Chapter 1:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Lamentations Daniel
Ezekiel 1
Concise Complete
Ezekiel's vision of God, and of the angelic host. (1-14)
The conduct of Divine Providence. (15-25) A revelation of the Son of man upon
his heavenly throne. (26-28)Verses 1-14 It is
a mercy to have the word of God brought to us, and a duty to attend to it
diligently, when we are in affliction. The voice of God came in the fulness of
light and power, by the Holy Spirit. These visions seem to have been sent to
possess the prophet's mind with great and high thoughts of God. To strike terror
upon sinners. To speak comfort to those that feared God, and humbled themselves.
In ver.
4-14, is
the first part of the vision, which represents God as attended and served by a
vast company of angels, who are all his messengers, his ministers, doing his
commandments. This vision would impress the mind with solemn awe and fear of the
Divine displeasure, yet raise expectations of blessings. The fire is surrounded
with a glory. Though we cannot by searching find out God to perfection, yet we
see the brightness round about it. The likeness of the living creatures came out
of the midst of the fire; angels derive their being and power from God. They
have the understanding of a man, and far more. A lion excels in strength and
boldness. An ox excels in diligence and patience, and unwearied discharge of the
work he has to do. An eagle excels in quickness and piercing sight, and in
soaring high; and the angels, who excel man in all these respects, put on these
appearances. The angels have wings; and whatever business God sends them upon,
they lose no time. They stood straight, and firm, and steady. They had not only
wings for motion, but hands for action. Many persons are quick, who are not
active; they hurry about, but do nothing to purpose; they have wings, but no
hands. But wherever the angels' wings carried them, they carried hands with
them, to be doing what duty required. Whatever service they went about, they
went every one straight forward. When we go straight, we go forward; when we
serve God with one heart, we perform work. They turned not when they went. They
made no mistakes; and their work needed not to be gone over again. They turned
not from their business to trifle with any thing. They went whithersoever the
Spirit of God would have them go. The prophet saw these living creatures by
their own light, for their appearance was like burning coals of fire; they are
seraphim, or "burners;" denoting the ardour of their love to God, and fervent
zeal in his service. We may learn profitable lessons from subjects we cannot
fully enter into or understand. But let us attend to the things which relate to
our peace and duty, and leave secret things to the Lord, to whom alone they
belong.
Verses 15-25
Providence, represented by the wheels, produces changes. Sometimes one spoke of
the wheel is uppermost, sometimes another; but the motion of the wheel on its
own axletree is regular and steady. We need not despond in adversity; the wheels
are turning round and will raise us in due time, while those who presume in
prosperity know not how soon they may be cast down. The wheel is near the living
creatures; the angels are employed as ministers of God's providence. The spirit
of the living creatures was in the wheels; the same wisdom, power, and holiness
of God, that guide and govern the angels, by them order all events in this lower
world. The wheel had four faces, denoting that the providence of God exerts
itself in all parts. Look every way upon the wheel of providence, it has a face
toward you. Their appearance and work were as a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
The disposals of Providence seem to us dark, perplexed, and unaccountable, yet
are all wisely ordered for the best. The motion of these wheels was steady,
regular, and constant. They went as the Spirit directed, therefore returned not.
We should not have to undo that by repentance which we have done amiss, if we
followed the guidance of the Spirit. The rings, or rims of the wheels were so
vast, that when put in motion the prophet was afraid to look upon them. The
consideration of the height and depth of God's counsel should awe us. They were
full of eyes round about. The motions of Providence are all directed by infinite
Wisdom. All events are determined by the eyes of the Lord, which are in every
place beholding the evil and the good; for there is no such thing as chance or
fortune. The firmament above was a crystal, glorious, but terribly so. That
which we take to be a dark cloud, is to God clear as crystal, through which he
looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth. When the angels had roused a
careless world, they let down their wings, that God's voice might be plainly
heard. The voice of Providence is to open men's ears to the voice of the word.
Sounds on earth should awaken our attention to the voice from heaven; for how
shall we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaks from thence.
Verses 26-28 The
eternal Son, the second Person in the Trinity, who afterwards took the human
nature, is here denoted. The first thing observed was a throne. It is a throne
of glory, a throne of grace, a throne of triumph, a throne of government, a
throne of judgment. It is good news to men, that the throne above the firmament
is filled with One who appears, even there, in the likeness of a man. The throne
is surrounded with a rainbow, the well-known emblem of the covenant,
representing God's mercy and covenanted love to his people. The fire of God's
wrath was breaking out against Jerusalem, but bounds should be set to it; he
would look upon the bow, and remember the covenant. All the prophet saw was only
to prepare him for what he was to hear. When he fell on his face, he heard the
voice of One that spake. God delights to teach the humble. Let sinners, then,
humble themselves before him. And let believers think upon his glory, that they
may be gradually changed into his image by the Spirit of the Lord.
Chapter 1:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Lamentations Daniel
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
