizes these cherubim as the same living beings he had previously seen by the River Chebar, affirming the continuity of God’s vision to him. The cherubim's unique appearance, with four faces and wings, emphasizes their role as guardians of God’s holiness and agents in His divine plans. The description underscores their unwavering focus on God’s commands, moving directly as instructed. This vision serves to reinforce the serious nature of the judgment upon Jerusalem, as the glory of the Lord departs along with His angelic hosts.

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