The Appearance of the Likeness of the Glory of the Lord—Chapter 1:26-28
THE throne of the Supreme Ruler of the universe is seen in vision by our prophet above the firmament, and upon it as the appearance of a man. It is not questioned that it is God who will judge the world in righteousness; nevertheless it will be “by that man whom He hath ordained” (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)), even by Him who, when here on earth, was the despised and rejected One.
The man Christ Jesus was as truly God as He was truly man, and it is according to Heaven’s decree, that those who refuse to bow the knee to Him in this day of grace, shall be obliged to do so in the day of judgment, to God’s glory, even though, alas! it be to their own perdition. “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father... and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (John 5:22-2822For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, (John 5:22‑28)).
Before entering into the details of God’s judicial dealings with respect to Israel and the nations, Ezekiel is given a sight of the glory of the Lord, but connected with the throne of judgment, and not as seen by believers now in the face of Jesus Christ. There was the appearance of fire, the constant symbol of that judgment which consumes unsparingly every particle of man’s sin wherever found. But round about the fire was the appearance of a brightness, and that the brightness “of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain.” In the bow we have the unfailing pledge of God’s mercy; and so in the prophetic utterances that follow in the after-part of the book, we shall see that after the dark night of Israel’s sin and judgment is passed, there will be the dawn of a bright and glorious day of earthly blessing, when they shall have loathed themselves and repented of all their evil ways.
The effect upon Ezekiel’s soul of this vision of the glory of the Lord is next described: “When I saw it, I fell upon my face.” The prophet is about to be used as the mouthpiece of Jehovah, to convey to the rebellious people the solemn announcements of His judgment, but he is made to feel first in his own heart how real a thing it is to have to do with God.
The Voice That Spake—Chapter 2
“Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee” (ver. 1). Before Ezekiel can speak Jehovah’s words to the rebellious house of Israel, he must first of all hear for himself: “But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.” He must drink into his own soul the bitterness of those lamentations and woes with which he is sent to the guilty nation.
The way in which the prophet is addressed is most striking and worthy of note. All through the book now under review do we find the title “son of man” given to Ezekiel. This was Christ’s own title of rejection, when refused by the Jewish nation as Messiah and King; and Ezekiel in his measure is given the same place, outside the nation, though sent to them with words of warning. It was different in the case of Isaiah and Jeremiah: there the people were still owned of God; but now they were given up, because of their sin, into the power of the Gentiles. The Chaldean captivity had already commenced with a large portion of the people; still, however, some were left in Jerusalem: these were soon to share in a similar judgment in the days of Zedekiah. It is for this reason that Ezekiel is sent with a message to the people, whereas in Daniel the people themselves are never addressed. In Ezekiel there was still a small remnant recognized at Jerusalem, in Daniel Lo-ammi (not My people) was written upon the whole.
“Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to rebellious Gentiles (Goyim) that have rebelled against Me” (ver. 3). With all their privileges, they were morally no better than the nations that knew not God; nevertheless Ezekiel is sent with a “Thus saith the Lord God,” and they should know that a prophet had been amongst them.
The Roll of Warning—Chapter 3
The prophet is bidden to eat the roll written within and without, overflowing with judgment. The solemn truth was to penetrate his very soul; his whole moral being was to be filled with the bitterness of that which made such judgment necessary (ver. 14). And yet in his mouth it was as honey for sweetness; there is no inconsistency in these apparently opposite thoughts. That bitterness should fill his spirit at the sight of the sinful people, and the well-merited punishment that was hanging over them, we can well understand; while on the other hand, that God should deign to communicate His word, even though it be a word of judgment, is full of sweetness. “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” (Gen. 18:1717And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (Genesis 18:17)). It was so too, in the case of the beloved disciple John (Rev. 10:99And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. (Revelation 10:9)), chosen of God to communicate the still more solemn judgments yet to fall on guiltier Christendom. None more familiar than John with the grace and tenderness of the heart of Jesus, as we see in his gospel, and yet was he the one to declare the woes that filled the vials of God’s wrath about to be poured upon apostate Christendom.
Ezekiel is sent to the house of Israel, assured beforehand that they will not hearken to him, for they would not hearken to the Lord (ver. 7); they were more hardened even than the heathen. But the prophet was not to be dismayed at their looks, but to receive into his own heart all Jehovah’s words, and then to go to them of the captivity with, “Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.”
Amidst such discouragements, it needed indeed that he should be lifted up by the Spirit, be strengthened with a vision of the glory, and feel the hand of the Lord strong upon him (verses 12-15). And yet, faithful man as he was, he must take his share in the sorrow of the captivity, and sit “where they sat.” After seven days, tasting to the full the bitter humiliation, the word of the Lord came unto him. But if the house of Israel as a whole refused to listen, individuals might still hearken. “Give them warning from Me,” said the Lord, holding His servant responsible for the discharge of his solemn duty (verses 15-22).
Another sight of the glory casts him prostrate, the only attitude that befits man in presence of the Divine Majesty. So far as the nation was concerned he was to be dumb, his tongue cleaving to the roof of his mouth; he was not to be to them a reprover, for they were a rebellious house. Nevertheless, “he that heareth, let him hear.” There is a striking similarity between this and the call of the Spirit to the churches (Rev. 2, 3). In both, collective repentance was impossible: things had gone too far in moral failure and sin; individuals only would listen, whether in Israel then, or in Christendom today (verses 22-27).