Introduction
THE FOURTH “VISION OF GOD.”
This description is almost identical, even in phrase, with that given in chap.
1 . The repetition with such particularity of all these details proves that Ezekiel regarded the vision, even in its minuteness, as picturing a deep mystery. This alone would exclude the hypothesis that the symbols used were merely familiar emblems of sovereignty, well known to every Israelite (1 Kings 6:29; 1 Kings 7:25; 1 Kings 7:44; Ezekiel 17:3; Ezekiel 17:7), or that the living creatures merely represented divine intelligence, power, creative might and omniscience. Piepenbring. The emphasis placed upon this vision by the prophet shows that he understood it to contain some new revelation. Indeed, this vision is the key to the entire prophecy. All the fundamentals to Ezekiel’s theology are here pictorially expressed: his conception of God human in his attributes (not beastly, as the heathen thought), gloriously enthroned above all gods, One who only needs to be seen as he is in order to be reverenced; his conception of man, whose chief duty is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever;” his conception of the world and its government as being wholly, constantly, irrevocably, everlastingly dominated by its divine King; all nature and all history, life and death, things present and things to come, governed by one Will which “makes for righteousness.” This prophecy is a picture in whirlwind and fire of the song of the seraphim: “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts: that which filleth the whole earth is his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Ezekiel’s vision has been called “ a song without words.” His cherubim are speechless. They do not need to speak. Before the majesty of Jehovah they stand and drop their wings, too awed to speak. The effect of this “vision of God” upon the seer may be traced in almost every chapter of his prophecy. For detailed description of the vision see also notes on chap. 1.
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