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EZEKIEL'S WHEEL

This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.  Ezekiel 1:16-19 (NIV)

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WHO WAS EZEKIEL and WHAT ARE THE WHEELS?

While this topic could have been included on our Angels page, we felt it warranted its own page.

 

A variety of theories have been offered up about Ezekiel and the mysterious wheels he saw in a vision given to him from God. Some have tried to explain away ‘Ezekiel’s Wheels’, as it's sometimes referenced, as technology given to us by ancient aliens or gods.  Swiss author, Erich von Daniken, describes it as a spaceship, for example.  One argument posed is, why would God need a means of transportation? If He’s God, He wouldn’t need to rely on any form of transportation.  

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So, let’s explore……

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EZEKIEL

“Probably the greatest mystic of the Old Testament” – Chuck Missler

 

What do we know about Ezekiel?

 

  • He was a jew and was around 25-30 years old at the time God gave him a number of visions.

  • He seemed to be a bit of a recluse.

  • He was being held captive by King Jehoiachim with other Jews who were taken from Judah to Babylon.

  • He was a priest and a prophet and was commissioned of God to rebuke Israel in captivity for her many sins, for constant hardness again Him, and for rebelling against His word.

  • He was inspired by the Holy Spirit, who gave him messages by direct revelation.

  • God had him do a number of things we’d consider very strange.  I’m sure the people in his time thought the same.  Among other things, at God's request, he bound himself and shaved his head and beard (something that someone in his position just didn’t do back then), he ate a scroll, he laid on his left side for 390 days to bear the punishment of Israel, and he laid on his right side for 40 days to bear the punishment of Judah.

  • Ezekiel was fearless.  He didn't care what anyone thought of him or the things he did in the name of God.  He didn't mince words and wasn't afraid to communicate exactly what God wanted.

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While the focus of this page is to provide more context around the vision God gave Ezekiel about Him, the cherubim angels and wheels, God gave Ezekiel a number of other visions as well:

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  • A vision of the cloud and cherubim (Ezekekiel 1:1-28)

  • A vision of the Holy Spirit, cherubim, and transportation (Ezekekiel 3:12-14)

  • A vision of the plain (Ezekiel 3: 22 -23)

  • A vision of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8-11)

  • A vision of glory – alter fire on Jerusalem & the cherubim (Ezekiel Chapter 10)

  • A vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones (Ezekiel Chapters 36 & 37)

  • A vision of the New Temple (Ezekiel 40:1 – 48:35)

WHEELS and CHERUBIM DESCRIBED

I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north - an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. – Ezekiel 1: 4-5 (NIV)

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The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks. – Ezekiel 10:5 (NIV)

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These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that they were cherubim. – Ezekiel 10:20 (NIV)

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Living Creatures

 

  • The “living creatures” being referenced are cherubim angels (Ezekiel 1:14; Ezekiel 10:20) 

  • Cherubim angels are guardians of the holiness of God – they are throne attendants. You can read more about these angels on our Angels page.

    • God uses them to travel by (2 Samuel. 22:11; Psalms 18:10)

    • They take God's throne from place to place (Ezekiel 1, 9:3, 10:1-20, 11:22)

  • The glory of the Lord was over (above) the living creatures.

    • The ‘glory’ of the Lord, is defined as some type of visible manifestation of His person and/or His power. The invisible qualities and characteristics of God being displayed in a visible way.

  • The cherubim angles/living creatures had the likeness of man.

  • Each had four faces and four wings - their bodily frame was like a man having one face like a man and three additional faces on the head.

    • The four faces were an Ox, Man, Lion, Eagle.

    • Whichever way the head looked they went in that direction.

  • Their hands were like those of a man and each one had four hands, not two.  The hands were located under their wings on their four sides.

  • Their feet were straight and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot.

  • They sparked like burnished brass.

  • Their wings were joined one to another and stretched upward – two wings of each one were joined one to another and two covered their bodies.

  • When they moved their wings could be heard – like the the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army (Ezekiel 1:24)

  • When they stood still they lowered their wings (Ezekiel 1:24)

 

Wheels

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  • Each cherubim (living creatures) had a wheel by him, making four wheels in all.

  • Each wheel was two wheels in one - a wheel within a wheel.

  • There was fire between the wheels and the cherubim/living creatures.

  • The glory of God was over them above.

  • The rings are the rims of the wheel.

    • They were high and awesome.

    • They had many eyes all around them looking in different directions.

  • Where the spirit went the wheels went.

  • The spirit of the cherubim, not God, was in the wheels. God didn’t move in the wheels, the cherubim did – the wheels allowed them to move in any direction without having to turn.  However, the Spirit of God gave direction to the wheels.

PURPOSE

The cherubim (living creatures), wheels, fire, and spirit functioned as the chariot of God’s throne

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  • The Lord being seated above and between the cherubim represents His total sovereignty.

    • The image we are provided with of God being above and between the cherubim angels originated in the Mercy Seat design that God revealed to Moses in Exodus 25:18. God spoke with Moses from the Mercy Seat, which was situated between the cherubim above the Ark.

  • The Lord sitting above the cherubim - all creation is subject to His sovereign rule and intervention and that all its power are at His disposal.

  • The four cherubim, four wheels, and the Spirit working together emphasize their unity, harmony and coordination. They functioned as one.

  • The wheels and their mobility illustrate the omnipresence of God (His ability to be everywhere at the same time).

  • The eyes within the wheels represent God's omniscience and His position above them shows His great power.

WHY DID GOD 'TRAVEL' THIS WAY?

God has used a variety of transportation methods throughout the Bible. He's used chariots, cherubim angels, and has even taken on bodily form. However, it's not so much about the transportation method of God as it is God giving Ezekiel insight into His omnipotence, His power. 

 

He knows what is going on everywhere, can be anywhere at any time, and can intervene in the affairs of man in any way that will bring them to the realization of who He is…..the one true God.  Author and creator of our universe.

 

At the end of the day, He’s God.  He can go from place to place however He desires.  Does he need a method of transportation?  No, but He chooses to.

INTERESTING THEORIES

Some theorize that the faces of the cherubim (living creatures) represent the four new testament gospels and the camps of Israel.  Others are completely opposed to these theories. 

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  • Matthew – represents the lion – Lion of the tribe of Judah - overcoming sin; advancement of God's kingdom on earth.

  • Mark – represents the Ox – tribe of Reuben - represented Jesus as the suffering servant.

  • Luke – represents Man – tribe of Ephraim - son of man; focus on humanity.

  • John – represented the Eagle - tribe of Dan - time of judgement; supremacy; sovereignty.

 

Not only do we see these four faces in Ezekiel 1 and 10, they also appear in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4.

RESOURCES, RESEARCH & REFERENCES

Check out the Ezekiel's Wheel section of our Resources, Research & References page for books, documentaries, DVD’s, articles, biblical and extra-biblical information on this topic

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