Bible Commentaries

The Burning of the City

v. 1. Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament, the vaulted expanse above, that was above the head of the cherubim, the living creatures of the first vision, there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. In the previous chapter the Lord had left this throne and occupied a position at the threshold of the Holy Place. Here He is again on His throne above the cherubim, as the majestic Sovereign of the universe.

v. 2. And He spake unto the man clothed with linen, the chief of the six avenging angels, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, here spoken of as collective, on account of the unity of the vision, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim, 1:13, and scatter them over the city, to bring about its destruction by fire. And he went in in my sight, performing the work which he was commanded to do while Ezekiel was witness of his act.

v. 3. Now, the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, that is, on the south side, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court, the Court of the Priests.

v. 4. Then the glory of the Lord, once more leaving its position on the throne above the cherubim, went up from the cherub, literally, "was raised up high from off the cherub," and stood over the threshold of the house, removing to this place as before; and the house, the Sanctuary proper, was filled with the cloud, and the court, the inner court, was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory, as reflected from the cloud which filled the Holy Place.

v. 5. And the sound of the cherubim's wings, 1:24, was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the almighty. God when He speaketh.

v. 6. And it came to pass that, when He had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubim; then he went in and stood beside the wheels, beneath the cherubim, who were now changed from ministers of God's grace to ministers of God's vengeance.

v. 7. And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim, as they stood in close array, unto the fire that was between the cherubim and took thereof and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen, who had received his command directly from the Lord, who took it and went out, in order to carry out the punishment of burning upon the city.

v. 8. And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings, this hand performing the office of handing out the fiery coals for the destruction of Jerusalem, The attention to details increases the effect of the entire passage: the idea of deliberate preparation for the ruin of the city.

The Removal of Jehovah from his Temple

v. 9. And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was as the color of a beryl stone, as in the first vision, chapter 1.

v. 10. And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel, at right angles, as in the case of a gyroscope.

v. 11. When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, for their structure made it unnecessary for them to change their direction, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went. Cf.Ezekiel 1:17-19.

v. 12. And their whole body, literally, "all their flesh," and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, serving as a sort of conveyance to the cherubim, were full of eyes, round about, even the wheels that they four had.

v. 13. As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, in a mighty command by the mouth of the Lord, O wheel! this call preparing for the further commands which were given.

v. 14. And every one had four faces, as in 1:10, the prophet here naming the face of each which was turned in his direction; the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man and the third the face of a lion and the fourth the face of an eagle. Cf Rev 4:7.

v. 15. And the cherubim were lifted up, to be removed from the place which they then occupied. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.

v. 16. And when the cherubim went, the wheels went by them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wing to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them, so that the movement of the two was absolutely harmonious.

v. 17. When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also; for the spirit of the living creature was in them, the expression here used collectively, as in many instances.

v. 18. Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, from the entrance to the holy Place, and stood over the cherubim, on the throne which it had occupied at the beginning of the vision.

v. 19. And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight, the Lord thus removing His gracious presence from his People; when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one, that is, the vision with the throne, stood at the door of the East Gate of the Lord's house, that is, the eastern entrance of the outer court; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

v. 20. This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubim, and their leaving completed the abandonment of tile Temple as a whole.

v. 21. Every one had four faces apiece and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. Cf.Ezekiel 1:6.

v. 22. And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward, always under the direction of the Spirit of the Lord, whose power moved them.