The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

consciousness that his God is Almighty, ruling completely the affairs of men. The prophetic crescendo finally lifts the awestruck man to behold the Majesty of God ² and, overcome, he falls on his face! A synopsis of the vision. Standing

beside the Chebar canal one summer day, Ezekiel perceived an awesome tornado coming out of the north, but it was more than dust and debris. This was an

immense incandescent cloud, like a fire ball, billowing toward him, lightning flashing an G ´UDJLQJ ILUH HQJXOILQJ LWVHOI µ The flames flashed round and round the whirling cloud with such lightning swiftness that each seemed to catch hold of the flash before it. Inside this fire-swathed storm a fiery core burned with brilliant intensity, like a luminous metal.

Meaning: the fiery storm-cloud symbolizes judgment. T KH VWRUP FDPH ´RXW RI WKH QRUWK µ EHFDXVH LW signified that the Babylonian armies would come out of the north to devastate Jerusalem (note Jer. 1:14, 15; 4:6; 6:1). The fire, cloud, etc., are often public manifestations of divine glory. 13 ´)RXU OLYLQJ FUHDWXUHV , µ burning like torches, glowing like fiery coals, emerged from the cloud, each accompanied by a large eye-studded wheel. Most unusual, these bizarre personalities each had four faces, four wings and four hands (1:6, 8). In chapter 10 Ezekiel called WKHP ´FKHUXELP µ The descriptions are symbolic and totally appropriate for grasping their deeper significance. µ6\PE ols are used to express as nearly as possible to our human minds the nature and functions of these ZRQGHUIXO KHDYHQO\ EHLQJV µ 14 Meaning: &RQQHU VD\V ´7KH QXPEHU IRXU LV WKH QXPEHU RI FUHDWLRQ WKH QXPEHU RI HDUWK WKDW ZKLFK pertains to the world; the four corners of the earth. It is a world- ZLGH QXPEHU µ 15 MacArthur suggests: ´7KH QXPEHU PD\ KDYH UHVSHFW WR WKH FRUQHUV RI WKH HDUWK LPSO\LQJ WKDW *RG·V DQJ els execute His FRPPDQGV HYHU\ZKHUH µ 16 Wings speak of Holy Spirit power and quick performance of *RG·V ZLO l; innumerable eyes illustrate divine omniscience. The four faces: are often likened to the four Gospels (Matt ³ lion, Mk ³ ox, Lk ³ man, Jn ³ Eagle). Also: lion (King of the Beasts, majesty, strength, power); ox (King of domestic beasts, service, labor, sacrifice); man (King of creation, intelligence, reason, rulership); eagle (King of the birds, far-sighted, swiftness, flight). 7KH IRXU ´OLYLQJ FUHDWXUHVµ KDYH EHHQ DSSOLHG WR &KULVW WR EHOLHYHUV WR DQJHOV DQG to the four translated-men (Enoch, Moses, Elijah and Jesus). Baxter gives this succinct summary ´+HUH LQ V\PERO is strength at its greatest, service at its meekest, intelligence at its fullest, and spirituality the most soaring µ (emphasis added). 17

13 Moshe Greenberg, Ezekiel 1-20, The Anchor Bible, S ³7KH FKDUDFWHULVWLFV RI WKH GLYLQH PDQLIHVWDWLRQ LQ (]HNLHO ± the storm, the cloud, lightning, fire, and radiance ± are regularly associated with awesome public theophanies; cf. Exod 19; Deut 33:2f.; Judg 5:4f.; Nahum 1:3ff.; Hab 3:8- ´ (VSHFLDOO y note Psa 18:8-14 (2 Sam 22). 14 Baxter, Explore the Book, ³(]HNLHO ´ S 15 Kevin J. Conner, The Book of Revelation (An Exposition) , p. 141. In his commentary Conner gives an insightful, eight-page discussion

RQ ³7KH +HDYHQO\ /LYLQJ &UHDWXUHV ´ 16 The MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1153. 17 Baxter, p. 20.

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