Ezekiel 10:4 Komentář

The prophet had observed to us (Eze 8:4) that when he was in vision at Jerusalem he saw the same appearance of the glory of God there that he had seen by the river Chebar; now, in this chapter, he gives us some account of the appearance there, as far as was requisite for the clearing up of two further indications of the approaching destruction of Jerusalem, which God here gave the prophet: - I. The scattering of the coals of fire upon the city, which were taken from between the cherubim (Eze 10:1-7). II. The removal of the glory of God from the temple, and its being upon the wing to be gone (Eze 10:8-22). When God goes out from a people all judgments break in upon them.

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 10 In this chapter is a vision, very much like that in the first chapter, with some difference, and with a different view, the design of it being to represent the wrath of God against Jerusalem, and his departure from the city and temple. A throne much like that in Eze 1:26 is described, Eze 10:1; orders are given from it to scatter coals over the city, Eze 10:2; the situation of the cherubim when these orders were given, Eze 10:3; the removal of the glory of the Lord from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the consequences of it; the house filled with smoke; the court with the brightness of the Lord's glory; and the sound of the cherubim's wings heard to the outer court, as the voice of God, Eze 10:4; the orders of taking and scattering fire over the city executed, and the manner in which they were, Eze 10:6; a description of the cherubim and the wheels, much like that in the first chapter, Eze 10:8; the departure of the glory of God from the threshold to the east gate of the Lord's house, with the motion of the cherubim and wheels along with him, Eze 10:18; and the chapter is concluded with observing, that the cherubim are the same with the living creatures seen in the vision of the first chapter, and had the same form, likeness, and motion, Eze 10:20.

Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub,.... Or, "cherubim"; those that were upon the mercy seat, between which the Shechinah or glorious majesty of God dwelt, in the most holy place: this is a token and intimation of the Lord's leaving of the temple; and a little before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, to which this vision chiefly, if not together, refers, a voice was heard in the temple, "let us go hence (b):'' and stood over the threshold of the house; either of the holy of holies, from whence he was removing; or rather of the holy place, the court of the priests, the inward court, and so open to the outward court, and view of the people in it: and the house was filled with the cloud; the temple, being forsaken of God, was filled with darkness; as an emblem of that blindness which is come upon the Jews, and will continue on them till the fulness of the Gentiles brought in: and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory; either the inward court, as the glory of the Lord passed through it, from the holy of holies; or rather the outward court, of which mention is made in Eze 10:4; the glory of the Lord being on the threshold Of the house, which looked towards that, and so enlightened it. This outward court signifies the Gentiles; who, when the Lord removed from the Jewish nation and people, were favoured with the glorious light of the Gospel, and ordinances of Christ; whereby they were enlightened, and filled with the knowledge of the Lord; with the knowledge of him, who is the brightness of his father's glory, and the express image of his person; so through the fall of the Jews salvation came to the Gentiles, Rom 11:11. (b) Josephus de Bello Judaeorum, l. 6. c. 5, sect. 3.

The prophet did not see the throne but the likeness of the throne, just as he said earlier that he did not see the glory of the Lord but the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

(Verses 3 and following) And he entered in my sight. But the cherubim stood at the right side of the house, when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner courtyard. And the glory of the Lord was lifted up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the splendor of the glory of the Lord. And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard up to the outer courtyard, like the voice of God Almighty speaking. And when he commanded the man who was dressed in linen, saying: Take fire from the middle of the wheels, which are between the cherubim: he entered and stood beside the wheel. And the cherub stretched forth his hand from the midst of the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it and went out. And there appeared in the cherubim the likeness of a hand of a man under their wings. Then the prophet, seeing the vision, approached the man who was clothed in a long linen garment or tunic. And according to the Septuagint now they change the interpretation, the holy vestment, when among the Hebrews it is called Baddim, and the other interpreters persist in the translation they have begun. However, as it is said in the second part, he entered into the midst of the wheels, which are beneath the Cherubim, to fill his hands with burning coals. When he had entered, he stood only next to the wheel, either out of sadness for the punishment of Jerusalem, or out of astonishment at the greatness of glory, he himself did not put his hand into the fire, but one of the Cherubim, that is, the Cherub, put his hand into the fire and took the fire, which was in the midst of the Cherubim, and gave it into the hand of the one who was clothed in linen garments. The one receiving went out; and yet Scripture does not say what he did, so that it would leave the narration of the sad event to our understanding rather than subjecting it to our eyes. But when the man entered, who was dressed in linen garments, the Cherubim stood on the right side of the house, so that they seemed to hold the right part of the house of God, as holy and heavenly powers, and those who are sent for punishment, of whom it is written: 'He sent upon them the heat of his anger, fury and indignation and trouble, a sending of evil angels.' (Psalm 78:49), may be believed to possess the left parts. And when the glory of the Lord was lifted up from the cherub, who was about to deliver coals of fire to the man; and it passed over to the threshold of the house, immediately the cloud, darkness, and gloom fill the inner courtyard. For in the presence of the majesty of the Lord, no punishments are carried out, and the glory of the Lord is seen in the courtyard, of which it is written: The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer courtyard. For the Hebrew word for sound is used instead of the Latin word voice: and this sound had a resemblance to the voice of God Almighty speaking. Why they translated it as seventy: as the voice of God Saddai (); which Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotio translated as suitable, which signifies strong and powerful. Note, reader, in which they agree, and in which they differ, so that from the comparison of both, without our admonition, you may understand the divine sacraments, and that which I mentioned before, that both in the firmament and on the throne, and in the hand of man, it is not called untruth but resemblance. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. (I Corinthians 13)

Note, reader, how this higher vision both harmonizes and is at variance with what went before; if you compare each and take our suggestion, you understand divine mysteries and what I impressed on you previously, namely, how it is not truth that is meant on the firmament, on the throne and on the hand of the man, but only the likeness of the truth.

To Ezekiel he made appear a driver in human form, flame-shaped and fire-tongued in a chariot composed of various forms. And he showed to him cherubim composed of various wild beasts, and a cherub’s hand extended like a man’s from the midst of the cherubim.

The same august vision which appeared to the prophet at first, is repeated here; and coals of fire are scattered over the city to intimate that it was to be burned. The symbol of the Divine presence is likewise represented as removing farther and farther from the temple, to signify that God's protection was about to be withdrawn from it, vv. 1-22. It may not be improper to remark, that whatever is particularly intended by the cherubim, wheels, firmament, throne, etc., described in this and the first chapter, the prophet several times informs us (Eze 1:28; Eze 3:25; Eze 8:4; Eze 10:4, Eze 10:18), that his vision was a manifestation or similitude of the Glory of Jehovah; or, in other words, consisted of a set of hieroglyphics by which this glory was in some measure represented. It is also worthy of observation, that the faces of the living creatures, of which we have an account in the fourth chapter of the Apocalypse, are precisely the same with those of Ezekiel's cherubim; and we nay readily collect, as Mr. Mede remarks, the quarter of the heavens in which each cherub was situated in reference to the other three, from the consideration that as Ezekiel saw the vision proceeding from the North, (see Eze 1:4, Eze 1:10), the human face of the cherubim was towards him, or the south; on his right hand, or the east, was the face of a lion; on his left hand, or the west, the face of an ox; and towards the north, the face of an eagle.

The glory of the Lord went up - This is repeated from Eze 9:3. The house was filled with the cloud - This is a fact similar to what occurred frequently at the tabernacle in the wilderness, and in the dedication of the temple by Solomon. What is mentioned here was the Divine shechinah, the symbolical representation of the majesty of God.

VISION OF COALS OF FIRE SCATTERED OVER THE CITY: REPETITION OF THE VISION OF THE CHERUBIM. (Eze. 10:1-22) The throne of Jehovah appearing in the midst of the judgments implies that whatever intermediate agencies be employed, He controls them, and that the whole flows as a necessary consequence from His essential holiness (Eze 1:22, Eze 1:26). cherubim--in Eze 1:5, called "living creatures." The repetition of the vision implies that the judgments are approaching nearer and nearer. These two visions of Deity were granted in the beginning of Ezekiel's career, to qualify him for witnessing to God's glory amidst his God-forgetting people and to stamp truth on his announcements; also to signify the removal of God's manifestation from the visible temple (Eze 10:18) for a long period (Eze 43:2). The feature (Eze 10:12) mentioned as to the cherubim that they were "full of eyes," though omitted in the former vision, is not a difference, but a more specific detail observed by Ezekiel now on closer inspection. Also, here, there is no rainbow (the symbol of mercy after the flood of wrath) as in the former; for here judgment is the prominent thought, though the marking of the remnant in Eze 9:4, Eze 9:6 shows that there was mercy in the background. The cherubim, perhaps, represent redeemed humanity combining in and with itself the highest forms of subordinate creaturely life (compare Rom 8:20). Therefore they are associated with the twenty-four elders and are distinguished from the angels (Rev 5:1-14). They stand on the mercy seat of the ark, and on that ground become the habitation of God from which His glory is to shine upon the world. The different forms symbolize the different phases of the Church. So the quadriform Gospel, in which the incarnate Saviour has lodged the revelation of Himself in a fourfold aspect, and from which His glory shines on the Christian world, answers to the emblematic throne from which He shone on the Jewish Church.

The court outside was full of the Lord's brightness, while it was only the cloud that filled the house inside, the scene of idolatries, and therefore of God's displeasure. God's throne was on the threshold. The temple, once filled with brightness, is now darkened with cloud.