Ezekiel 1 explained: A Vision of God in Exile

Where and when (vv. 1-3)

Ezekiel was among the people of Judah taken to Babylon with King Jehoiachin in 597 BC, so the fifth year of that exile is around 593 BC, and the Kebar was likely a canal near the city of Nippur. The "thirtieth year" may be his age, the age when priests normally began serving, but scholars are not certain.

Storm and four creatures (vv. 4-14)

Out of a fiery storm cloud come four winged beings with human, lion, ox and eagle faces, which Ezekiel later calls cherubim, the guardian creatures carved in Jerusalem's temple. A common reading is that the faces stand for the noblest of humans, wild animals, tame animals and birds, and that facing every direction at once shows they carry out God's will anywhere without turning aside.

Wheels full of eyes (vv. 15-21)

Beside each creature is a wheel that can roll in any direction and rise into the air, making the whole scene like a moving throne or chariot. Many take this to mean God is not tied to the temple and can come even to exiles in Babylon, while the eyes are often read as a sign that nothing escapes God's sight.

The crystal platform (vv. 22-25)

Above the creatures stretches a shining surface like crystal, recalling the dome of the sky in the creation story. The roar of their wings is compared to rushing water and an army, and then a voice speaks from above.

The figure on the throne (vv. 26-28)

On a throne of deep blue stone sits a figure "like a man," glowing like metal and fire and ringed with light like a rainbow, and Ezekiel falls face down. He piles up careful words such as "likeness" and "appearance," seemingly to avoid claiming he saw God directly, and Christians have often read this human figure in light of Jesus.

Key verse: Ezekiel 1:28

Where Christians differ

Interpreters differ on whether the vision mainly announces judgment coming on Jerusalem, with the storm arriving from the north as Babylon's armies did, or mainly reassures the exiles that God is present with them abroad, though many see both.

Something to think about

Ezekiel keeps saying what he saw was only "like" something; have you ever experienced something you struggled to put into words, and what did you do with it?