Tag: call of a prophet
The likeness of the Glory of God!
Scripture reading for August 19th: Ezekiel 1-6s
When a priest turned 30, he began his full time ministry. Ezekiel had just turned 30 years of age and he was a priest. He had been taken into captivity and was in Babylon with a group of exiles which included Daniel and his friends. They evidently met by the Kebar River to have their Sabbath observances and feast days and while they were meeting, God by His grace opened the heavens and gave Ezekiel a vision of God that changed his life and gave him direction and focus. He was called by God to go to his people and give them God’s word. He was warned by the Lord that God’s people were rebellious, obstinate and stubborn. (Ezekiel 2:1-4) His responsibility was to give them the word of God.
The vision that Ezekiel saw of the throne of God was spectacular. It began with a windstorm coming from the north with a towering thundercloud and flashing lightning and fire in the center. As it got closer, Ezekiel could see four living creatures. (Ezekiel 1:4-9) These creatures had the form of a man but they had four faces and feet like a calf and four wings with hands underneath. They glowed like bronze and the faces were that of an eagle, ox, lion and man. Below on the ground, there was a wheel that sparkled and had another intersecting wheel. These wheels were full of eyes on the rim and enabled the creatures to move in all directions as the Spirit moved them. When these creatures with the wheels moved, there was a sound like that of roaring waters, like the voice of God.
As Ezekiel looked he noticed a glowing throne of sapphire above the creatures and on the throne was a figure like that of a man. He was glowing with fire and brilliant light surrounded Him. This light looked like a rainbow and glowed with radiance! (Ezekiel 1:26-28) This figure had the “likeness of the Glory of God”! When Ezekiel saw it he evidently fell to the ground in awe, for the Lord later stood him up to talk with him. He was overcome by the likeness of God’s glory!
No man has seen God and lived. The Scripture states that sinful man would die if he could see the full radiance of His Glory. God grants some men grace to see a glimpse of His glory. Remember Moses was hidden by God in the cleft of the rock and was allowed to see His backside. (Exodus 33:18-20) Now God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to show mankind the Glory of God. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to have the Glory of God revealed to us by the Spirit. We are being transformed by that grace gift with ever increasing glory! (2nd Corinthians 3:18) When Jesus Christ appears and the trumpet blows, we will be instantly transformed into a glorious body, like His glorious body! (1st Thessalonians 4:16-18) We now carry the “likeness of the Glory of God”! Think about that and rejoice!