Ezekiel Chapter 1 … Motivation

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar (Kebar), that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

For the Hebrew the fourth month would have been the equivalence of our modern month of July. The chapter mainly describes the vision of the “wheels within wheels” and the appearance of the divine beings (often referred to as cherubim) that Ezekiel saw in his vision. The big question is What event marks the 13th year in Ezekiel?

So, When was the book of Ezekiel written? Ezekiel was likely written between 593 and 571 BCE. Ezekiel, the prophet, was a priest and a prophet who lived in exile in Babylon after the first Babylonian invasion of Judah in 597 BCE. During this period, he received a series of prophetic visions and messages, which he recorded.

If the fact of the 597 BCE invasion is the reference point Ezekiel uses then we can take 13 years from that date. This brings us to 584 BCE which lands us in the reported period. This has given us the possibility of a firm date when Ezekiel received this prophecy, July 5^th, 584 BCE.

² In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,

In 597 BCE, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, the Babylonian forces besieged Jerusalem, and Jehoiachin surrendered after a short reign of only three months. As a result of the surrender, Jehoiachin, along with a significant number of his court officials, military leaders, and skilled workers, was taken into captivity and deported to Babylon. This event is described in 2 Kings 24:10-16 and 2 Chronicles 36:9-10 in the Bible.

• 2 Chronicles 36:9-10 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

I am still trying to figure out what an eight-year-old monarch could possibly do to enrage God to this point. Stories like The Prince and the Pauper, or, The Boy who would be King do not expose all the troubles facing a young ruler either. Only thing I can come up with at this juncture is he allowed people to “do as thou wilt” the theme of the Antichrist.

The year benchmark is still at question. Math time. The 5^th year of his reign would be roughly 592 BCE making the 13th year, as mentioned, generally 605 BC. So what was significant about 605 BCE?

Nebuchadnezzar II, also known as Nebuchadnezzar the Great, reigned as the king of Babylon from 605 BCE to 562 BCE. He was one of the most prominent and powerful rulers of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar’s reign is particularly significant in biblical history as he played a crucial role in the destruction of Jerusalem, the exile of the Jews to Babylon, and the subsequent events described in the books of Jeremiah, Daniel, and other biblical texts.

To the disdain of many Bible naysayers who would claim contradiction in those verses;

we can determine without doubt each verse can stand on its own merit.

³ The word of the Lord came expressly (specifically) unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.

The Chebar, which means “Lengthy, far off” river, which joins the Euphrates, near Nippur in Central Iraq. Curiously enough the definition of Nippur is “Enlil’s City.” Enlil is an ancient Mesopotamian god associated with wind, air, earth, and storms. He is first attested as the chief deity of the Sumerian pantheon, but he was later worshipped by the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Hurrians.

The cult of Enlil fell into decline after Nippur was sacked by the Elamites in 1230 BC and he was eventually supplanted as the chief god of the Mesopotamian pantheon by the Babylonian national god Marduk.

⁴ And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind (violent breath) came out of the north (darkness), a great cloud, and a fire infolding (circling) itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour (visible) of amber (bronze or polished spectrum metal), out of the midst of the fire.

• Genesis 1:3-4 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

⁵ Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. (These are the cherubim that protect the ark of covenant in heaven.)

⁶ And everyone had four faces, and everyone had four wings.

⁷ And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour (vision) of burnished brass. (intensely bright)

⁸ And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

• Revelation 4:1-9” After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever”

⁹ Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward.

¹⁰ As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

This is the way the tribes camped in the exodus …North was Dan/Eagle, East is Judah/Lion, South was Rueben/Man, West was Ephraim/Ox.

¹¹ Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. (making a perfect circle of complete protection)

¹² And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

¹³ As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. (they were carrying this brilliance from heaven)

¹⁴ And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

• Psalm 97:3-5 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
• Daniel 10:5-7” and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.”

¹⁵ Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels and their work (action) was like unto the colour of a beryl (sapphire): and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

The “wheels”, in my personal opinion, are platforms consistent with the Throne Room of YHVH.

• Revelation 21:19-21 “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.”

¹⁷ When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.

¹⁸ As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes (windows) round about them four.

¹⁹ And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

²⁰ Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

²¹ When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Is it possible that these Cherubim are expressions of YHVH’s character? There are four archangels who hold significant roles these are their names and meanings in Hebrew:

• Michael (מִיכָאֵל): Michael’s name means “Who is like God?” or “Who is like El?” (El being one of the names for God in Hebrew). He is often depicted as a warrior and a protector. Michael is associated with defending and safeguarding God’s people and leading the heavenly armies against evil forces.
• Gabriel (גַּבְרִיאֵל): Gabriel’s name means “God is my strength” or “Hero of God.” He is known as a messenger and is mentioned in various religious texts delivering important announcements. Gabriel is associated with revealing divine mysteries and guiding prophets.
• Raphael (רְפָאֵל): Raphael’s name means “God heals” or “Healing of God.” He is known as a healer and helper, bringing God’s restorative powers to those in need.
• Uriel (אוּרִיאֵל): The name Uriel means “God is my light” or “Light of God.” Uriel is considered the fourth archangeland he is associated with wisdom, illumination, and guiding human understanding.

Again it is my opinion; The ‘Spirit’ that moves in and through the ‘wheels’ is

none other than the Everlasting Creative Spirit of YHVH.

²² And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal (diamond), stretched forth over their heads above.

The firmament is the Earth, which according to Genesis 1:8, is the Heaven that YHVH created for His interaction with mankind. These four archangels are the support of the four corners of the earth.

• Isaiah 11:1-2,11-13 “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.”

Assyria was controlled by people who worshiped Ashsher a lesser-known or regional deity represented by the sun. There is a theme building. Egyptians worshipped Osiris the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was classically depicted as a green-skinned deity reminiscent of the reptilian god they followed. Osiris as the pharaoh was considered a son of the sun god Ra who, after his death, ascended to join Ra in the sky.

Cush the name of a son of Ham, and of his territory, which is the epicenter of Mesopotamian sun-god worship. Cush was the descendant of Ham who was cursed for having relations with his own mother. The story was then used by Sameramis and Tammuz. [Ezekiel 8] This leads to the Tower of Bab~el.

YHVH is stating He will bring the people out of false god worship and to the truth. It is then up to them to follow the calling upon their life.

• Ezekiel 37:23 “Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.”
• Zechariah 8:8 “And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

²³ And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

²⁴ And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁵ And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.

²⁶ And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

• Matthew 19:28 ”And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
• Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:”
• Revelation 5:11 “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

²⁷ And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

²⁸ As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Like Enoch, John, and other prophets, Ezekiel gets a ‘peak behind the curtain’ at the Creator, Savior, Guardian and Educator of our faith. YHVH shows Ezekiel the bigger picture so he will be equipped to do the job before him. The same as Moses, Joseph, and the Apostles, YHVH has a preparation for you and your future.