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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And it cometh to pass, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth of the month, and I [am] in the midst of the Removed by the river Chebar, the heavens have been opened, and I see visions of God. |
It came to pass – A portion of this prophecy was written before the final troubles upon Judah; the remainder, after the complete overthrow. The entire prophecy was given in Babylon. R4881:1
Written in the Chaldaic language, this prophecy is full of symbolism and has been termed the apocalypse of the Old Testament. R3624:3
As I was – Carried miraculously forward to some of the captives residing by the river Chebar. R4881:5
Heavens were opened – Ezekiel, like John, seems to represent the living saints. (Rev. 4:1) R530:4*
Visions of God – Related not only to natural Israel, but also to spiritual Israel. R3624:6
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| 2 In the fifth of the month it is the fifth year of the removal of the king Jehoiachin |
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| 3 hath the word of Jehovah certainly been unto Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar, and there is on him there a hand of Jehovah. |
Ezekiel – Ranks amongst the great prophets. R4881:1
Represented the Son of Man, the great Teacher, the Redeemer; and also the members of the Bride of Christ, used as his mouthpieces. R4881:5
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| 4 And I look, and lo, a tempestuous wind is coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire catching itself, and brightness to it round about, and out of its midst as the colour of copper, out of the midst of the fire. |
Out of the north – The seat of divine empire. D653 [D653:2]
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| 5 And out of its midst [is] a likeness of four living creatures, and this [is] their appearance; a likeness of man [is] to them, |
Living creatures – Cherubim are always connected with the immediate presence or throne of God. R529:6*
Personifying the attributes of God: Power, Wisdom, Justice and Love. R529:6*
We can hear the Power, Wisdom, Justice and Love of God proclaiming in perfect harmony the glory and honor of our Father. R530:5*, R2372:4
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| 6 and four faces [are] to each, and four wings [are] to each of them, |
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| 7 and their feet [are] straight feet, and the sole of their feet [is] as a sole of a calf's foot, and they are sparkling as the colour of bright brass; |
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| 8 and hands of man under their wings on their four sides, and their faces and their wings [are] to them four; |
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| 9 joining one unto another [are] their wings, they turn not round in their going, each straight forward they go. |
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| 10 As to the likeness of their faces, the face of a man, and the face of a lion, toward the right [are] to them four, and the face of an ox on the left [are] to them four, and the face of an eagle [are] to them four. |
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| 11 And their faces and their wings are separate from above, to each [are] two joining together, and two are covering their bodies. |
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| 12 And each straight forward they go, whither the spirit is to go, they go, they turn not round in their going. |
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| 13 As to the likeness of the living creatures, their appearances [are] as coals of fire burning as the appearance of lamps; it is going up and down between the living creatures, and brightness [is] to the fire, and out of the fire is going forth lightning. |
Coals of fire – Or like fire, as all spirit beings are described in Scripture. R2350:1[R2349:11]
Went forth lightning – Diffusions of knowledge. R511:2[R511:6]
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| 14 And the living creatures are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash. |
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| 15 And I see the living creatures, and lo, one wheel [is] in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces. |
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| 16 The appearance of the wheels and their works [is] as the colour of beryl, and one likeness [is] to them four, and their appearances and their works [are] as it were the wheel in the midst of the wheel. |
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| 17 On their four sides, in their going they go, they turn not round in their going. |
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| 18 As to their rings, they are both high and fearful, and their rings [are] full of eyes round about them four. |
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| 19 And in the going of the living creatures, the wheels go beside them, and in the living creatures being lifted up from off the earth, lifted up are the wheels. |
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| 20 Whither the spirit is to go, they go, thither the spirit [is] to go, and the wheels are lifted up over-against them, for a living spirit [is] in the wheels. |
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| 21 In their going, they go; and in their standing, they stand; and in their being lifted up from off the earth, lifted up are the wheels over-against them; for a living spirit [is] in the wheels. |
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| 22 And a likeness [is] over the heads of the living creatures of an expanse, as the colour of the fearful ice, stretched out over their heads from above. |
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| 23 And under the expanse their wings [are] straight, one toward the other, to each are two covering on this side, and to each are two covering on that side their bodies. |
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| 24 And I hear the noise of their wings, as the noise of many waters, as the noise of the Mighty One, in their going the noise of tumult, as the noise of a camp, in their standing they let fall their wings. |
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| 25 And there is a voice from above the expanse, that [is] above their head: in their standing they let fall their wings. |
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| 26 And above the expanse that [is] over their head, as an appearance of a sapphire stone, [is] the likeness of a throne, and on the likeness of the throne a likeness, as the appearance of man upon it from above. |
A throne – Or chariot, supported by the living creatures, or cherubim; also represented in the Mercy Seat of the Tabernacle. R529:6*[R529:21]
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| 27 And I see as the colour of copper, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward, I have seen as the appearance of fire, and brightness [is] to it round about. |
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| 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so [is] the appearance of the brightness round about. |
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